III. Waking Up Alone
***
"Dawn," Buffy said softly in the morning light.
Dawn rolled over sleepily the clock blinked 7:15.
She sat up, "Buffy is it the baby?"
Buffy's eyes were wide and ready to tear. Her body was oddly proportioned, so slender with a round stomach. She looked so small and defenseless. Dawn hadn't seen Buffy without Spike since she had told him. They were inseparable. Spike was scared to let her out of his sight because he was always worried that they might disappear. Buffy was afraid Spike would disappear so she hated him gone for too long
Buffy looked strange, lost and scared, without him. Dawn knew the fact that she was having a child scared Buffy, but the joy on Spike's face made Buffy secure in her job as mother Slayer.
"Spike never came home," Buffy said with carefully guarded control, "He went out for ice cream five hours ago."
"Buffy I'm sure…" Dawn trailed off as she saw sunlight in the window.
***
Dawn and Buffy walked hand in hand through the graveyard. Buffy had held out hope that he had got in a fight and had to seek sanctuary in his Crypt. Dawn had willingly come, knowing she needed moral support.
They had taken every possible route that could be taken in order for Spike to go to the store. There was no sign.
"When I find him I'm going to throttle him," Buffy muttered, "Stupid vampire. He's so taking the car from now on."
Dawn wanted to laugh. It was always like this lately. Buffy was so grumpy. Fortunately it was mostly at Spike or any male would do in a crunch. Buffy liked the idea of being pregnant, but she was going to make the males pay for the havoc that this child was creating in her body.
Dawn saw it first and she stopped, she looked up at Buffy who was looking down at it with her head cocked to the side. Buffy looked as if she was trying to figure something out.
The duster lay on the ground, covered in telltale ash.
***
Dawn broke into the magic shop and Buffy followed, she still had not said a word.
I am so the key Dawn thought.
Buffy sat down.
"How is his duster still around?" Buffy asked.
Dawn held her near.
"I'm sure that there is some reason that all of this is happening. You're right. You know that he wouldn't just take off his jacket."
Buffy nodded, "He rarely takes it off. I think he wouldn't fight as well without it. He is so used to it. He's had it for like twenty years."
Buffy was so close to tears. Her eyes were watery pools. Dawn held Buffy nearer.
The two girls waited until Giles came.
***
Everyone gathered at the magic shop. Willow had called in sick at work, Xander would be leaving work as soon as he could. Anya didn't even protest at the closing of the shop. Buffy was dumbfounded, she hadn't spoke since they all came. She had pulled into herself.
Everyone pretended to do something else, but everyone was waiting for Buffy to start crying.
Instead she looked up at them.
"He isn't dead." she said softly.
No one said anything. They assumed she was in denial.
"Vampires can sense those they make. Well Laura can sense her father, and Laura is part of me she knows he isn't dead. That wasn't his dust."
"Buffy," Giles said gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She was rambling. She was in shock.
"No Giles, don't do that."
Willow watched her friend. She was the only one who knew of the Warlock's promise. Some how she knew that if Spike died right now so would this child, so would Buffy.
Willow sat in front of Buffy.
"Let me try something."
Buffy nodded.
Willow put her hands on Buffy's stomach. She closed her eyes. Willow had some how established a connection to Spike. He was very receptive to her.
Willow felt something.
Willow opened her eyes. She was sore and she had never been so hungry, but she knew.
"Buffy he's alive."
Buffy nodded and leaned back and smiled.
Willow shook her head and suddenly she knew. She knew what Spike's faint mind had been telling her.
"Oh my god Giles," she put her head in her hands, "Giles he's in London, I saw him with two of those people who came here when that whole Glory thing happened. He's been kidnapped by the council."
Giles sat up stiffly, "Willow are you sure?"
Giles knew that the council was unhappy with the turn of events. They resented Buffy, however this was a bit extreme.
Willow nodded, "I saw them through his eyes."
Buffy looked at Willow, Buffy was one angry Slayer.
"They took the father of my child?"
Willow nodded.
Buffy's green eyes glowed fire.
Just then the bell above the door rang.
"We're closed," Giles said tersely not bothering to look up.
"Giles," Willow said pulling on his arm in silent askance to look up at the people in the door.
***
"Dawn," Buffy said softly in the morning light.
Dawn rolled over sleepily the clock blinked 7:15.
She sat up, "Buffy is it the baby?"
Buffy's eyes were wide and ready to tear. Her body was oddly proportioned, so slender with a round stomach. She looked so small and defenseless. Dawn hadn't seen Buffy without Spike since she had told him. They were inseparable. Spike was scared to let her out of his sight because he was always worried that they might disappear. Buffy was afraid Spike would disappear so she hated him gone for too long
Buffy looked strange, lost and scared, without him. Dawn knew the fact that she was having a child scared Buffy, but the joy on Spike's face made Buffy secure in her job as mother Slayer.
"Spike never came home," Buffy said with carefully guarded control, "He went out for ice cream five hours ago."
"Buffy I'm sure…" Dawn trailed off as she saw sunlight in the window.
***
Dawn and Buffy walked hand in hand through the graveyard. Buffy had held out hope that he had got in a fight and had to seek sanctuary in his Crypt. Dawn had willingly come, knowing she needed moral support.
They had taken every possible route that could be taken in order for Spike to go to the store. There was no sign.
"When I find him I'm going to throttle him," Buffy muttered, "Stupid vampire. He's so taking the car from now on."
Dawn wanted to laugh. It was always like this lately. Buffy was so grumpy. Fortunately it was mostly at Spike or any male would do in a crunch. Buffy liked the idea of being pregnant, but she was going to make the males pay for the havoc that this child was creating in her body.
Dawn saw it first and she stopped, she looked up at Buffy who was looking down at it with her head cocked to the side. Buffy looked as if she was trying to figure something out.
The duster lay on the ground, covered in telltale ash.
***
Dawn broke into the magic shop and Buffy followed, she still had not said a word.
I am so the key Dawn thought.
Buffy sat down.
"How is his duster still around?" Buffy asked.
Dawn held her near.
"I'm sure that there is some reason that all of this is happening. You're right. You know that he wouldn't just take off his jacket."
Buffy nodded, "He rarely takes it off. I think he wouldn't fight as well without it. He is so used to it. He's had it for like twenty years."
Buffy was so close to tears. Her eyes were watery pools. Dawn held Buffy nearer.
The two girls waited until Giles came.
***
Everyone gathered at the magic shop. Willow had called in sick at work, Xander would be leaving work as soon as he could. Anya didn't even protest at the closing of the shop. Buffy was dumbfounded, she hadn't spoke since they all came. She had pulled into herself.
Everyone pretended to do something else, but everyone was waiting for Buffy to start crying.
Instead she looked up at them.
"He isn't dead." she said softly.
No one said anything. They assumed she was in denial.
"Vampires can sense those they make. Well Laura can sense her father, and Laura is part of me she knows he isn't dead. That wasn't his dust."
"Buffy," Giles said gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She was rambling. She was in shock.
"No Giles, don't do that."
Willow watched her friend. She was the only one who knew of the Warlock's promise. Some how she knew that if Spike died right now so would this child, so would Buffy.
Willow sat in front of Buffy.
"Let me try something."
Buffy nodded.
Willow put her hands on Buffy's stomach. She closed her eyes. Willow had some how established a connection to Spike. He was very receptive to her.
Willow felt something.
Willow opened her eyes. She was sore and she had never been so hungry, but she knew.
"Buffy he's alive."
Buffy nodded and leaned back and smiled.
Willow shook her head and suddenly she knew. She knew what Spike's faint mind had been telling her.
"Oh my god Giles," she put her head in her hands, "Giles he's in London, I saw him with two of those people who came here when that whole Glory thing happened. He's been kidnapped by the council."
Giles sat up stiffly, "Willow are you sure?"
Giles knew that the council was unhappy with the turn of events. They resented Buffy, however this was a bit extreme.
Willow nodded, "I saw them through his eyes."
Buffy looked at Willow, Buffy was one angry Slayer.
"They took the father of my child?"
Willow nodded.
Buffy's green eyes glowed fire.
Just then the bell above the door rang.
"We're closed," Giles said tersely not bothering to look up.
"Giles," Willow said pulling on his arm in silent askance to look up at the people in the door.