Chapter 11
Changes
"It's been two weeks now Giles, not a word from Buffy, I think it's time to face the fact that she does not love me anymore," Spike said sadly.
Giles sat stretched out on his sofa, enjoying the luxury of reading the morning newspaper, the Braille papers had been ok, but they were usually several days out of date. Shakespeare lay fast asleep at his master's feet, snoring slightly.
"Look it's morning now, why don't you get some sleep, I thought day was your night," said Giles.
"Would mate, but my bed is rather occupied," said Spike looking at the sofa.
"Oh right, sorry I forgot; look I have a lot of research to do today, you can take my bed just this once," offered Giles.
"Thanks," said Spike, tiredly trudging up the stairs.
"Yes, get a good days sleep, maybe things will seem better in the night," said Giles. He didn't miss the vampire's cynical snort at his words.
"Yes, I have a lot of research to do today, including collecting a certain book on the Goddess Frigg, at the library," Giles said under his breath.
He grabbed his coat from the peg in the hall and left Spike alone to his slumber. As much as he had grown to like Spike, vampires on the whole were a broody lot; he left to get some much-needed air and light.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Willow had been staying at the Summers home ever since her return; she really did not want to move back in with her mom. The new semester at Uni would be starting in a few weeks. She was still waiting to hear about a new dorm, she kinda liked living with Buffy and her mom, it gave a feeling of being a family, something she had not experienced with her own. Plus it gave her a chance to work off some of her guilt feelings. Willow was worried about Buffy, she was looking tired and drawn these days; it was even worse than when Angel had left her, she knew a lot of it was her fault.
"Damn that stupid spell!" she said aloud to herself.
A knock at her door woke her from her thoughts.
"Hey Willow, can I come in?" asked Buffy.
"Sure," said Willow, rushing to open the door.
"What is it Buff?" she asked as her friend came in and sat on the bed.
Buffy looked at Willow for a few moments, building up the courage to utter the words.
"I am late," Buffy, told her.
"Late? You have to be somewhere? Maybe if I ask your mom she will lend me the car and I can drive you," said Willow.
"No, not that kinda late, as in my period late," said Buffy shaking her head.
"Oh!" said Willow.
"I know it's not supposed to be possible, Spike being a vamp and all, but I am never late, should have had them five days ago, just kept hoping they would turn up, probably just all the stress, take no notice I am being stupid," sighed Buffy.
"You may discover you are not as stupid as you think," said Willow.
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy frowning.
Willow proceeded to tell her about the pendant, Buffy sat in stunned silence trying to take it all in.
"And you choose to tell me now? Two weeks ago might have been better," said Buffy angrily.
"We decided, it best not to worry you, there was little chance of it being activated anyway," Willow said trying to explain.
"We? Who else knows?" she demanded.
"Your mom and Giles," Willow admitted sheepishly.
Buffy looked at Willow, her eyes flashing angrily.
"Well there's only one way to settle this," Buffy said.
"What are you going to do?" asked Willow fearfully.
"First I am going to the drug store for a pregnancy test and when I know the results of that; I am going to find Giles!" She said, slamming out of the room.
"Oh hell!" said Willow to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy hammered on the door of Giles's apartment. The paper bag containing the pregnancy kit was clasped firmly in her hand. She had not been able to use it; there had been no public toilets between the mall and Giles's home. This had only increased Buffy's anger.
"Giles open this door! I know you are in there!" Buffy yelled through the thick wood.
Spike was fast asleep in Giles's bed, it was the first decent sleep he's had in two weeks. He was dreaming; the dreams and the alcohol had been his only respite from the pain of the last few days. He was having a particularly erotic dream about Buffy; she was threatening him with the point of a very large stake; it was firmly pressed against his chest, he could almost feel it pricking into his skin. Buffy's other hand was travelling down his body; all the time she was looking into his eyes.
"I'm dying for a good slay," purred the dream Buffy as she unbelted his black jeans.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! The front door was being pounded with such a force it could wake the dead. Which it swiftly did, Spike groaned in frustration.
"Bleedin' hell Giles, forget your keys again?" shouted Spike, quickly putting on his jeans.
He flung back the heavy wooden door.
"Giles! I am gonna slay you, oh uh Spike," she trailed off awkwardly.
"Buffy" Spike sputtered in shock.
Buffy felt the blush creep up her neck and settle on her cheeks. Seeing Spike, standing there shirtless was doing strange things to her pulse. She was terrified her heart was beating so loud; she was sure Spike could hear it.
"Is Giles here?" she asked, trying to take her mind off her husband's body.
"Nope," said Spike unhelpfully.
"Ok I'll come back later then," she replied, turning to leave.
Spike put her hand on her arm,
"Don't go, Giles will be back soon," he pleaded.
Buffy looked into his eyes, properly for the first time since the spell had been broken, she saw the pain there mirror her own. She hardened her heart against it; she was here on a mission of sorts and couldn't let emotion cloud her judgement.
"I am sorry Spike, I just can't, tell Giles I need to see him urgently," she said walking away.
Spike sagged against the doorway, watching her retreating figure; he went back inside and searched behind a big pile of books for his bottle of half drunk Vodka.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy marched upstairs to the bathroom, still shaken by her recent encounter with Spike. She was holding her paper sack to her like a lifesaver. The hall way was deserted; she could hear the faint strains of new age music drifting from Willow's room. She closed herself into the sterile white bathroom. Her hands shaking with fear and something else, something she wasn't in the mood to delve too deeply into at this moment.
Buffy looked at her self in the mirror.
"Get a grip!" she said angrily to the girl looking back at her.
Buffy let out a big breath; hastily tearing at the plastic wrapping, the instructions may as well have been Russian for all she understood of them. How many directions do you need to pee on a stick? She asked herself. She could avert an apocalypse, but this? Buffy decided to take the plunge, stick wet and capped, she sat back and waited. Two minutes felt like an eternity, she stared at her wristwatch, wishing the time away.
The door handle turned making Buffy jump.
"Hey! I will be out in a minute," she said testily.
"Sorry, ok Buffy," Said Willow from the other side of the door.
Buffy glanced at her watch, her two minutes were up, and she grabbed the stick and the sheet of instructions, reading aloud to herself.
"Right, one blue line means bye bye baby, two blue lines means hello mama,"
Buffy slowly turned the stick over, looking at the indicator; she grasped the towel rail to steady herself.
"OH FRIGG!" she said before sliding to the floor in a dead faint.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was late afternoon when Giles finally returned home. Spike lay sprawled on the sofa, the empty vodka bottle by his side; Shakespeare was sitting across his lap.
"Hello Giles, just been pouring out my woes to my friend Shakespeare here, he's a great listener," slurred Spike.
"Oh no you don't," said Giles.
"Don't what?" asked Spike.
"I am not having you wallowing around in self pity, I wasted six months of my life doing the same until you talked me out of it; so as a friend I am going to repay the favour," he said marching over to Spike and hauling him into the kitchen.
Giles put the plug in the sink and turned on the cold tap, filling the sink. He turned it off, grabbing Spike by the shoulders; pushing the vampire's face into it.
"You've got to be cruel to be kind," said Giles firmly.
He lifted Spike's head out of the icy water.
"What the bleedin' hell was that for?" coughed Spike.
"Quickest thing I could think of to sober you up," said Giles, throwing a towel in Spike's face.
"Well it bloody worked," said Spike angrily wiping his wet face.
Giles smiled at him and walked into the lounge, Spike followed, flopping into one of the armchairs.
"What brought on this latest bout of self pity then?" asked Giles.
"Buffy," he answered.
"What's she done now?" asked Giles rolling his eyes.
"She was here earlier, looking for you; she really seemed to have her knickers in a twist about something," Spike said.
"Did she say what about?" he asked.
"Wasn't in a very chatty mood, nearly broke down the front door though," Spike replied.
"I'd better get over there, see what the problem is; you'll be alright for a couple of hours, won't you Spike?" Giles asked.
"Go, I am old enough not to need a babysitter, besides its nearly dusk, time I was getting ready for work," he said.
Giles grabbed his jacket, and set off to face some new catastrophe. As long as it wasn't what he thought it might be. Give me an old fashioned apocalypse any day, he sighed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Willow knocked on the bathroom door anxiously.
"Buffy! Buffy! You ok in there?" she asked.
Her frantic cries were met with silence. Joyce came up the stairs to see what all the noise was about.
"It's Buffy, she's been in the bathroom over half an hour; I can't get her to answer me," said Willow.
"Buffy honey are you in there?" Joyce said trying the locked door, ineffectually pushing it with her shoulder.
Giles called up the stairs
"Hello, any one at home?" he asked.
"Oh God, Giles we need your help, Buffy is locked in the bathroom and we can't get any answer," Said Joyce worriedly.
"Here let me try," he said.
After several hard shoves against the door, it finally burst open, Giles had to stop him from falling on the floor. Giles, Joyce and Willow took in the sight of Buffy sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bathroom floor.
"Hi guys," grinned Buffy hysterically.
"What is it?" Joyce asked
Buffy held up the pregnancy kit.
"Look, I 'm gonna be a mommy," she beamed at the group.
Giles caught Joyce as she started to fall to the floor.
TBC
Changes
"It's been two weeks now Giles, not a word from Buffy, I think it's time to face the fact that she does not love me anymore," Spike said sadly.
Giles sat stretched out on his sofa, enjoying the luxury of reading the morning newspaper, the Braille papers had been ok, but they were usually several days out of date. Shakespeare lay fast asleep at his master's feet, snoring slightly.
"Look it's morning now, why don't you get some sleep, I thought day was your night," said Giles.
"Would mate, but my bed is rather occupied," said Spike looking at the sofa.
"Oh right, sorry I forgot; look I have a lot of research to do today, you can take my bed just this once," offered Giles.
"Thanks," said Spike, tiredly trudging up the stairs.
"Yes, get a good days sleep, maybe things will seem better in the night," said Giles. He didn't miss the vampire's cynical snort at his words.
"Yes, I have a lot of research to do today, including collecting a certain book on the Goddess Frigg, at the library," Giles said under his breath.
He grabbed his coat from the peg in the hall and left Spike alone to his slumber. As much as he had grown to like Spike, vampires on the whole were a broody lot; he left to get some much-needed air and light.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Willow had been staying at the Summers home ever since her return; she really did not want to move back in with her mom. The new semester at Uni would be starting in a few weeks. She was still waiting to hear about a new dorm, she kinda liked living with Buffy and her mom, it gave a feeling of being a family, something she had not experienced with her own. Plus it gave her a chance to work off some of her guilt feelings. Willow was worried about Buffy, she was looking tired and drawn these days; it was even worse than when Angel had left her, she knew a lot of it was her fault.
"Damn that stupid spell!" she said aloud to herself.
A knock at her door woke her from her thoughts.
"Hey Willow, can I come in?" asked Buffy.
"Sure," said Willow, rushing to open the door.
"What is it Buff?" she asked as her friend came in and sat on the bed.
Buffy looked at Willow for a few moments, building up the courage to utter the words.
"I am late," Buffy, told her.
"Late? You have to be somewhere? Maybe if I ask your mom she will lend me the car and I can drive you," said Willow.
"No, not that kinda late, as in my period late," said Buffy shaking her head.
"Oh!" said Willow.
"I know it's not supposed to be possible, Spike being a vamp and all, but I am never late, should have had them five days ago, just kept hoping they would turn up, probably just all the stress, take no notice I am being stupid," sighed Buffy.
"You may discover you are not as stupid as you think," said Willow.
"What do you mean?" asked Buffy frowning.
Willow proceeded to tell her about the pendant, Buffy sat in stunned silence trying to take it all in.
"And you choose to tell me now? Two weeks ago might have been better," said Buffy angrily.
"We decided, it best not to worry you, there was little chance of it being activated anyway," Willow said trying to explain.
"We? Who else knows?" she demanded.
"Your mom and Giles," Willow admitted sheepishly.
Buffy looked at Willow, her eyes flashing angrily.
"Well there's only one way to settle this," Buffy said.
"What are you going to do?" asked Willow fearfully.
"First I am going to the drug store for a pregnancy test and when I know the results of that; I am going to find Giles!" She said, slamming out of the room.
"Oh hell!" said Willow to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy hammered on the door of Giles's apartment. The paper bag containing the pregnancy kit was clasped firmly in her hand. She had not been able to use it; there had been no public toilets between the mall and Giles's home. This had only increased Buffy's anger.
"Giles open this door! I know you are in there!" Buffy yelled through the thick wood.
Spike was fast asleep in Giles's bed, it was the first decent sleep he's had in two weeks. He was dreaming; the dreams and the alcohol had been his only respite from the pain of the last few days. He was having a particularly erotic dream about Buffy; she was threatening him with the point of a very large stake; it was firmly pressed against his chest, he could almost feel it pricking into his skin. Buffy's other hand was travelling down his body; all the time she was looking into his eyes.
"I'm dying for a good slay," purred the dream Buffy as she unbelted his black jeans.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! The front door was being pounded with such a force it could wake the dead. Which it swiftly did, Spike groaned in frustration.
"Bleedin' hell Giles, forget your keys again?" shouted Spike, quickly putting on his jeans.
He flung back the heavy wooden door.
"Giles! I am gonna slay you, oh uh Spike," she trailed off awkwardly.
"Buffy" Spike sputtered in shock.
Buffy felt the blush creep up her neck and settle on her cheeks. Seeing Spike, standing there shirtless was doing strange things to her pulse. She was terrified her heart was beating so loud; she was sure Spike could hear it.
"Is Giles here?" she asked, trying to take her mind off her husband's body.
"Nope," said Spike unhelpfully.
"Ok I'll come back later then," she replied, turning to leave.
Spike put her hand on her arm,
"Don't go, Giles will be back soon," he pleaded.
Buffy looked into his eyes, properly for the first time since the spell had been broken, she saw the pain there mirror her own. She hardened her heart against it; she was here on a mission of sorts and couldn't let emotion cloud her judgement.
"I am sorry Spike, I just can't, tell Giles I need to see him urgently," she said walking away.
Spike sagged against the doorway, watching her retreating figure; he went back inside and searched behind a big pile of books for his bottle of half drunk Vodka.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy marched upstairs to the bathroom, still shaken by her recent encounter with Spike. She was holding her paper sack to her like a lifesaver. The hall way was deserted; she could hear the faint strains of new age music drifting from Willow's room. She closed herself into the sterile white bathroom. Her hands shaking with fear and something else, something she wasn't in the mood to delve too deeply into at this moment.
Buffy looked at her self in the mirror.
"Get a grip!" she said angrily to the girl looking back at her.
Buffy let out a big breath; hastily tearing at the plastic wrapping, the instructions may as well have been Russian for all she understood of them. How many directions do you need to pee on a stick? She asked herself. She could avert an apocalypse, but this? Buffy decided to take the plunge, stick wet and capped, she sat back and waited. Two minutes felt like an eternity, she stared at her wristwatch, wishing the time away.
The door handle turned making Buffy jump.
"Hey! I will be out in a minute," she said testily.
"Sorry, ok Buffy," Said Willow from the other side of the door.
Buffy glanced at her watch, her two minutes were up, and she grabbed the stick and the sheet of instructions, reading aloud to herself.
"Right, one blue line means bye bye baby, two blue lines means hello mama,"
Buffy slowly turned the stick over, looking at the indicator; she grasped the towel rail to steady herself.
"OH FRIGG!" she said before sliding to the floor in a dead faint.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was late afternoon when Giles finally returned home. Spike lay sprawled on the sofa, the empty vodka bottle by his side; Shakespeare was sitting across his lap.
"Hello Giles, just been pouring out my woes to my friend Shakespeare here, he's a great listener," slurred Spike.
"Oh no you don't," said Giles.
"Don't what?" asked Spike.
"I am not having you wallowing around in self pity, I wasted six months of my life doing the same until you talked me out of it; so as a friend I am going to repay the favour," he said marching over to Spike and hauling him into the kitchen.
Giles put the plug in the sink and turned on the cold tap, filling the sink. He turned it off, grabbing Spike by the shoulders; pushing the vampire's face into it.
"You've got to be cruel to be kind," said Giles firmly.
He lifted Spike's head out of the icy water.
"What the bleedin' hell was that for?" coughed Spike.
"Quickest thing I could think of to sober you up," said Giles, throwing a towel in Spike's face.
"Well it bloody worked," said Spike angrily wiping his wet face.
Giles smiled at him and walked into the lounge, Spike followed, flopping into one of the armchairs.
"What brought on this latest bout of self pity then?" asked Giles.
"Buffy," he answered.
"What's she done now?" asked Giles rolling his eyes.
"She was here earlier, looking for you; she really seemed to have her knickers in a twist about something," Spike said.
"Did she say what about?" he asked.
"Wasn't in a very chatty mood, nearly broke down the front door though," Spike replied.
"I'd better get over there, see what the problem is; you'll be alright for a couple of hours, won't you Spike?" Giles asked.
"Go, I am old enough not to need a babysitter, besides its nearly dusk, time I was getting ready for work," he said.
Giles grabbed his jacket, and set off to face some new catastrophe. As long as it wasn't what he thought it might be. Give me an old fashioned apocalypse any day, he sighed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Willow knocked on the bathroom door anxiously.
"Buffy! Buffy! You ok in there?" she asked.
Her frantic cries were met with silence. Joyce came up the stairs to see what all the noise was about.
"It's Buffy, she's been in the bathroom over half an hour; I can't get her to answer me," said Willow.
"Buffy honey are you in there?" Joyce said trying the locked door, ineffectually pushing it with her shoulder.
Giles called up the stairs
"Hello, any one at home?" he asked.
"Oh God, Giles we need your help, Buffy is locked in the bathroom and we can't get any answer," Said Joyce worriedly.
"Here let me try," he said.
After several hard shoves against the door, it finally burst open, Giles had to stop him from falling on the floor. Giles, Joyce and Willow took in the sight of Buffy sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bathroom floor.
"Hi guys," grinned Buffy hysterically.
"What is it?" Joyce asked
Buffy held up the pregnancy kit.
"Look, I 'm gonna be a mommy," she beamed at the group.
Giles caught Joyce as she started to fall to the floor.
TBC