Chapter 6: one month later
While Buffy's headaches weren't bothering her nearly as much as they had the first week, she still had to get monthly scans to check the progress of the tumor. Today had been one of those days and it depressed Buffy to see that the tumor had grown just a tiny bit larger. Watching the tumor grow was like watching her life shrink.
"But," Buffy said happily to herself, "at least it's Friday and I get to go do something fun afterwards!" She practically skipped down the sidewalk to Sunnydale's best dress boutique. Buffy had decided to have her dress handmade instead of just buying one off or a rack somewhere. "It makes it more personal that it's being made specifically for me!" Buffy had told Joyce when she found resistance to her idea. Of course all Buffy really had to do was give Joyce or Giles the 'I'm a sad dying Buffy look' and she got whatever she wanted for the wedding. "Yes, they'll remember me after I die; they'll still be paying my bills!" Buffy thought with a rare bit of morbid humor.
At the dress shop she, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Joyce spent an hour searching through bridal magazines and catalogs for a perfect design for Buffy's dress. After an hour and a half they had narrowed it down to three dresses: a multi layer, floor length chiffon dress, an empire waisted taffeta gown, and a rather plain white slip type dress. Everyone had their opinion on which would look best but Buffy put her foot down, pouted, and decided that she wanted the floor length chiffon dress. "It accentuates my curves best!" The rest of the girls left for jobs or homes as Joyce and Buffy began earnest discussion with the seamstress about fit, size, and price. At the end of the afternoon the price was set and the dress was to be ready in two weeks, just in time for the wedding.
"Mom, do you really think we can pull this off with only a week left?"
"Yes. It'll be a stretch, but as long as we can get the photographer we'll be okay." Joyce said as they made their way back to Revello drive. Giles and Spike had dinner on the table by the time they walked in. "Mmm, smells heavenly!" Joyce exclaimed and kissed Giles' cheek.
"Eww, parents! It does smell good though! Who cooked?" She gave Spike a quick hug.
"It was a group effort, luv."
"Ahh, good, then it will be edible!" Buffy smirked at him as he made rude noises about her jibe. Group dinners had become routine and Buffy enjoyed it every time. Since Buffy had found out about the tumor Spike had basically come to live in the Summers-Giles' house. Spike spent every night with his fiancé and over the last month had gradually moved more and more of his things from the apartment he shared with Willow and Tara to Buffy's bedroom. While Joyce and Giles didn't exactly approve they didn't stop him either. Both figured that it was worth it to them to see Buffy happy in her last months. As usual after dinner the four moved the living room to play a board game. Time together as a family had taken on a new dimension of important. They ignored the TV and played a different game every night of the week. After bankrupting everyone in a thee hour Monopoly game Buffy declared that she was tired and hauled Spike upstairs for her favorite part of the night, their time.
"So how is the wedding plannin' going, luv?" Spike asked as he changed from street clothes to flannel pajamas.
"Good! I got my dress all sorted out and it'll be ready just in time. I'll be a pretty, winsome Buffy for our wedding!"
"Winsome? Good word luv!"
"I like it! We also got a caterer and florist but we're still working on a band and a photographer."
"Hmm, I know a few good blokes who might be able to do the band. I think the chap calls his band 'Dingo's Ate My Baby" or something like that," he slid into bed.
"Weird name!"
"Yeah, good music though," he kissed her on her forehead as she slid into bed. "I'm glad everything's coming together, pet."
"Yup, I'm Buffy the Fantastic wedding planner!" She giggled and kissed him. He started stroking her in various places and soon her giggles turned to moans of pleasure.
"Hey, luv, I brought you some coffee." Spike said the next morning when he woke her up so that she could continue her search for a photographer and audition the band.
"Mmm, coffee, essence of life!" She took one sniff though and started to gag. "Move!" She yelled as she pushed past him to get to the bathroom.
"Luv? You okay?" He heard retching noises coming from the bathroom, "Hold on pet, I'm coming!" He grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and held it back. "Deep breath, it'll pass."
"God, what was in that coffee?" Buffy walked to the sink and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. Spike sniffed his cup and shrugged.
"Nothing unusual, you okay?" He put a hand to her forehead, "nope, not hot. Tummy bug?"
"I guess," she cautiously sniffed her coffee then took a quick sip. "That was odd. I've never gotten… sick… uhm…" Buffy paused.
"You what, luv?"
"Shit!"
"What?"
"No. I can't. No! We're so careful, I can't"
"Can't what, luv? What are you rambling… Oh!" It hit him like a ton of bricks. He reached across to her and put a hand to her abdomen. "Do you remember the night you told everyone? We didn't then. I bet it was then, luv."
"I can't be pregnant! I'm checking right now." Buffy grabbed some clothes and ran out the door. Spike sat down on the bed. 'The woman I love may be carrying my child!' He though jubilantly. 'I might be a Daddy!' Then it hit him, why Buffy had panicked, she may not live long enough to deliver the child. Spike felt paralyzed with fear that not only could be a husband and father, but that his beloved may not live long enough for either dream to be fully realized.
Spike heard Buffy come back in and run to the bathroom twenty minutes later. He walked to the closed door and knocked after he didn't heard anymore sounds. "Buffy? You okay?" He knocked on the door. "Luv, did you do the test?"
"Yes," Spike held his breath, "Spike… I'm pregnant!"
While Buffy's headaches weren't bothering her nearly as much as they had the first week, she still had to get monthly scans to check the progress of the tumor. Today had been one of those days and it depressed Buffy to see that the tumor had grown just a tiny bit larger. Watching the tumor grow was like watching her life shrink.
"But," Buffy said happily to herself, "at least it's Friday and I get to go do something fun afterwards!" She practically skipped down the sidewalk to Sunnydale's best dress boutique. Buffy had decided to have her dress handmade instead of just buying one off or a rack somewhere. "It makes it more personal that it's being made specifically for me!" Buffy had told Joyce when she found resistance to her idea. Of course all Buffy really had to do was give Joyce or Giles the 'I'm a sad dying Buffy look' and she got whatever she wanted for the wedding. "Yes, they'll remember me after I die; they'll still be paying my bills!" Buffy thought with a rare bit of morbid humor.
At the dress shop she, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Joyce spent an hour searching through bridal magazines and catalogs for a perfect design for Buffy's dress. After an hour and a half they had narrowed it down to three dresses: a multi layer, floor length chiffon dress, an empire waisted taffeta gown, and a rather plain white slip type dress. Everyone had their opinion on which would look best but Buffy put her foot down, pouted, and decided that she wanted the floor length chiffon dress. "It accentuates my curves best!" The rest of the girls left for jobs or homes as Joyce and Buffy began earnest discussion with the seamstress about fit, size, and price. At the end of the afternoon the price was set and the dress was to be ready in two weeks, just in time for the wedding.
"Mom, do you really think we can pull this off with only a week left?"
"Yes. It'll be a stretch, but as long as we can get the photographer we'll be okay." Joyce said as they made their way back to Revello drive. Giles and Spike had dinner on the table by the time they walked in. "Mmm, smells heavenly!" Joyce exclaimed and kissed Giles' cheek.
"Eww, parents! It does smell good though! Who cooked?" She gave Spike a quick hug.
"It was a group effort, luv."
"Ahh, good, then it will be edible!" Buffy smirked at him as he made rude noises about her jibe. Group dinners had become routine and Buffy enjoyed it every time. Since Buffy had found out about the tumor Spike had basically come to live in the Summers-Giles' house. Spike spent every night with his fiancé and over the last month had gradually moved more and more of his things from the apartment he shared with Willow and Tara to Buffy's bedroom. While Joyce and Giles didn't exactly approve they didn't stop him either. Both figured that it was worth it to them to see Buffy happy in her last months. As usual after dinner the four moved the living room to play a board game. Time together as a family had taken on a new dimension of important. They ignored the TV and played a different game every night of the week. After bankrupting everyone in a thee hour Monopoly game Buffy declared that she was tired and hauled Spike upstairs for her favorite part of the night, their time.
"So how is the wedding plannin' going, luv?" Spike asked as he changed from street clothes to flannel pajamas.
"Good! I got my dress all sorted out and it'll be ready just in time. I'll be a pretty, winsome Buffy for our wedding!"
"Winsome? Good word luv!"
"I like it! We also got a caterer and florist but we're still working on a band and a photographer."
"Hmm, I know a few good blokes who might be able to do the band. I think the chap calls his band 'Dingo's Ate My Baby" or something like that," he slid into bed.
"Weird name!"
"Yeah, good music though," he kissed her on her forehead as she slid into bed. "I'm glad everything's coming together, pet."
"Yup, I'm Buffy the Fantastic wedding planner!" She giggled and kissed him. He started stroking her in various places and soon her giggles turned to moans of pleasure.
"Hey, luv, I brought you some coffee." Spike said the next morning when he woke her up so that she could continue her search for a photographer and audition the band.
"Mmm, coffee, essence of life!" She took one sniff though and started to gag. "Move!" She yelled as she pushed past him to get to the bathroom.
"Luv? You okay?" He heard retching noises coming from the bathroom, "Hold on pet, I'm coming!" He grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and held it back. "Deep breath, it'll pass."
"God, what was in that coffee?" Buffy walked to the sink and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. Spike sniffed his cup and shrugged.
"Nothing unusual, you okay?" He put a hand to her forehead, "nope, not hot. Tummy bug?"
"I guess," she cautiously sniffed her coffee then took a quick sip. "That was odd. I've never gotten… sick… uhm…" Buffy paused.
"You what, luv?"
"Shit!"
"What?"
"No. I can't. No! We're so careful, I can't"
"Can't what, luv? What are you rambling… Oh!" It hit him like a ton of bricks. He reached across to her and put a hand to her abdomen. "Do you remember the night you told everyone? We didn't then. I bet it was then, luv."
"I can't be pregnant! I'm checking right now." Buffy grabbed some clothes and ran out the door. Spike sat down on the bed. 'The woman I love may be carrying my child!' He though jubilantly. 'I might be a Daddy!' Then it hit him, why Buffy had panicked, she may not live long enough to deliver the child. Spike felt paralyzed with fear that not only could be a husband and father, but that his beloved may not live long enough for either dream to be fully realized.
Spike heard Buffy come back in and run to the bathroom twenty minutes later. He walked to the closed door and knocked after he didn't heard anymore sounds. "Buffy? You okay?" He knocked on the door. "Luv, did you do the test?"
"Yes," Spike held his breath, "Spike… I'm pregnant!"
