Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters portrayed or mentioned here, they all belong ultimately to Joss Whedon. I do, however, own this particular storyline and the portrayals of the characters //in this story//.
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The bell above the door rang as it opened, admitting two young blonde ladies. Willow stood up from the table as soon as she saw Tara, unconsciously smoothing out her skirt. Everyone else also stopped what they were doing, having heard from Willow that Buffy had a doctor's appointment, and no one else believing it was 'only a check-up' either.
Buffy stopped at the step, her eyes roving over everyone. Dawn sat at the table, staring at her book blankly, but not quite sullenly. Willow stood at attention, her gaze shifting between Tara and Buffy. Xander was setting things on the shelves, his body twisted now to look at the new arrivals. Anya, of course, was behind the counter at the cash register. And at the door to the training room . . .
"So?" Xander asked. "How'd the check-up go? Everything A-OK with our favorite Slayer?"
Buffy swallowed, her gaze moving rapidly to him when he started talking. "Uh . . . yeah, everything is fine. I'm, heh, perfectly healthy!" she said, grinning and trying to act nonchalant. She couldn't tell them now. She couldn't tell them when she hadn't even figured out what she was going to say. They didn't even know she was sleeping with Spike! And she didn't even like Spike! And she was going to have his baby!
Oh, God. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have //Spike's// baby. And oddly enough, that thought made her stomach tingle in a not-unpleasant way. She was having Spike's baby.
Realizing she was most likely going insane, she tried to make a hasty exit. "But, you know, I have some stuff I have to do, so we should really get going. Dawn?" She waited, surprisingly patiently, as Dawn slowly turned in her chair to face her. Her eyes stared at about Buffy's lips, and she answered, "Yeah?"
Buffy sighed. "Do you want to come with me, or walk home with Willow?" Dawn frowned in confusion, her gaze flicking up to Buffy's eyes before going back down again, thinking over the question. "I'll . . . I'll walk with Willow."
Buffy nodded, turning to the others. "Sorry to run off so fast, but I've got some errands to do. I'll see you guys later?" Xander and Anya nodded, and Buffy had just turned around and saw Tara when a voice stopped her.
"You gonna take time out of your busy schedule to patrol tonight?"
Only Tara saw Buffy close her eyes and press her lips together. Slowly, Buffy turned back around to confront the man she desperately wanted to ignore. She opened her mouth, paused, and then said, "Maybe. We'll see." Then, she turned, grabbed Tara's hand, and yanked her out of the Magic Box.
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Note: Yes, this was very short. I was going to post the next chapter along with it, where Buffy finally tells Spike. . . only for some freakin' reason, when I posted the story, only the disclaimer and part of the notes showed up. I tried re-posting it, but it never changed. So check back soon, and I'll keep working on fixing the damned thing.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The bell above the door rang as it opened, admitting two young blonde ladies. Willow stood up from the table as soon as she saw Tara, unconsciously smoothing out her skirt. Everyone else also stopped what they were doing, having heard from Willow that Buffy had a doctor's appointment, and no one else believing it was 'only a check-up' either.
Buffy stopped at the step, her eyes roving over everyone. Dawn sat at the table, staring at her book blankly, but not quite sullenly. Willow stood at attention, her gaze shifting between Tara and Buffy. Xander was setting things on the shelves, his body twisted now to look at the new arrivals. Anya, of course, was behind the counter at the cash register. And at the door to the training room . . .
"So?" Xander asked. "How'd the check-up go? Everything A-OK with our favorite Slayer?"
Buffy swallowed, her gaze moving rapidly to him when he started talking. "Uh . . . yeah, everything is fine. I'm, heh, perfectly healthy!" she said, grinning and trying to act nonchalant. She couldn't tell them now. She couldn't tell them when she hadn't even figured out what she was going to say. They didn't even know she was sleeping with Spike! And she didn't even like Spike! And she was going to have his baby!
Oh, God. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have //Spike's// baby. And oddly enough, that thought made her stomach tingle in a not-unpleasant way. She was having Spike's baby.
Realizing she was most likely going insane, she tried to make a hasty exit. "But, you know, I have some stuff I have to do, so we should really get going. Dawn?" She waited, surprisingly patiently, as Dawn slowly turned in her chair to face her. Her eyes stared at about Buffy's lips, and she answered, "Yeah?"
Buffy sighed. "Do you want to come with me, or walk home with Willow?" Dawn frowned in confusion, her gaze flicking up to Buffy's eyes before going back down again, thinking over the question. "I'll . . . I'll walk with Willow."
Buffy nodded, turning to the others. "Sorry to run off so fast, but I've got some errands to do. I'll see you guys later?" Xander and Anya nodded, and Buffy had just turned around and saw Tara when a voice stopped her.
"You gonna take time out of your busy schedule to patrol tonight?"
Only Tara saw Buffy close her eyes and press her lips together. Slowly, Buffy turned back around to confront the man she desperately wanted to ignore. She opened her mouth, paused, and then said, "Maybe. We'll see." Then, she turned, grabbed Tara's hand, and yanked her out of the Magic Box.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Note: Yes, this was very short. I was going to post the next chapter along with it, where Buffy finally tells Spike. . . only for some freakin' reason, when I posted the story, only the disclaimer and part of the notes showed up. I tried re-posting it, but it never changed. So check back soon, and I'll keep working on fixing the damned thing.