A/N Thank you as always for the reviews. To answer a couple of questions,
I don't do Wicca, although it interests me. As for Spike losing his chip,
it will be permanent, I wanted him to have the chance to show he can be
good, without it, he's not going to become a bad guy again, but I though he
should have the opportunity to prove that he really has changed inside and
not because the chip was making him be good.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Little Trust goes a long Way?
Chapter 19
"Look it's getting late, Spike and I are going home, someone want to call Willow and let her know what's happening?" asked Buffy.
"I'll do it," said Giles.
Xander and Anya rose from their seats.
"We'll come with you, it's our turn to patrol tonight," said Xander
"Well why were you slacking off, playing board games?" said Buffy, hands on her hips.
"Wasn't my idea," said Xander looking at Anya.
They said their goodbyes to Joyce and Giles and the four of them left together.
"I am serious Xander, you've lived here long enough, the hellmouth is a dangerous place, turn your back for a second.."
Buffy got no further as she was grabbed from behind by a Kwoth demon, before she could try to defend herself, it threw her roughly to the ground.
"Buffy!" yelled Spike. Rushing to her aid, he got the Kwoth demon around the neck, twisting until he heard a sharp crack.
Several more of the Kwoth demons came out from the shadows pouncing on Anya and Xander, they both fought bravely, Xander was knocked unconscious as his head hit a tombstone.
"Buffy love, talk to me are you okay?" Spike asked urgently running his hands over her body, checking for breaks.
"Uh, I think so," she said slightly dazed.
"We'd better get you to a doctor to check you out," Spike said.
"Spike help Anya," said Buffy as she saw Anya choking in a vice like grip.
Spike head butted the demon; it quickly released Anya who fell to the ground.
"Wanna fight a real demon nancy boy," said Spike lunging at it.
They rolled around on the ground fighting for several seconds until Spike ended it by twisting his neck. The other demons afraid at the loss of the leader ran off into the night. Spike put out a hand to help Anya up, Xander was starting to regain consciousness, and Spike ran back to his wife's side. Her face was twisted in pain.
"Buffy what is it?" he asked fearfully.
"Ahhhh, I have a pain," she groaned clutching her stomach.
"Anya, run back to the house and get Giles, tell him we need the car, and get him to call Buffy's doctor," yelled Spike.
Anya nodded and ran off. Xander, still seeing stars and clutching his head, made his way over to Buffy.
"Xander help me move her," said Spike.
"Do you think that's wise?" asked Xander.
"There's no broken bones," replied Spike.
Xander helped lift Buffy up into Spike's arms, Spike set off at an awkward run, even with his vampire's strength she was no light burden. Giles was waiting in the car at Buffy's mother's house, the engine already running, Joyce seated beside him, she started to get out of the car to help Spike. Spike got Buffy into the car.
"Mom, sit in the back with us," said Buffy.
Joyce quickly got in with them, and Giles sped off as fast as he could in his old car, Spike rubbed Buffy's tummy, hearing her groans.
"The baby can't be coming now, it's not time," said Buffy in a frightened little voice.
"What happened exactly? Anya barely made sense," said Giles
"We were attacked by several Kwoth demons, one of them threw Buffy to the ground," said Spike.
"But, that doesn't make any sense, Kwoths are usually peaceable," said Giles in confusion.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sirens blared, soldiers were running everywhere, and the Initiative was on full alert. Forrest had been paged over half an hour ago; he sat with the other agents as Professor Walsh briefed them on the emergency.
"Several HST's escaped the holding area between 2100 and 2115 hours, Kwoth demons, normally low risk would not be given such precedence, but these HST's, gentlemen were subjects for a new behavioural drug, a highly volatile drug of which could make them highly dangerous right now," Said Walsh.
"So is this a capture and recover or a capture and kill mission?" asked Forrest.
"A capture and kill, and there's more, we think they were assisted in their escape," she said flatly.
"Who?" asked another agent.
"Agent Finn," she replied.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Riley was sitting on the floor of the Initiative caves feeling very pleased with himself, when he had originally sprang the demons he had intended to herd them into Buffy and Spike's crypt and leave them there as a welcoming party for the couple, but they had got back earlier than he'd expected, the demons had been quite hard to handle, becoming more violent by the second, as their medication had started to wear off and withdrawal symptoms had set in. So when he'd seen Buffy and Spike in the graveyard with their friends, he'd set them free on the unsuspecting foursome.
So H17 had managed to kill two of them, but not before they'd injured a couple of Buffy's group, including Buffy herself, it gave him a sick sense of pleasure to think he might have been the cause of her losing her baby. He knew he couldn't go back to the Initiative, they would know it was him by now, but he didn't care.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Can't this rust bucket go any faster?" said Spike.
"I'm doing the best I can, look we're here now," said Giles in relief.
They stopped at the emergency doors of the hospital, Buffy's gynaecologist already waiting for them with a wheelchair. Spike leapt out of the car and quickly scooped Buffy up.
"I think she's in labour, she had a nasty fall," said Spike.
"Let's not panic until we've had a chance to look at her," said the doctor trying to calm the anxious father.
Spike pushed Buffy into the hospital at breakneck speed.
"William, please slow down, you're making me feel sick," said Buffy.
"How are you feeling Buffy?" asked her Doctor.
"Great, never felt better, if you enjoy feeling like some one is digging out your insides with a shovel," she groaned.
The doctor took Spike and Buffy through some double doors to a private examination room, Giles and Joyce followed, and the doctor turned to them.
"Sorry, the father only, you can wait out in the hall, we'll let you know what's happening," said the Doctor sympathetically.
Giles nodded and led Joyce to a seat.
"That's my baby in there," said Joyce.
"She'll be fine Joyce, Buffy's in good hands, Doctor Crispin is the top of her field," said Giles putting his arm around her.
Moments later Xander and Anya burst through the doors, both of them out of breath.
"How is she?" gasped Xander.
"We don't know any more than you yet, she's only just gone in," said Giles.
"That cab was disgusting, and ewww, I think I sat in something," said Anya touching the back of her dress.
"Sweetie, sit down and shut up, now is really not the time," said Xander testily, worried for his best friend.
Anya sat down open mouthed. It seemed they had been sitting there for all eternity, the ticking of the clock was starting to grate on all their nerves, but in reality it had only been fifteen minutes since they'd all got there.
"You'd think they would know something by now," said Giles anxiously.
At that moment Spike came back through the doors, a grin on his face.
"Has she had the baby?" asked Xander.
"Don't be ridiculous honey, I may not know much about having young, but no one has a baby in fifteen minutes, even if that someone is the slayer," said Anya.
"No our little bundle hasn't arrived, seems it was a false alarm, apart from some minor bruising from the fall, mother and child are well," Said Spike.
Joyce got up and hugged her son-in-law in relief, tears sliding down her face.
"Come on mum, don't cry, she's gonna be okay," said Spike patting her on her back.
Anya came awkwardly forward, standing in front of Spike and Joyce, Spike released Joyce and she moved away. Anya continued to stare at Spike, starting to un-nerve him slightly.
"What is it Anya?" he asked.
"I er um," said Anya, shifting about from one foot to another.
"Hurry up and spit it out, I have to get back to Buffy," he said impatiently.
"Sorry," she blurted out.
"Very nice, but sorry for what?" he asked in confusion.
"For all those horrible things I said to you back at the house," She answered.
Spike held up a hand.
"Forget it, more important things at stake right now," he said, holding out his hand.
Anya took his hand and shook it vigorously.
"No hard feelings?" she asked.
Nah, I'll leave those to an ex-vengeance demon," he said smiling and winking at Xander.
Anya flounced off back to Xander and put her arm around him.
"I'm in a very good mood, lets go home and have lots of orgasms," she said.
Xander flushed bright red.
"Shouldn't we check in on Buffy first?" asked Xander.
"No point mate, she's doing fine and besides they are only letting in close family right now, I'll give her your love," said Spike.
Anya dragged Xander up from his seat.
"You be on your merry way now, and get those orgasms you've been promised," said Spike chuckling to himself.
Xander flushed even deeper as Anya pulled him along the corridor.
"Are you coming in then?" asked Spike.
"You just try and stop me," said Joyce.
Giles hung back.
"Rupes?" asked Spike.
"You said close family only," said Giles.
"Well that means you too you idiot, now get your sodding ass in here," said Spike opening the door.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles and her mom had just left, Buffy was feeling incredibly tired.
"Why can't I go home?" she asked petulantly.
"The Doc says you can go home in the morning, it's just procedure love," Spike replied.
"I hate hospitals, always have done, my cousin died in one," she said shuddering at the memory.
"Sssh pet, don't fret, I know about that, your mum told me all about that, nasty business, nothing will harm you while I'm here, I promise you, try and get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere," he said.
"Come and lay on the bed with me, it's lonely over here," she said holding out her arms.
"Not sure there's room," he said looking at the narrow bed.
"Buffy shifted to one side.
"I'll make room," she said patting the bed.
Spike stretched out beside her nearly hanging off the edge, the metal frame was digging into his side, ignoring his discomfort to put his arm across her. She snuggled into him.
"Mmmm, you smell good," she said.
"You scared the life out of me tonight, well you would have if I was still living," he smiled.
"I scared myself too, it was a close call, Willow's spell does not seem to be working too well," said Buffy.
"Don't be too hard on her, there is some good, my chip has been de- activated and Anya actually said the word sorry to me tonight," said Spike.
"I should say so, you only saved her life after all," said Buffy.
"Let's just think of tonight as a practice run for the real event love," said Spike kissing the top of her head.
"Mmmm, next time can we skip the demons?" she asked, her eyes closing.
Spike didn't answer as he had already fallen asleep next to her. Their doctor came in and saw the couple asleep on the bed, she knew it was against hospital regulations, non-patients sleeping on the bed, but rules be damned for tonight she though as she saw them both lovingly wrapped around each other.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forrest stormed through the woods to the Initiative caves, the search for Finn had been called off for the night, but he'd had a feeling in his gut as to where the illusive Riley Finn would be hiding, as he neared the entrance to the caves, he smelt the smell of wood smoke coming from it's interior. His blood was already at boiling point having heard from Mr Giles about the earlier demon attack, although he hadn't told him, he knew exactly who had caused it. Buffy and her friends hadn't been the only ones to be attacked by the Kwoth demons, a couple of civilians had been killed before they were able to contain the threat.
Forrest entered the caves slowly, he turned a corner, seeing Riley sitting cross-legged at his fire staring vacantly into the flames.
Without looking up, Riley spoke.
"So you found me out then Forrest?" sneered Riley.
"Wasn't hard, isn't caves where rats usually dwell," Forrest replied.
He saw Riley reach for his firearm, he raised his gun at Riley's head.
"Don't even think about it Finn, you'll be dead before you even touch your gun," said Forrest warningly.
A shot echoed through the cave.
TBC
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Little Trust goes a long Way?
Chapter 19
"Look it's getting late, Spike and I are going home, someone want to call Willow and let her know what's happening?" asked Buffy.
"I'll do it," said Giles.
Xander and Anya rose from their seats.
"We'll come with you, it's our turn to patrol tonight," said Xander
"Well why were you slacking off, playing board games?" said Buffy, hands on her hips.
"Wasn't my idea," said Xander looking at Anya.
They said their goodbyes to Joyce and Giles and the four of them left together.
"I am serious Xander, you've lived here long enough, the hellmouth is a dangerous place, turn your back for a second.."
Buffy got no further as she was grabbed from behind by a Kwoth demon, before she could try to defend herself, it threw her roughly to the ground.
"Buffy!" yelled Spike. Rushing to her aid, he got the Kwoth demon around the neck, twisting until he heard a sharp crack.
Several more of the Kwoth demons came out from the shadows pouncing on Anya and Xander, they both fought bravely, Xander was knocked unconscious as his head hit a tombstone.
"Buffy love, talk to me are you okay?" Spike asked urgently running his hands over her body, checking for breaks.
"Uh, I think so," she said slightly dazed.
"We'd better get you to a doctor to check you out," Spike said.
"Spike help Anya," said Buffy as she saw Anya choking in a vice like grip.
Spike head butted the demon; it quickly released Anya who fell to the ground.
"Wanna fight a real demon nancy boy," said Spike lunging at it.
They rolled around on the ground fighting for several seconds until Spike ended it by twisting his neck. The other demons afraid at the loss of the leader ran off into the night. Spike put out a hand to help Anya up, Xander was starting to regain consciousness, and Spike ran back to his wife's side. Her face was twisted in pain.
"Buffy what is it?" he asked fearfully.
"Ahhhh, I have a pain," she groaned clutching her stomach.
"Anya, run back to the house and get Giles, tell him we need the car, and get him to call Buffy's doctor," yelled Spike.
Anya nodded and ran off. Xander, still seeing stars and clutching his head, made his way over to Buffy.
"Xander help me move her," said Spike.
"Do you think that's wise?" asked Xander.
"There's no broken bones," replied Spike.
Xander helped lift Buffy up into Spike's arms, Spike set off at an awkward run, even with his vampire's strength she was no light burden. Giles was waiting in the car at Buffy's mother's house, the engine already running, Joyce seated beside him, she started to get out of the car to help Spike. Spike got Buffy into the car.
"Mom, sit in the back with us," said Buffy.
Joyce quickly got in with them, and Giles sped off as fast as he could in his old car, Spike rubbed Buffy's tummy, hearing her groans.
"The baby can't be coming now, it's not time," said Buffy in a frightened little voice.
"What happened exactly? Anya barely made sense," said Giles
"We were attacked by several Kwoth demons, one of them threw Buffy to the ground," said Spike.
"But, that doesn't make any sense, Kwoths are usually peaceable," said Giles in confusion.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Sirens blared, soldiers were running everywhere, and the Initiative was on full alert. Forrest had been paged over half an hour ago; he sat with the other agents as Professor Walsh briefed them on the emergency.
"Several HST's escaped the holding area between 2100 and 2115 hours, Kwoth demons, normally low risk would not be given such precedence, but these HST's, gentlemen were subjects for a new behavioural drug, a highly volatile drug of which could make them highly dangerous right now," Said Walsh.
"So is this a capture and recover or a capture and kill mission?" asked Forrest.
"A capture and kill, and there's more, we think they were assisted in their escape," she said flatly.
"Who?" asked another agent.
"Agent Finn," she replied.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Riley was sitting on the floor of the Initiative caves feeling very pleased with himself, when he had originally sprang the demons he had intended to herd them into Buffy and Spike's crypt and leave them there as a welcoming party for the couple, but they had got back earlier than he'd expected, the demons had been quite hard to handle, becoming more violent by the second, as their medication had started to wear off and withdrawal symptoms had set in. So when he'd seen Buffy and Spike in the graveyard with their friends, he'd set them free on the unsuspecting foursome.
So H17 had managed to kill two of them, but not before they'd injured a couple of Buffy's group, including Buffy herself, it gave him a sick sense of pleasure to think he might have been the cause of her losing her baby. He knew he couldn't go back to the Initiative, they would know it was him by now, but he didn't care.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Can't this rust bucket go any faster?" said Spike.
"I'm doing the best I can, look we're here now," said Giles in relief.
They stopped at the emergency doors of the hospital, Buffy's gynaecologist already waiting for them with a wheelchair. Spike leapt out of the car and quickly scooped Buffy up.
"I think she's in labour, she had a nasty fall," said Spike.
"Let's not panic until we've had a chance to look at her," said the doctor trying to calm the anxious father.
Spike pushed Buffy into the hospital at breakneck speed.
"William, please slow down, you're making me feel sick," said Buffy.
"How are you feeling Buffy?" asked her Doctor.
"Great, never felt better, if you enjoy feeling like some one is digging out your insides with a shovel," she groaned.
The doctor took Spike and Buffy through some double doors to a private examination room, Giles and Joyce followed, and the doctor turned to them.
"Sorry, the father only, you can wait out in the hall, we'll let you know what's happening," said the Doctor sympathetically.
Giles nodded and led Joyce to a seat.
"That's my baby in there," said Joyce.
"She'll be fine Joyce, Buffy's in good hands, Doctor Crispin is the top of her field," said Giles putting his arm around her.
Moments later Xander and Anya burst through the doors, both of them out of breath.
"How is she?" gasped Xander.
"We don't know any more than you yet, she's only just gone in," said Giles.
"That cab was disgusting, and ewww, I think I sat in something," said Anya touching the back of her dress.
"Sweetie, sit down and shut up, now is really not the time," said Xander testily, worried for his best friend.
Anya sat down open mouthed. It seemed they had been sitting there for all eternity, the ticking of the clock was starting to grate on all their nerves, but in reality it had only been fifteen minutes since they'd all got there.
"You'd think they would know something by now," said Giles anxiously.
At that moment Spike came back through the doors, a grin on his face.
"Has she had the baby?" asked Xander.
"Don't be ridiculous honey, I may not know much about having young, but no one has a baby in fifteen minutes, even if that someone is the slayer," said Anya.
"No our little bundle hasn't arrived, seems it was a false alarm, apart from some minor bruising from the fall, mother and child are well," Said Spike.
Joyce got up and hugged her son-in-law in relief, tears sliding down her face.
"Come on mum, don't cry, she's gonna be okay," said Spike patting her on her back.
Anya came awkwardly forward, standing in front of Spike and Joyce, Spike released Joyce and she moved away. Anya continued to stare at Spike, starting to un-nerve him slightly.
"What is it Anya?" he asked.
"I er um," said Anya, shifting about from one foot to another.
"Hurry up and spit it out, I have to get back to Buffy," he said impatiently.
"Sorry," she blurted out.
"Very nice, but sorry for what?" he asked in confusion.
"For all those horrible things I said to you back at the house," She answered.
Spike held up a hand.
"Forget it, more important things at stake right now," he said, holding out his hand.
Anya took his hand and shook it vigorously.
"No hard feelings?" she asked.
Nah, I'll leave those to an ex-vengeance demon," he said smiling and winking at Xander.
Anya flounced off back to Xander and put her arm around him.
"I'm in a very good mood, lets go home and have lots of orgasms," she said.
Xander flushed bright red.
"Shouldn't we check in on Buffy first?" asked Xander.
"No point mate, she's doing fine and besides they are only letting in close family right now, I'll give her your love," said Spike.
Anya dragged Xander up from his seat.
"You be on your merry way now, and get those orgasms you've been promised," said Spike chuckling to himself.
Xander flushed even deeper as Anya pulled him along the corridor.
"Are you coming in then?" asked Spike.
"You just try and stop me," said Joyce.
Giles hung back.
"Rupes?" asked Spike.
"You said close family only," said Giles.
"Well that means you too you idiot, now get your sodding ass in here," said Spike opening the door.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Giles and her mom had just left, Buffy was feeling incredibly tired.
"Why can't I go home?" she asked petulantly.
"The Doc says you can go home in the morning, it's just procedure love," Spike replied.
"I hate hospitals, always have done, my cousin died in one," she said shuddering at the memory.
"Sssh pet, don't fret, I know about that, your mum told me all about that, nasty business, nothing will harm you while I'm here, I promise you, try and get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere," he said.
"Come and lay on the bed with me, it's lonely over here," she said holding out her arms.
"Not sure there's room," he said looking at the narrow bed.
"Buffy shifted to one side.
"I'll make room," she said patting the bed.
Spike stretched out beside her nearly hanging off the edge, the metal frame was digging into his side, ignoring his discomfort to put his arm across her. She snuggled into him.
"Mmmm, you smell good," she said.
"You scared the life out of me tonight, well you would have if I was still living," he smiled.
"I scared myself too, it was a close call, Willow's spell does not seem to be working too well," said Buffy.
"Don't be too hard on her, there is some good, my chip has been de- activated and Anya actually said the word sorry to me tonight," said Spike.
"I should say so, you only saved her life after all," said Buffy.
"Let's just think of tonight as a practice run for the real event love," said Spike kissing the top of her head.
"Mmmm, next time can we skip the demons?" she asked, her eyes closing.
Spike didn't answer as he had already fallen asleep next to her. Their doctor came in and saw the couple asleep on the bed, she knew it was against hospital regulations, non-patients sleeping on the bed, but rules be damned for tonight she though as she saw them both lovingly wrapped around each other.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Forrest stormed through the woods to the Initiative caves, the search for Finn had been called off for the night, but he'd had a feeling in his gut as to where the illusive Riley Finn would be hiding, as he neared the entrance to the caves, he smelt the smell of wood smoke coming from it's interior. His blood was already at boiling point having heard from Mr Giles about the earlier demon attack, although he hadn't told him, he knew exactly who had caused it. Buffy and her friends hadn't been the only ones to be attacked by the Kwoth demons, a couple of civilians had been killed before they were able to contain the threat.
Forrest entered the caves slowly, he turned a corner, seeing Riley sitting cross-legged at his fire staring vacantly into the flames.
Without looking up, Riley spoke.
"So you found me out then Forrest?" sneered Riley.
"Wasn't hard, isn't caves where rats usually dwell," Forrest replied.
He saw Riley reach for his firearm, he raised his gun at Riley's head.
"Don't even think about it Finn, you'll be dead before you even touch your gun," said Forrest warningly.
A shot echoed through the cave.
TBC