Chapter 7

2003

Spike looked around the dimly lit basement. It was pretty open, and the windows had long ago been boarded up. It was safe down here. He locked the door behind him, making sure that once the effects of the curse took their toll, he couldn't leave the basement. He wouldn't go running off into the sunlight. He set the box down and crossed the room to the shelves. He took down a box marked 'Pictures--PUT IN ALBUMS!'. Buffy had been determined to sort and paste the pictures into albums, which had never happened. He sat on the floor and opened the box. The first packet was labeled "Xander & Anya's wedding". Spike slid the stack of photos out. The first one made him smirk. It was of Giles, looking rather flustered, hugging Buffy outside the reception hall, just after Xander and Anya had left. Spike remembered the moment well.

2002

Buffy was afraid to face Giles. She pulled her wrap around her shoulders and glanced around the well-lit gardens outside the hotel. She gathered her strength as her former Watcher stepped outside.

"You wanted to speak to me?" He asked, cleaning his glasses and taking a seat in one of the lattice-work garden chairs.

"Right." Buffy said shakily, sitting across from him. "Giles, I love you like a father."

He smiled warmly, "You know I think of you as my...daughter I never had."

"That means I'm gonna get the angry dad reaction on this." Buffy said nervously, "I have something to tell you. Considering you took my relationship with Spike so well, I don't know if I should worry...Anyway, I should've told you before but Anya didn't want bad vibes at the wedding and I knew you'd be--"

"Buffy. You're rambling."

"Sorry." The Slayer paused and breathed a moment, "OK. Giles, I'm three months pregnant."

The Watcher fell absolutely silent.

"And um...Spike and I are engaged." Buffy flinched, waiting for the lecture, but it never came.

"Do you love him? I mean, really, Buffy. Do you see yourself spending your entire life with Spike...and a child?"

"Yes." She breathed, "God help me, but yes. I can't imagine it any other way."

"How?" Giles pushed his glasses up, "A vampire reproducing is...is...unheard of."

"There was a Arg Iav demon, and its blood mixed with Spike's, making him fertile. It was a gigantic shock to everyone when it happened, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I couldn't let you know over the phone."

"Oh, Buffy." Giles sighed, "And you thought I would be angry."

"Well, yeah. I'm only 21, and Spike's...he's Spike." She paused, "I screwed, up didn't I?"

"No. You lived. Yow did what no Slayer has ever done. I'm almost proud."

"Really?"

"I said almost." He said sharply, but with a smile.

"Giles, I know you're supposed to go back to England in a week," Buffy said, "But the wedding is in a month and a half, and since my father doesn't even know, and I doubt he'll bother to take off work for my wedding anyway...Give me away?"

Giles was quiet, and then pulled his Slayer to him in a crushing hug, "I would be so honored." He whispered.

Behind them, a shutter clicked and flash went off, but neither noticed.

2003

City Of Angels

Dawn came through the double doors to Angel Investigations, followed closely by Fred and Cordelia.

"Ohmigod, you guys that was AWESOME!" Dawn gushed. They had just returned from an all-night grand-re-re-opening of Caritas. After a year of being closed, the inter-species karaoke club was back and better than ever.

"Yeah, too bad Angel, Gunn and Wes had to run off." Fred said, "This has been so fun."

Moments later, the men of Angel Investigation traipsed in, covered in mud and green slime.

"Ew. You guys reek." Cordelia said, holding her nose with her fingers.


"Gee, thanks." Gunn retorted, "Damn demons. Always bleedin' on my clothes."

The group looked up as a brunette came down the stairs, carrying Connor, "Look who's home, buddy." She crooned to the baby, handing him over to Cordelia."

"Thanks for watching him, Faith." Angel said, "I'm gonna go take a shower before I hold him."

"How was he?" Cordelia asked Faith, kissing the baby's forehead.

"Total angel." Faith joked. She smiled softly. It felt good to be with these people, talking as if they had been friends forever...

"I'm going to wash up..." Wesley mumbled. He pecked Faith on the cheek before going upstairs. Gunn followed him, leaving the four women.

"I'm gonna go get some sleep." Dawn said, "I gotta go back to Dad's tomorrow. He thinks I'm staying with a friend."

"When do you go back to Sunny-D?" Faith asked.

"About a month. Figure Buffy and Spike can have nice, loud, obnoxious sex for a little longer before I go back."

Faith smothered a giggle, "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning Dawn...Oh, and I meant to tell you, another college application came in the mail."

"Which one?"

"NYU."

"Ooooh, awesome!" Dawn jumped up and down, "Dad is totally against NYU. Remind me to thank Angel for letting me have them sent here."

"It's on your night table." Faith said, watching her go.

She sighed, remembering returning to Sunnydale to find the world backwards...

2002

Buffy took the pot off the stove and poured the noodles into the strainer, "I am getting soooo good at this cooking thing!"

"So she thinks." Dawn muttered, setting the table with Spike. The vampire smothered his laugh and shook his head at her.

"When do they all get here?" He asked, "So I can have a smoke without Willow jumping on my back."

"No, no, no." Buffy said, "No smoking around me while I'm pregnant, and even after the baby's born."

He rolled his eyes, "You have me whipped."

"Yup." She said sweetly with a syrupy smile.

There was knock on the door, and Dawn ran to open it, expecting Willow and Tarah, but getting someone she hadn't seen in ages.

"Oh my god, Faith." She whispered.

"Hey, D." The ex-rogue-Slayer said, "Can I come in?"