Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox,
etc... except of course the ones I make up.
Summary: Spike and Buffy are going to have a baby together!!! I know, I know, it's been done about a million times but I promise that this one is different. Anyway, it also deals with all different types of families that could exist in the Buffyverse.
Spoilers: None really
Continuity: It's the sequel to "Apocalypse now... Again". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It picks up a few weeks after where "Apocalypse Now... Again" leaves off. Also, I just thought I'd point out that Tara is alive and with Willow, both witches are living with Buffy. Also, Xander and Anya are married and Anya is about four and a half months pregnant.
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FAMILY
Chapter 8: Comfort
The mood of the Magic Box was pure apprehension. No one laughed, no one smiled, no one was even breathing too loudly. Willow continued to pace the floor, Anya was filling out papers and making calculations, Buffy was against Spike at the table and she rested quietly with one hand on her stomach and one hand holding the vampire's; Dawn, Dave, and Janice sat across from Buffy and Spike taking turns thumb-wrestling.
Suddenly, there was a loud jingle of the bell above the Magic Box door. Willow stopped in her tracks and turned anxiously to face the door. A huge smiled of relief spread across her face and she sighed happily.
"Tara."
She walked to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Tara reciprocated the hug and let out a breath of liberation. She was with Willow now; she could be whatever she needed to be.
"You okay, sweetie?" Willow asked, as she ran her fingers through Tara's hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Tara pulled back a bit and shook her head. "Not now," she told her lover as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Just not now."
Willow nodded understandingly and took the other witch's hand tenderly. She leaned in to give her a sweet kiss when the door opened once again. Willow stopped to see whom it was and Tara turned around.
"Oh my God!" Everyone heard Anya exclaim when she saw her badly beaten husband and employer walk in. She ran from behind the counter and pushed past the Willow and Tara so she could get to Xander. He took her assistance gladly as she helped him walk to the table. Willow and Tara did the same for Giles.
"What happened to you two?" Buffy asked as Spike ran from the back with two ice packs and handed them both to her. She held one on Giles's head and Buffy gave Anya one to hold on Xander's.
"We were attacked... on patrol," Giles finally panted out. "Three vampires. Gave us quite the... uh... ass-kicking for lack of a better term."
"But we took'em out," Xander added and winced at the same time for Anya was now moving the ice pack to various parts of his head. Buffy pouted sympathetically at her friend and then to her watcher.
"I'm sorry you guys," Buffy told them, "Maybe I'll take over patrol for the next few weeks until-"
"No," Giles said forcefully but still compassionately, "you're living for two now, I wouldn't want to put you in unnecessary danger."
Buffy smiled kindly at him. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Buffy. Just take care of yourself. That's all the thanks I need."
Buffy took Giles's hands in her own small ones daintily and she smiled sweetly at him. Tears of intense happiness filled her eyes when she thought of how much it meant to her having him in her life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dawn's fluffy blue slippers made a pleasant patting noise as she trotted clumsily down the stairs. She nearly ran into Willow at the bottom of the stairs, who was carrying a two bowls of popcorn, one in each hand. Dawn's Slayer reflexes came in handy however, and the popcorn remained in tact and in the bowl. She smiled playfully at Willow who merely rolled her eyes at the teen.
"Just watch where you're running, honey."
Dawn nodded childishly. "Will do."
She skipped into the living room where Spike and Buffy were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, and Tara was popping a movie into the DVD player. Dawn couldn't tell what movie it was, but she figured that it didn't really matter. For one night, everyone was home.
Dawn plopped down between her sister and the vampire and Buffy's face turned a shade of green. She looked at Dawn with annoyance and nausea flashing in her hazel eyes.
"Easy there, Dawnie, my stomach is not what it used to be."
Dawn shrugged and gave her sister a compassionate look. "Sorry," she said, as she snuggled up against Spike who didn't object. He looked at the tall teen and took a moment to just be aware of what a beautiful young woman she was becoming. Spike smiled at Dawn and she returned the gesture.
"So," the youngest Slayer began, "what're we watching."
Spike groaned and shifted uncomfortably as Buffy and Willow stifled a giggle. Tara smiled sympathetically at the vampire and then she looked to Dawn.
"'Interview With the Vampire'."
Dawn, unable to control herself, burst out laughing. Spike looked at her with contempt and she tried to cover her laughter by clamping her hand over her mouth. It didn't help. It worsened matters for Spike when Dawn's giggles caused Buffy, Willow, and Tara to laugh along with her.
"Fine," he told them angrily, sure that if he could blush he would, "laugh if you'd like. I have a girlfriend who lives to make me miserable. It's very funny, ha, ha."
"Oh Spike," Buffy laughed as she wiped tears from her eyes and cheeks, "you shouldn't take yourself so seriously."
"That's easy for you to say," Spike mumbled while putting on a mock pouty- face that he couldn't do very well.
Buffy smirked and sat up. She leaned over Dawn and pulled Spike's lips onto her own. Dawn, too grossed out for words, just squealed in disgust. Buffy and Spike quickly realized the errors of their ways and pulled back.
"Ew, much?" Dawn asked sarcastically. "Can we just get to the movie, please?"
"Oh joy-"
"Shush you," Dawn commanded the irritated vampire and she pointed a finger at him threateningly. Spike made a motion across his lips that told Dawn he would stop talking. He had meant it when he said it, but it turned out not to be true. It wasn't more than five minutes before Spike started criticizing the portrayal of vampires in the movie. Dawn just laughed and made herself comfortable against him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the movie's end, Dawn had fallen fast asleep resting against Spike. He just let her lay there until the end of the movie, just so he could see how it turned out. He had read the book many years before, but movies tended to distort things for time purposes. He hoped that maybe the ending of the movie would be better.
Ever so carefully, once the movie had ended, he picked up Dawn and carried her up the stairs and to her room. He placed her gently in her bed and pulled the covers over her thin frame. He smiled, happy to know that she was safe. He turned to leave when he felt a small but powerful hand grab his arm.
"Don't go yet," a half-sleeping Dawn commanded him.
"What's that, Sweet Bit?"
Her right eyes cracked open slightly and she was able to see a blurry image of the vampire. Her grip tightened on him and she asked again.
"Please don't go yet," she mumbled groggily.
Spike, unsure of her intentions, shrugged and nodded since he saw no reason to not sit with her if that's what she wanted. He sat on the bed and he felt her move closer to him and she sighed.
"Tell me a story."
"Now?"
She nodded.
"Alright. About what?"
Dawn considered this for a minute and then answered, "about when you were my age."
"I don't know if those are things you want to hear, pet, they're not all that interesting."
"I do," she told him, "I want to know who William was."
"William, huh? I'm warning you, Dawn, he was a pretty boring character."
"No," she insisted sleepily, "no you're not."
Spike smiled at her and considered her request. He was going to do it, that wasn't the issue. But what to tell, what to tell?
He got it.
"Alright, Nibblet I got a good one for ya."
"Proceed," she told him with the hint of a laugh.
"Right, then. So, I was about, I dunno, sixteen or seventeen, and my mum made me go to this party. I hated that sort of thing. I mean, I got used to it, being the British gentleman that I was, but as a teenager I HATED all that stuffy crap. I would have rather been home reading or playing games with my sister-"
"You had a sister?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Anyway, so I get all fancy for this get together. My mum was a friend with some guy that I had only met once, but I had to go to this thing anyway. So I'm at this party, sitting in some remote corner, wishing that the place would just burst into flames so I wouldn't have to endure this torture anymore. That's when she came down the stairs and I saw her for the first time."
"Drusilla?"
"No, love. Cecily. She was the first and last love of my life."
"She was the only woman you loved when you were alive, you mean?"
"Right, so, Cecily walks down the stairs and when she passed me, she smiled at me and I thought I would melt where I stood."
"But-"
"But I ended up running outside and throwing up because I was so nervous. The end."
Dawn giggled, "that was a wonderful story." She paused, "what was Cecily like?"
"Cecily? Well, you know Anya's friend Halfrek?"
"Yeah."
"She looked a lot like her."
Dawn put two and two together and sat up with a start, almost knocking Spike off the bed. "Shut up!"
Spike smiled slyly at the teen and pushed her on the shoulder softly so that she would lay back down.
"And that, my dear," he told her as he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, "is another story for another day."
Spike once again tried to leave but was once again stopped by Dawn. "Wait," she commanded him.
He sighed unnecessarily and looked at her with the hint of a smile on his lips. "What?"
Dawn said nothing but rather brought her palm up to the side of his cheek, and moved it all over his faced. She pulled her hand back and cocked her head to the side.
"Huh."
"What?"
"It's just so strange."
"What is, Nibblet?"
"You," she said quietly as she furrowed her brow, "you feel warmer than you usually do." She shrugged and closed her eyes.
"Really, Bit?" Spike asked, bringing his own hand up to his face. "You think so?"
But the Slayer was already fast asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I hope that wasn't too mushy for you guys... it's just that things have been so depressing on Buffy lately. Anyway... please review!!!
Summary: Spike and Buffy are going to have a baby together!!! I know, I know, it's been done about a million times but I promise that this one is different. Anyway, it also deals with all different types of families that could exist in the Buffyverse.
Spoilers: None really
Continuity: It's the sequel to "Apocalypse now... Again". However, you don't really need to read it to understand this fic. It picks up a few weeks after where "Apocalypse Now... Again" leaves off. Also, I just thought I'd point out that Tara is alive and with Willow, both witches are living with Buffy. Also, Xander and Anya are married and Anya is about four and a half months pregnant.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
FAMILY
Chapter 8: Comfort
The mood of the Magic Box was pure apprehension. No one laughed, no one smiled, no one was even breathing too loudly. Willow continued to pace the floor, Anya was filling out papers and making calculations, Buffy was against Spike at the table and she rested quietly with one hand on her stomach and one hand holding the vampire's; Dawn, Dave, and Janice sat across from Buffy and Spike taking turns thumb-wrestling.
Suddenly, there was a loud jingle of the bell above the Magic Box door. Willow stopped in her tracks and turned anxiously to face the door. A huge smiled of relief spread across her face and she sighed happily.
"Tara."
She walked to her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Tara reciprocated the hug and let out a breath of liberation. She was with Willow now; she could be whatever she needed to be.
"You okay, sweetie?" Willow asked, as she ran her fingers through Tara's hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Tara pulled back a bit and shook her head. "Not now," she told her lover as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Just not now."
Willow nodded understandingly and took the other witch's hand tenderly. She leaned in to give her a sweet kiss when the door opened once again. Willow stopped to see whom it was and Tara turned around.
"Oh my God!" Everyone heard Anya exclaim when she saw her badly beaten husband and employer walk in. She ran from behind the counter and pushed past the Willow and Tara so she could get to Xander. He took her assistance gladly as she helped him walk to the table. Willow and Tara did the same for Giles.
"What happened to you two?" Buffy asked as Spike ran from the back with two ice packs and handed them both to her. She held one on Giles's head and Buffy gave Anya one to hold on Xander's.
"We were attacked... on patrol," Giles finally panted out. "Three vampires. Gave us quite the... uh... ass-kicking for lack of a better term."
"But we took'em out," Xander added and winced at the same time for Anya was now moving the ice pack to various parts of his head. Buffy pouted sympathetically at her friend and then to her watcher.
"I'm sorry you guys," Buffy told them, "Maybe I'll take over patrol for the next few weeks until-"
"No," Giles said forcefully but still compassionately, "you're living for two now, I wouldn't want to put you in unnecessary danger."
Buffy smiled kindly at him. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Buffy. Just take care of yourself. That's all the thanks I need."
Buffy took Giles's hands in her own small ones daintily and she smiled sweetly at him. Tears of intense happiness filled her eyes when she thought of how much it meant to her having him in her life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dawn's fluffy blue slippers made a pleasant patting noise as she trotted clumsily down the stairs. She nearly ran into Willow at the bottom of the stairs, who was carrying a two bowls of popcorn, one in each hand. Dawn's Slayer reflexes came in handy however, and the popcorn remained in tact and in the bowl. She smiled playfully at Willow who merely rolled her eyes at the teen.
"Just watch where you're running, honey."
Dawn nodded childishly. "Will do."
She skipped into the living room where Spike and Buffy were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, and Tara was popping a movie into the DVD player. Dawn couldn't tell what movie it was, but she figured that it didn't really matter. For one night, everyone was home.
Dawn plopped down between her sister and the vampire and Buffy's face turned a shade of green. She looked at Dawn with annoyance and nausea flashing in her hazel eyes.
"Easy there, Dawnie, my stomach is not what it used to be."
Dawn shrugged and gave her sister a compassionate look. "Sorry," she said, as she snuggled up against Spike who didn't object. He looked at the tall teen and took a moment to just be aware of what a beautiful young woman she was becoming. Spike smiled at Dawn and she returned the gesture.
"So," the youngest Slayer began, "what're we watching."
Spike groaned and shifted uncomfortably as Buffy and Willow stifled a giggle. Tara smiled sympathetically at the vampire and then she looked to Dawn.
"'Interview With the Vampire'."
Dawn, unable to control herself, burst out laughing. Spike looked at her with contempt and she tried to cover her laughter by clamping her hand over her mouth. It didn't help. It worsened matters for Spike when Dawn's giggles caused Buffy, Willow, and Tara to laugh along with her.
"Fine," he told them angrily, sure that if he could blush he would, "laugh if you'd like. I have a girlfriend who lives to make me miserable. It's very funny, ha, ha."
"Oh Spike," Buffy laughed as she wiped tears from her eyes and cheeks, "you shouldn't take yourself so seriously."
"That's easy for you to say," Spike mumbled while putting on a mock pouty- face that he couldn't do very well.
Buffy smirked and sat up. She leaned over Dawn and pulled Spike's lips onto her own. Dawn, too grossed out for words, just squealed in disgust. Buffy and Spike quickly realized the errors of their ways and pulled back.
"Ew, much?" Dawn asked sarcastically. "Can we just get to the movie, please?"
"Oh joy-"
"Shush you," Dawn commanded the irritated vampire and she pointed a finger at him threateningly. Spike made a motion across his lips that told Dawn he would stop talking. He had meant it when he said it, but it turned out not to be true. It wasn't more than five minutes before Spike started criticizing the portrayal of vampires in the movie. Dawn just laughed and made herself comfortable against him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the movie's end, Dawn had fallen fast asleep resting against Spike. He just let her lay there until the end of the movie, just so he could see how it turned out. He had read the book many years before, but movies tended to distort things for time purposes. He hoped that maybe the ending of the movie would be better.
Ever so carefully, once the movie had ended, he picked up Dawn and carried her up the stairs and to her room. He placed her gently in her bed and pulled the covers over her thin frame. He smiled, happy to know that she was safe. He turned to leave when he felt a small but powerful hand grab his arm.
"Don't go yet," a half-sleeping Dawn commanded him.
"What's that, Sweet Bit?"
Her right eyes cracked open slightly and she was able to see a blurry image of the vampire. Her grip tightened on him and she asked again.
"Please don't go yet," she mumbled groggily.
Spike, unsure of her intentions, shrugged and nodded since he saw no reason to not sit with her if that's what she wanted. He sat on the bed and he felt her move closer to him and she sighed.
"Tell me a story."
"Now?"
She nodded.
"Alright. About what?"
Dawn considered this for a minute and then answered, "about when you were my age."
"I don't know if those are things you want to hear, pet, they're not all that interesting."
"I do," she told him, "I want to know who William was."
"William, huh? I'm warning you, Dawn, he was a pretty boring character."
"No," she insisted sleepily, "no you're not."
Spike smiled at her and considered her request. He was going to do it, that wasn't the issue. But what to tell, what to tell?
He got it.
"Alright, Nibblet I got a good one for ya."
"Proceed," she told him with the hint of a laugh.
"Right, then. So, I was about, I dunno, sixteen or seventeen, and my mum made me go to this party. I hated that sort of thing. I mean, I got used to it, being the British gentleman that I was, but as a teenager I HATED all that stuffy crap. I would have rather been home reading or playing games with my sister-"
"You had a sister?"
"Yeah."
"Oh."
"Anyway, so I get all fancy for this get together. My mum was a friend with some guy that I had only met once, but I had to go to this thing anyway. So I'm at this party, sitting in some remote corner, wishing that the place would just burst into flames so I wouldn't have to endure this torture anymore. That's when she came down the stairs and I saw her for the first time."
"Drusilla?"
"No, love. Cecily. She was the first and last love of my life."
"She was the only woman you loved when you were alive, you mean?"
"Right, so, Cecily walks down the stairs and when she passed me, she smiled at me and I thought I would melt where I stood."
"But-"
"But I ended up running outside and throwing up because I was so nervous. The end."
Dawn giggled, "that was a wonderful story." She paused, "what was Cecily like?"
"Cecily? Well, you know Anya's friend Halfrek?"
"Yeah."
"She looked a lot like her."
Dawn put two and two together and sat up with a start, almost knocking Spike off the bed. "Shut up!"
Spike smiled slyly at the teen and pushed her on the shoulder softly so that she would lay back down.
"And that, my dear," he told her as he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead, "is another story for another day."
Spike once again tried to leave but was once again stopped by Dawn. "Wait," she commanded him.
He sighed unnecessarily and looked at her with the hint of a smile on his lips. "What?"
Dawn said nothing but rather brought her palm up to the side of his cheek, and moved it all over his faced. She pulled her hand back and cocked her head to the side.
"Huh."
"What?"
"It's just so strange."
"What is, Nibblet?"
"You," she said quietly as she furrowed her brow, "you feel warmer than you usually do." She shrugged and closed her eyes.
"Really, Bit?" Spike asked, bringing his own hand up to his face. "You think so?"
But the Slayer was already fast asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I hope that wasn't too mushy for you guys... it's just that things have been so depressing on Buffy lately. Anyway... please review!!!