A/N thanks for the reviews and making them past 100, very happy. Tried to keep the Riley to a minimum. Played a horrible trick on my youngest daughter, who is a Spike lover her, I sent her an email with an attachment , saying it was a sexy Spike pic, it was really a Riley pic, she was very disgusted with me!

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Plans

Chapter 17

It was the day after Christmas day, well night anyway. Spike and Buffy weaved their way through the tombstones, Spike was not quite so steady on his feet as he'd had a little too much of Joyce's special Christmas punch.

"Spike! Watch out for that open.." Buffy stopped mid sentence.

Spike fell forward, bags and all.

"Grave," finished Buffy.

"Ow!" said Spike from the hole in the ground.

Buffy giggled and put out her hand to help him up, they both fell onto the grass, Buffy landed on Spike, cushioning her fall.

"Ow, again," said Spike.

"Sorry sweetheart, I know I am no light weight these days," said Buffy apologetically.

"You're perfect just the way you are, in fact.." He trailed off, running his hands up the back of her blouse.

"Not here, not now," she said looking around, feeling uneasy.

"Why not? It's not the first time we've done it in the graveyard," he frowned.

Buffy scrambled off of Spike, waiting for him to get up,

"Come on, let's get home," she said.

Spike stood up, swaying unsteadily.

"Okay luv, got a surprise waiting for you anyway," he grinned.

Buffy looked at him.

"Spike, for Pete's sake," she mumbled.

"Not that kind of surprise, somehow I don't think I'm the one with the dirty mind," he smiled, picking up their bags, they continued on their way.

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Riley came out from behind a tree, he'd been following the couple since they had left Buffy's mom's home. Luckily for him, Spike had been unable to sense his presence this time, but he'd broke into a cold sweat when Buffy had looked at the tree he'd been concealed behind. He hadn't fancied another cross bow bolt in the ass or worse. He turned, intent on heading back to the Initiative, he walked straight into Forrest.

"Hey man, what are you doing out here? It's not even your watch," asked Forrest.

"Walsh sent me out, she feels certain other agents might be losing their objectivity on this mission," sneered Riley.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Forrest.

"Oh, just that you seem to be just a little too cosy with the subjects, reporting on poetry readings and gigs and the latest family get together is hardly the information we are looking for, we need hard facts: Not "Days of our lives" replied Riley.

"Have you ever considered the fact that, that apart from their unusual origins, that they are just a family, trying to get by, like the rest of the inhabitants of this planet?" asked Forrest.

"Freaks, the pair of them, and they deserve everything the Initiative has planned for them," Riley said.

Forrest's fury boiled over, he made a fist and before even he knew what he was doing, he planted it in the middle of Riley's face. The force of the blow, snapped Riley's head back and it connected with the tree, causing him double pain. He sank to the ground, nursing his bloody nose.

"And don't even think about trying to pull rank with me and go running to mommy Walsh, things change, I got promoted in your absence, I out rank you," said Forrest smugly, he turned on his heel and walked off.

As Riley watched Forrest walk away, the last little shred of sanity he had been holding onto, snapped in his head.

"You are gonna get yours Gates, along with that bitch and her demon lover," spat Riley.

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Buffy and Spike stood outside their crypt, Spike was fumbling about in one of the stone urns, that adorned either side of their front door.

"Got it!" said Spike has his hands closed over the keys.

"How did our keys get in there?" She asked confused.

"Long story, but I think you will like the ending," smiled Spike.

Buffy sighed. "I hate all this added security, and before you say anything, I know! It's for my own good, but it just feels like going back to jail,"

Spike opened the door, he walked through first and put on a lamp, he turned back to Buffy.

"Close your eyes," he told her.

"Why, this is silly," she replied.

"Do you want a surprise or not?" he asked her impatiently.

Buffy closed her eyes and allowed him to lead her forward.

"Spike we'd better stop, even with my eyes closed I can tell we are near the ladder, I can feel the slight draft," she said.

She squealed as Spike lifted her into his arms like a baby, she felt them going lower as he continued walking, she couldn't resist a peek.

"Oh! Stairs, real ones," she exclaimed.

"Yep, everyone chipped in, Xander took the measurements weeks ago, we all saw how much the ladder was becoming a struggle for you, and plus I get to do sweeping gestures like carry my lady to bed, just like Rhett Butler," he grinned.

He put her down at the base of the stairs.

"And you are definatley my Scarlett O'Hara," he said kissing her on the nose.

"I don't know who these Rhett and Scarlet are, but I like it," She grinned

"Gone With The Wind?" asked Spike.

"Sorry never seen it," she giggled.

Spike just rolled his eyes.

"Glad to be home anyway, will have to thank everyone tomorrow," she sighed contentedly looking at her new stairs.

"What's so special about tomorrow?" asked Spike.

"Big Scooby meeting remember, we have to draw up plans to stop the Initiative, with only six weeks till our little bundle arrives, it's way past time," She said.

"Let's not think about unpleasant things tonight love, it's just you and me," he said soberly, the effects of the punch having long worn off.

Buffy opened her purse and took out an envelope and handed it to Spike.

"What's this?" he asked

"Well open it and see," she smiled.

Spike took the letter and read it.

"Lamaze?" he said in confusion.

"Yes you know, childbirth classes, I am sure with all your baby book reading, you have heard of them, mom got it for us as an extra Christmas present," Buffy said.

"Remind me to thank Joyce next time I see her," said Spike sarcastically.

Spike noted her pout and continued

"Yes I have heard of them, sounds like ritualistic torture, they make you lay on mats with a cushion stuffed up your top, while you grunt like a pig, and that's just what they get the fathers to do," he said.

"They have childbirth videos, remember how much you liked the one I brought back from college," she reminded him.

"I suppose that it could be okay, all right count me in," he said

Spike smiled remembering the blood and carnage of the loaner video: maybe if he got a moment he could pinch one from the class. He grinned to himself. It rivalled any horror movie he had ever seen for bloodletting except maybe "Dracula"

"You'll be great, besides you will have the inside track on all the other guys, having been pregnant for a week yourself," she smiled.

"Don't remind me! How could I forget that little interlude," he exclaimed.

"Come and lay down on the bed with me William, I have a need to feel your arms around me," she smiled and led him over to the bed.

They lay down together in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. They loved these quiet moments where nothing existed except each other, and their growing child. Spike leant forward and lifted up her blouse and kissed the swell of her stomach, lovingly tracing it's lines. He gently rested his cheek on her tummy.

"Hello little one, its daddy here, you're the luckiest baby in the world, or as your mother thinks, the luckiest baby girl, you have the most beautiful mother in existence, and a daddy who is going to spoil you rotten, I love you so much even though we have never met, you are a part of me and your mum, I want you to know you were made in complete love, I can't wait until I can hold you in my arms and kiss you, you're our little wonder, and no one is ever gonna take you away from us," he finished gruffly.

Spike placed feather light kisses up Buffy's body until he came face to face with her. Buffy wiped away the tears from her eyes.

"Spike that was beautiful, you get me every time," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It only comes from the heart, no one has known me like you do, I love you wife," he smiled.

"I love you too husband, turn out the light," she said sleepily.

She was fast asleep by the time Spike settled down next to her again.

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Riley returned to the Initiative, close on Forrest's heels. They shared the elevator down to the control centre together in icy silence; Walsh was waiting for them when the doors opened.

"Hello boys, Finn I see you are back, what happened this time?" she asked looking at his bloody nose.

Forrest answered for him.

"We ran into some hostiles, but we took care of them, isn't that right Finn?" asked Forrest.

"Yeah, that's right," Riley, replied through gritted teeth.

"Good, then lets go over the final plans for Ms Lovejoy's abduction," she said tonelessly.

"Abduction?" asked Forrest.

"Why the surprise soldier, how did you think we were going to get our hands on the subjects child?" she asked.

Forrest sat down at the table, listening intently as Walsh laid out her plans for the next few weeks. He glanced at Riley, some thing apart from the usual, bothered him about the expression on Riley's face. It was like the lights were on, but no one was at home. Forrest snapped his mind back to the present; he couldn't afford to miss a detail, if he was going to be any help to Spike and Buffy.

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"So that's it, your big plan?" asked Buffy in disbelief, looking at Giles.

"You wankers have got to think of something better than that, come on Buffy lets go pack our bags and get the hell out of Sunnydale," said Spike.

"I've already told you, running is fruitless, according to Forrest they have agents everywhere," said Giles.

"Yes, but to just sit around and wait for them to make a move," said Willow.

"Well, I was kind of hoping you could help with that Willow, I know you haven't used magiks in awhile, but couldn't you do some sort of protection spell on Buffy?" asked Giles.

"Oh I, I don't know, what if it went wrong like last time?" she asked

"This is a bleeding emergency red, you think we'd be asking otherwise?" snapped Spike.

Willow's eyes filled with tears, she got up from the table.

"Sorry guys I just can't do this right now," she walked off into the kitchen.

"Way to go Spike, I'll go talk to her, see if I can get her to change her mind," said Oz, following after her.

Buffy glared at Spike.

"What?" he asked

"That was way too harsh," she replied.

Spike sighed.

"You're right, it's just all this pressure getting to me, sometimes I wish I didn't have this chip in my head, then I'd knock them off one by one," Spike admitted.

"Oh that would be a great idea, when you'd finished with them, you could have us for dessert," said Anya.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Spike

"Anya does have a point, just because Buffy's giving you a lot of happies, doesn't mean you've turned vegetarian," said Xander.

"Getting off topic here, besides I though you two were getting along better now," said Buffy.

"Harris and I understand each other, half the fun is our snarking at one another, ain't that right?" grinned Spike.

They all looked up as Oz lead Willow through the kitchen door. Her eyes were red rimmed from recent tears. She looked at her friends.

"Okay, I'll do it, I'll perform the spell," she said quietly.

Buffy rushed out of her seat and gave her friend a warm hug.

"Thanks Willow, I knew you wouldn't let me down," smiled Buffy.

TBC