Unprecedented 4.

By Lyns.

A/N: A/U. Picks up after Seeing Red.kinda.its hard to explain.Basically everything up to Seeing Red is as it was on the show but then my imagination takes over.Spike's got his soul (all will be revealed eventually) but it didn't make him all loony toons and stuff in my universe.he's just.Spike.with a soul. Ya know what? Just read and you'll see what I mean. I suck at explaining.

Distribution: Just ask first. Thanks.

Feedback: go for it. Nothing makes me feel more complete (

Summary: Things are changing, how will everyone deal?

*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

"Dawn, can you pass the..."

A sharp knock on the front door interrupted Buffy's request for the peas. Well, not like they were really looking all that appealing in the first place.

After a rather emotional and revelation-filled day, Buffy, Willow, and Dawn had decided that a traditional family meal was called for. Except that no one could be bothered to cook. Ergo, the calling of a local restaurant and ordering out instead.

"I'll get it," Buffy said as she rose from her seat at the table and made her way to the hall, wondering who it was at the door.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she opened it.

"Can I hel -SPIKE?!" she gasped and quickly shot a glance at a rather shocked looking Willow and Dawn, silently praying for one of them to help her out in the undoubtedly awkward situation soon to arise.

Spike cleared his throat, looking to Buffy, uncharacteristically nervous. Not very Spike like at all.

"Uh...I...what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in? Or are you gonna make me stand out here all night, pet?" he said, attempting to smirk, but not quite managing..

"Oh, right, yeah, uh...come on in, we were just eating." Buffy gestured to the dining room, indicating he take a seat and silently hoping he didn't notice her slightly protruding stomach.

"So. Where've you been the past few months?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound too eager, but also not aiming for so aloof it looked as if she didn't care. Not that she did care. Well...ok, so maybe a little...but she didn't need him thinking she spent all of the time he was gone rehashing their relationship and suddenly realizing that she did actually enjoy their time together. Even if that was what she did. He didn't need to know that, did he?

"Oh, you know me, love. Been around, here and there. I, uh, I'll tell you all about it some other time, eh?" he answered, clearly hinting at a need to speak with her alone, while outwardly smiling politely at the other two girls in the room, wondering why they were both staring at him open- mouthed. Had they not seen any other vampires since he'd been away?

Obviously getting the hint, and knowing that they really needed to talk and get it over with, Buffy excused herself from the room, knowing Spike would follow her into the kitchen.

He stood in the doorway of the kitchen; an uncomfortable silence settling upon them as Buffy leaned against a unit on the other side of the kitchen and wondered how to begin.

"So, Slayer, how you been since I've been gone?" he asked, clearly wanting to get something said, but not quite sure how to. Evidently he'd decided to stick to a good old avoidance tactic. This was something Buffy was pretty familiar with after her past few months of denial and delusion.

Buffy simply looked at him, wondering to herself how best to word the bombshell she was about to drop, or if she should even tell him at all. She hadn't even told Giles or Xander and Anya yet.

'I guess it can wait another day or two, give me some time to plan how I'll tell him,' she decided after a few more moments of silence.

"Fine. Well. OK. I mean there was the usual almost apocalypse soon after you left, fighting, dying.could've used you." She paused, not wanting to dive into how much she'd missed him and needed him while he'd been away. "You missed quite a bit actually.Dawn's suddenly a mini - woman and not some little kid I can protect from the big, bad world anymore, Willow and Tara are together again but they're still having a few problems, the magic box got kind of trashed and Giles had to get it all rebuilt again, and then there was this whole thing a few months back where some random demon gang decided to descend upon us. The usual blood guts and gore resulted, you know. Blah blah, yada yada. Same old, same old. Oh yeah, and I'm going to have a baby."

'For crying out loud! What's wrong with me today?!?! OK, damage control...uh...oh!'

"UH, rabies! I'm going to have a.a rabies shot.you know, all these demons taking chunks out of me, gotta get some kind of protection from whatever nasties they might be harboring." She paused, internally kicking herself and grimacing at her pathetic attempt at a cover-up. The look on Spikes face told her he wasn't buying it anyway.

Just move on Buffy, change the subject.

"So anyway, what's new with you?" she asked, inwardly grimacing at her pathetic attempt at a cover-up.

"You're...a...say what now? And don't gimme none of that rabies bollocks, I can read you like a book pet so if you think I can't tell when you're lying then you're sorely mistaken. Out with it." he said, seeming far too calm about all of this for Buffy's liking.

"I'm pregnant," she said in a small, but confident tone, quietly happy that she'd got it done and could move on to the real traumas.

Spike looked at her, expressionless, for a few moments before commenting.

"Well..." He paused; seeming to need time to search for the words he was looking for, "Congrats. Who's the lucky fella? Someone new on the scene since I've been gone?"

"Spike..." Buffy started uneasily, thinking for the first time how her body so easily betrayed quite how far gone she was. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really look like she was near 4 months along.

Obviously sensing her awkwardness and mistaking it as an attempt to avoid hurting his feelings, Spike continued with his earlier congratulations.

"No. It's ok, pet. I'm happy for you. Really. I am."

He was lying. He knew it and Buffy new it - the way he was running his hand through his hair, the slight nod of his head, his eyes. It all told Buffy everything she needed to know.

It was a pity for him that she knew him as well as he knew her. His eyes would always betray him, showing his heart in those deep pools of blue whether he wanted them to or not.

"No, Spike. There isn't someone new," she said, slowly but surely coming to grips with the situation now that he had returned, now that he was standing in front of her. Him leaning casually against her kitchen doorframe like he had so many times in the past, it made the whole thing seem so much more real. And at the same time, somehow it suddenly seemed like a much more manageable reality than the one she had been imaging in her mind.

"Oh. Soldier boy back then, is he? Hope you two are real happy," he said unconvincingly, eyes and false smile betraying him again

"It's not Riley's baby, Spike. It's...it's yours."

There seemed to be no other way to put it. No way of easing it in gently, so now there it was.

Floating between them, lingering in the air above the empty fruit bowl sitting on the kitchen island, and making the air seem so thick that Buffy thought she might suffocate if someone didn't disperse the tension with words soon.

A look of exquisite happiness had flashed across Spike's face for an instant before something else took over.

"Funny. Not possible, though. Vampire, remember? Nice of you trying to make me feel better, though. Appreciate it," he said with a sad smile.

Buffy just stared at him with a look telling him to shut up and accept it. She was pregnant with his baby and he was going to have to believe her or get out of her kitchen before she beat the truth into him.

Hormones and Slayer strength, not a good mix at the best of times and it seemed that Spike got the message.

He moved from his position in the doorway and leaned on the island in front of where Buffy stood, catlike as always, with minimum effort.

Neither seemed to know what to do, what to say. It was a new situation for them both, uncharted territory with no forewarning of the possible outcome.

Buffy reached forward and took Spike's hand in hers, moving them both to rest on her stomach.

She looked up at Spike and had the pleasure and privilege of seeing the lost and bewildered expression on his face turn into a look of shock, awe, and pure contentment as he felt from the outside what Buffy was feeling from within - the gentle stir of their child, recognizing its parents already, even at such a premature age.

*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

So there ya have it, chapter 4 done and done.

5 might not be here till next week I'm afraid, my beta's off and away till next Wednesday. Sorry!

I promise when I do update though there'll be plenty for you to read.

Alternatively, if you don't want to wait and could recommend a good beta or are interested in doing it yourself then let me know.