A/N: Many thanks to M for beta-ing this story for me. She's a
goddess. I forgot in my last part to mention that this is definitly a
Buffy/Spike story, but no other pairings are really mentioned. Thanks for
all the lovely feedback. I squealed with 'geeker-joy' when I checked my
email and found 4 reviews waiting for me. I hope you guys keep reading.
You made my day. Onto Chapter 2.
Cordelia, Spike and Buffy came downstairs shortly after. The four of them stood around awkwardly, until Fred broke the silence.
"What was it like to be dead?" Fred asked innocently, her southern drawl evident. "You see, I have this theory, that when you die it's like..."Fred trailed off, the last words of her sentence muffled by Cordelia's hand covering her mouth. Buffy paled, causing Spike to look concerned and Cordelia to look horrified. Recovering, Buffy turned to Fred.
"It's ok." Buffy said, once she had settled on the couch. Spike leaned against the counter, his eyes never leaving the slayer. Cordelia let go of Fred's mouth, and slumped next to Buffy.
"It was nice. Peaceful. No worries. No problems. No sadness. No pain." Buffy began explaining. As she spoke, she teared up, and abruptly stood and walked out the front door. Cordelia had her hand to her mouth, trying not to cry herself. Spike quickly followed after Buffy. No one had seen Angel on the stairs, listening to their conversation.
"She told me she'd been in Hell." He whispered, looking at Wesley, who had come up behind him. He too had heard what Buffy had said.
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Outside, Buffy was learning against the building, the brick wall catching the fuzzies on her sweater. Spike came out a second after her, and didn't say a thing. He attempted to pull her to him, but she resisted. After a moment, he won, and she rested against him.
"Is there anything I can do?" He asked earnestly. She looked up at him, and then stepped out of his arms.
"Haven't you done enough?" She said snidely, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Buffy sighed, and opened the door. Disappearing inside, she left Spike standing there. A hurt look was in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with the anger that always seemed to be just below the surface when ever Buffy was around.
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Angel was checking on Conner and still debating on how to break the news to her. He was extremely thrown by what he had over heard, and was planning to confront her about it also. Angel couldn't believe she would lie to him, about something like that, of all things. Conner was still sleeping, so Angel left him and went back into the lobby. Buffy was standing there, looking sheepish.
"Angel." She said, catching sight of him. Cordelia and Fred were no where to be seen. Buffy assumed they had gone upstairs.
"Buffy. Look, there's something I really should talk to you about." Angel began. He didn't get any further, because Cordelia chose that moment to come back downstairs and interrupt.
"Listen, Buffy. Willow's already got her room. Do you want to be next door or across the hall? And where to you want him to sleep?" She asked, gesturing to Spike, who had just walked in.
"Next door is fine." Buffy answered.
"What about Spike?" Cordelia asked again.
"What about him?" Buffy answered the question with a question. Both Angel and Cordelia were surprised. From the way they had acted when they got there, both had assumed that the two got along well enough.
"Where should he sleep?" Cordelia asked for the third time.
"Yeah, Slayer. Where should I sleep?" Spike taunted Buffy.
"We are not going to do this here." Buffy hissed, turning so she faced Spike.
"Why not? Good a place as any. Probably has studier walls." He replied, smirking. Buffy flushed to the roots of her hair, and Spike knew he'd gotten to her.
"I refuse to do this." Buffy spat out. "Not here, not now, and never again." She said, her voice venomous. Neither Angel or Cordelia had seen the slayer quite like this before.
"Tell me another one. It isn't like you haven't said that before. Maybe if you keep repeating it you'll convince yourself." Spike countered.
"Screw you, Spike!" Buffy screamed, anger and frustration evident in her voice. She turned to walk away. He grabbed her by the arm roughly and whirled her around so she was facing him. Angel moved as if to interfere, but Cordelia stopped him. She didn't know what was going on between Spike and Buffy, but she knew that Angel didn't need to get caught in the middle.
"We already played that game, luv. Now we're playing a new one. With my rules." Spike spoke, his voice dangerously low and his face inches from Buffy's. All the color drained from her face. Even angrier, Buffy punched Spike. "What? You want another go?" He asked shamelessly. Buffy hit him again, harder this time. "Time for another round of kick the Spike? If I recall correctly, luv, the last time we played this game, you got all hot and bothered." Spike revealed. Buffy took one last shot at him, hitting him with all the power she could muster. Spike flew back into the door, and landed hard. He began trying to get up, laughing a little. The room was silent. Suddenly, a baby's loud wail pierced the silence.
"I'll get him." Cordelia said, eyeing the trio. Angel looked like someone had stabbed him in the chest. Cordelia went into Wesley's office quickly, and picked up Connor carefully. Grabbing a diaper, she changed him on Wesley's desk.
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In the lobby, Angel was the first to speak.
"You two?" He asked, not quite believing. Buffy looked guilty, while Spike smirked, looking proud. Angel ran his hand through his hair. Cordelia wrapped the baby back up in his blanket and went into the lobby.
"This is why we need your help." Cordelia told Buffy and Spike, ignoring their spat for the moment.
"Who is this?" Buffy asked, looking at the baby.
"This is Connor. Do you wanna hold him?" Cordelia introduced, glancing to Angel before handing the baby to Buffy at his nod. Buffy looked down into Connor's innocent face, and felt her eyes tearing. Spike felt his heart drop to his shoes as he stared at Buffy holding a baby. Angel was just staring at her, his son in her arms.
"Why does he need protecting?" Spike wanted to know. He was itching for a fight. Cordelia and Angel were silent for a moment.
"Because...He's my son." Angel answered, his voice loud in the quiet room. Cordelia took the baby from Buffy. Buffy just looked shocked. Spike was just as surprised.
"Your son?" Buffy asked. She looked a little unsteady, and then slumped backwards. Spike was lucky enough to catch her before she hit the floor.
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Angel sat near Buffy's bed, waiting for her to wake up. He couldn't believe that she had...with Spike of all people! When he had left her, this was not what he had wanted her to find.
"I tried to tell you before you left. I don't get a normal life, Angel." Buffy spoke up, letting him know she was awake. "Apparently, I don't get to die either." She finished. Angel ignored her comment.
"I just don't get it, Buffy. Why Spike?" Angel asked.
"He was there for me. When I came back, he...he was the only one who knew what I was going through. He understands me. Better than I understand myself. We're alike, he and I. He loves me." Buffy said, finally admitting that Spike truely loved her. "I needed someone to make me wanna live." She continued, starting to cry.
"Buffy, I..." Angel began.
"It's ok, Angel. I'm dealing. Not well, but I'm dealing." Buffy told him. She straightened her hair,and wiped her eyes. "Let's go downstairs and you can tell me all about your son." She finished.
Cordelia, Spike and Buffy came downstairs shortly after. The four of them stood around awkwardly, until Fred broke the silence.
"What was it like to be dead?" Fred asked innocently, her southern drawl evident. "You see, I have this theory, that when you die it's like..."Fred trailed off, the last words of her sentence muffled by Cordelia's hand covering her mouth. Buffy paled, causing Spike to look concerned and Cordelia to look horrified. Recovering, Buffy turned to Fred.
"It's ok." Buffy said, once she had settled on the couch. Spike leaned against the counter, his eyes never leaving the slayer. Cordelia let go of Fred's mouth, and slumped next to Buffy.
"It was nice. Peaceful. No worries. No problems. No sadness. No pain." Buffy began explaining. As she spoke, she teared up, and abruptly stood and walked out the front door. Cordelia had her hand to her mouth, trying not to cry herself. Spike quickly followed after Buffy. No one had seen Angel on the stairs, listening to their conversation.
"She told me she'd been in Hell." He whispered, looking at Wesley, who had come up behind him. He too had heard what Buffy had said.
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Outside, Buffy was learning against the building, the brick wall catching the fuzzies on her sweater. Spike came out a second after her, and didn't say a thing. He attempted to pull her to him, but she resisted. After a moment, he won, and she rested against him.
"Is there anything I can do?" He asked earnestly. She looked up at him, and then stepped out of his arms.
"Haven't you done enough?" She said snidely, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Buffy sighed, and opened the door. Disappearing inside, she left Spike standing there. A hurt look was in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with the anger that always seemed to be just below the surface when ever Buffy was around.
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Angel was checking on Conner and still debating on how to break the news to her. He was extremely thrown by what he had over heard, and was planning to confront her about it also. Angel couldn't believe she would lie to him, about something like that, of all things. Conner was still sleeping, so Angel left him and went back into the lobby. Buffy was standing there, looking sheepish.
"Angel." She said, catching sight of him. Cordelia and Fred were no where to be seen. Buffy assumed they had gone upstairs.
"Buffy. Look, there's something I really should talk to you about." Angel began. He didn't get any further, because Cordelia chose that moment to come back downstairs and interrupt.
"Listen, Buffy. Willow's already got her room. Do you want to be next door or across the hall? And where to you want him to sleep?" She asked, gesturing to Spike, who had just walked in.
"Next door is fine." Buffy answered.
"What about Spike?" Cordelia asked again.
"What about him?" Buffy answered the question with a question. Both Angel and Cordelia were surprised. From the way they had acted when they got there, both had assumed that the two got along well enough.
"Where should he sleep?" Cordelia asked for the third time.
"Yeah, Slayer. Where should I sleep?" Spike taunted Buffy.
"We are not going to do this here." Buffy hissed, turning so she faced Spike.
"Why not? Good a place as any. Probably has studier walls." He replied, smirking. Buffy flushed to the roots of her hair, and Spike knew he'd gotten to her.
"I refuse to do this." Buffy spat out. "Not here, not now, and never again." She said, her voice venomous. Neither Angel or Cordelia had seen the slayer quite like this before.
"Tell me another one. It isn't like you haven't said that before. Maybe if you keep repeating it you'll convince yourself." Spike countered.
"Screw you, Spike!" Buffy screamed, anger and frustration evident in her voice. She turned to walk away. He grabbed her by the arm roughly and whirled her around so she was facing him. Angel moved as if to interfere, but Cordelia stopped him. She didn't know what was going on between Spike and Buffy, but she knew that Angel didn't need to get caught in the middle.
"We already played that game, luv. Now we're playing a new one. With my rules." Spike spoke, his voice dangerously low and his face inches from Buffy's. All the color drained from her face. Even angrier, Buffy punched Spike. "What? You want another go?" He asked shamelessly. Buffy hit him again, harder this time. "Time for another round of kick the Spike? If I recall correctly, luv, the last time we played this game, you got all hot and bothered." Spike revealed. Buffy took one last shot at him, hitting him with all the power she could muster. Spike flew back into the door, and landed hard. He began trying to get up, laughing a little. The room was silent. Suddenly, a baby's loud wail pierced the silence.
"I'll get him." Cordelia said, eyeing the trio. Angel looked like someone had stabbed him in the chest. Cordelia went into Wesley's office quickly, and picked up Connor carefully. Grabbing a diaper, she changed him on Wesley's desk.
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In the lobby, Angel was the first to speak.
"You two?" He asked, not quite believing. Buffy looked guilty, while Spike smirked, looking proud. Angel ran his hand through his hair. Cordelia wrapped the baby back up in his blanket and went into the lobby.
"This is why we need your help." Cordelia told Buffy and Spike, ignoring their spat for the moment.
"Who is this?" Buffy asked, looking at the baby.
"This is Connor. Do you wanna hold him?" Cordelia introduced, glancing to Angel before handing the baby to Buffy at his nod. Buffy looked down into Connor's innocent face, and felt her eyes tearing. Spike felt his heart drop to his shoes as he stared at Buffy holding a baby. Angel was just staring at her, his son in her arms.
"Why does he need protecting?" Spike wanted to know. He was itching for a fight. Cordelia and Angel were silent for a moment.
"Because...He's my son." Angel answered, his voice loud in the quiet room. Cordelia took the baby from Buffy. Buffy just looked shocked. Spike was just as surprised.
"Your son?" Buffy asked. She looked a little unsteady, and then slumped backwards. Spike was lucky enough to catch her before she hit the floor.
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Angel sat near Buffy's bed, waiting for her to wake up. He couldn't believe that she had...with Spike of all people! When he had left her, this was not what he had wanted her to find.
"I tried to tell you before you left. I don't get a normal life, Angel." Buffy spoke up, letting him know she was awake. "Apparently, I don't get to die either." She finished. Angel ignored her comment.
"I just don't get it, Buffy. Why Spike?" Angel asked.
"He was there for me. When I came back, he...he was the only one who knew what I was going through. He understands me. Better than I understand myself. We're alike, he and I. He loves me." Buffy said, finally admitting that Spike truely loved her. "I needed someone to make me wanna live." She continued, starting to cry.
"Buffy, I..." Angel began.
"It's ok, Angel. I'm dealing. Not well, but I'm dealing." Buffy told him. She straightened her hair,and wiped her eyes. "Let's go downstairs and you can tell me all about your son." She finished.