Marketplace on Tijuana

March 3rd (week 40 of Faye's pregnancy)

The bazaar was full of exotic smells, rows of booths and stalls overflowing with exciting wares, and animated vendors hawking their wares with enthusiasm. Ed could have happily spent hours wandering through the aisles and inspecting all the goods being sold to say nothing of the time she could spend finding amusement by people watching the crowds of shoppers. On a normal excursion, her focus would have been drawn helter skelter in every direction! As it was, her attention was on high alert and quite centered on her walking - or, waddling - companion.

Faye, dressed in a lovely green empire-waist sundress and simple shoes with a flat heel - something she'd been loathe to switch to though she couldn't deny how much more comfortable flats were - and with her hair pinned back by a headband that matched the dress, was breathing in a manner that was making Edward very anxious.

They hadn't been gone from the ship for long and weren't on any particular mission - Faye had just wanted to go for a walk to distract herself from the ever-increasing discomfort of late pregnancy and had offered to buy Ed a special treat if the young hacker joined her. Of course, Ed would have done this without the bribery and not just because Spike had been adamant about someone accompanying Faye anytime she wanted to go anywhere.

Ed thoroughly enjoyed spending time with each member of the crew, but she had long ago realized that the others functioned better if they thought they were getting something out of it. Not even because they genuinely desired getting something out of it, but rather because it was easier to attribute any generosity or personal enjoyment to the acquisition of a bribe or an IOU. Ed had decided this was due to their continued inability to allow others to see just how much they actually cared without compensation required. Although, they were all at least making strides in getting over that particular hurdle and slowly becoming comfortable with the notion that they were still bad-ass even when being soft with others.

Spike was adept at utilizing his insouciance as a cover whenever he did things for others for no obvious reason or pay out. Faye was still prickly whenever she did so and tended to spout a lot of empty words to explain her behavior away, which of course made the truth obvious. And Jet simply pretended nothing out of character had gone on at all. It was all quite amusing to Ed and she knew that Ein got a kick out of it as well.

These days it was harder and harder for Spike to act aloof and Ed thought he didn't actually enjoy it either. He was a man with heart and preferred to be profuse with his affection - something none of the others had understood initially. Once he'd lowered his defenses and begun pursuing a relationship with Faye, he'd gradually strayed further and further from the steely-eyed ex-syndicate enforcer he'd been. Gone now was his apathy and the majority of his depression, though in its place apprehension was settling in as he grew increasingly flustered with every day that passed since Faye's due date.

As the end of Faye's pregnancy approached, Spike was getting more and more nervous about the impending birth and his anxieties had transferred over to Ed and Ein though thankfully not to Faye herself. Jet had also been growing more and more antsy, but he kept jaunting off on delivery missions to ensure that the Bebop was still raking in woolongs - and to escape the nervous energy of those still on the ship - while Spike was too worried to even go after nearby bounties.

The lanky bounty hunter had been about to hop in the shower when Faye had gotten the urge to walk around and she'd insisted that he stay on board to clean himself up as he was getting rather rank to her heightened sense of smell. Edward suspected she was just tired of him hopping around her as if she was a kettle about to go off on a hot stovetop. But then again, Ed wasn't exactly sure if she herself was any better at the moment.

She'd begun twitching anytime Faye so much as frowned, which the other woman had begun doing quite a bit of on this walk. Ed had done extensive research into this precise scenario because she wanted to be sure that nothing went wrong when things truly started to happen. She had all the signs memorized! And she had made sure to program Doc and DB's numbers into her comm device, which was smart as she was pretty confident she'd need to be calling one or both soon here.

There was no mistaking the evidence Ed had been noting today.

One sign she'd observed was a slick of wetness on Faye's legs. Sure, it could be sweat - it was awfully hot today on TJ - but Ed suspected otherwise. Especially since Faye wasn't really sweating elsewhere aside from a sheen of perspiration along her brow and down her neck. The other sign - or signs - were something Ed was carefully keeping track of, both in duration and in counting their increasingly steady regularity. Although the time lapse between each seemed to be diminishing ever so slightly.

Faye paused as they made their way over a short bridge. The bazaar district was divided up into sections by several canals that ran through this portion of the city. It broke up the monotony of booths and gave passerby the space and opportunity to rest against the railing and watch the water flowing swiftly down below. Quite peaceful, really, except Ed couldn't pay any attention to the passage of water nor to any of the interesting debris that was often floating along. Her eyes were fixed on Faye.

The bounty hunter was gripping the railing with her right hand very tightly while her other hand pressed to the small of her back. Ed could tell, from her nearby vantage point, that the hand on her back was shaking nearly imperceptibly while her other hand was white-knuckling the railing. It was at this point that Ed decided she'd had enough.

She sidled up next to Faye, casually shifting the bag of foodstuffs they'd acquired so far to her left arm and then used her own right hand to gently rub Faye's back next to where the other woman's hand rested. Ed gulped inaudibly as she looked up at the woman she considered a beloved sister and noticed the fear and dismay on Faye's fine features. Yep, it was time to end this charade of nonchalance.

"Uh uh, nope, no way - c'mon, sis, we're heading back to the ship. Ed has seen plenty of funny births in sitcoms but this is real life and Ed doesn't wanna be a midwife!" The hacker gently pried Faye's right hand off the railing and slowly spun Faye around to return to the dock from the market. "Ed can call Papa Jet to get you any snack you might want from a vendor stall. But first Ed's gonna call DB and Doc to meet us back at the Bebop."

Faye, pale and trembling faintly, gave a weak nod. "Sure, yeah, that sounds fine, Ed." Her lack of protest set off more warning bells for Ed. So too did the way Faye gripped Ed's right arm tightly, wincing with pain.

Ed gulped again, audibly this time as alarm surged through her at Faye's frightened expression. "Don't panic! Everything is gonna be a-okay! Just breathe like DB told you - here, Ed'll do it with you. Pant like a dog, remember? And absolutely NO PUSHING!"

xxx

Over the sounds of water cascading in the shower, Spike could just barely hear a sound that did not seem to belong. A sort of high pitched whine that was - for once - most certainly not emitting from the pipes. A noise that cuts through others to get immediate attention.

There was only one reason he could think of as to why Ein might be making that anxious sound right outside the bathroom. The little dog had been attached to Faye throughout her whole pregnancy. His odd behavior towards Faye in the beginning was part of what had clued Spike in on the situation before Faye had been fully aware.

Spike was out of the shower and tearing into the hallway in a blink. Not the common room, not the kitchen, not the observation deck... no need to check the hydroponic rooms as Faye couldn't fit into those narrow cabins currently, and obviously not the bridge because fuck climbing that ladder at the stage of pregnancy she was at. Belatedly he realized he should have just followed Ein once he got out of the bathroom.

Finally he discovered Faye, Ed, and Ein in the hangar. It seemed like the girls had just returned from picking up groceries because there was a paper bag in one of Ed's arms, balanced on her hip, while she used her other arm to support Faye. Faye, who was very obviously in a considerable degree of agony. Ein was pacing in wide circles around the pair, staying carefully out of their way as they slowly advanced from the flight deck deeper into the enclosed hangar space of the Bebop.

Spike dashed up to the women, concern over Faye making him completely miss the perturbed expression Ed's face assumed when she glanced at him.

"Yeesh lunkhead! Put a towel on at least!" The younger girl cried, dropping the grocery bag to use her other arm to cover her eyes. Fruit and vegetables spilled out onto the deck and Spike looked down at the movement. He noticed a significant puddle on the floor.

"Faye, is that from you or me?" Even as he asked, more shower water dripped from the man himself onto the floor. He reached out to Faye's left side to wrap an arm around her back and offer her his support. She moaned and leaned against him heavily, taking her weight off Ed so the other girl could step free of the couple.

"Probably both of you," Ed surmised. "Faye-Faye has been leaking for a while now. Edward will return! You need a towel or some clothes, lunkhead," Ed advised as she moved to leave the hanger and head into the ship.

"Ed! Never mind that. Can you contact Doc or DB? I told them to be ready to make a house call." He looked up to see the teenager throw a hand up in a wave of acknowledgement before she disappeared deeper into the bowels of the ship.

"Now who needs clothes," Spike muttered.

"Still you lunkhead," Faye sucked in a quick deep breath. She turned more towards him, curling into the arm he'd wrapped around her, and gripping onto his other forearm very tightly. "No one... wants to see your business... but me."

He grinned down at her. "Yeah well I figure if you've gotta feel uncomfortable and vulnerable I could too."

"Ahhh," She hissed. "That's oddly sweet of you. But... I don't know if our friends deserve that."

He rubbed her back lightly. "Wanna go into the ship or stay here in the hangar? Not like the kid's gonna care where he's born so this is your dog and pony show,"

"I'm gonna puke quick." She announced, immediately making good on her words.

"You, uh, just do whatever you gotta," Spike told her, continuing to rub her back. "Just lemme know what you need from me."

Faye smiled at him but it was a pained smile as she gripped him even tighter. "Oooh yeah okay… we can go to our room." She gave a little laugh. "I gotta... get you in some clothes, it's hard... to concentrate while you're just nude."

He smirked at her. "You're insatiable - this is why you're in this pain in the first place, you know."

She rolled her eyes and started to shuffle forward, prompting him to move along with her. "Shut up, lunkhead. I don't... ohhhh... have the energy to argue with you right now."

"Let's head to the room then. I can get you into bed..."

"That's... always, ohhhh... your goal, isn't it?" Faye managed to flash him a saucy smirk.

He grinned right back at her, unashamed. "Well, yeah doll. But mostly right now I just wanna get you comfortable."

"Mm, ohhhh that does NOT feel good... I.. ahh okay yeah let's... Ohhhh... Let's go then."

They'd managed about two more shuffling steps when Faye, quaking slightly on unsteady legs and sweating profusely, stopped their forward progress with another low moan.

"No, no... I lied... It hurts too much to move..." Her face contorted with pain, eyes pinched shut as she concentrated on shallow breathing.

Her closed eyes saved her from seeing the color drain from Spike's face. "Faye, I don't know if I've ever heard you admit to a lie before... It's kinda freaking me out."

"Ohhhh I'm gonna be sick..." Faye warned, proceeding immediately to throwing up again on the hangar floor.

"Damn, baby, okay - okay, no worries, doll. We'll get you set up right here. It's fine. Like I said, the baby's not gonna care where he comes into the world. Here, lemme help you... Uh, squat? Kneel? Lay down? You tell me, love - you're calling the shots."

"Hah! Ohhhh... No," Faye gasped out between groans and panting breaths. "I'm definitely - ohhhh - not the one in charge here…"

They were still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room when Edward bounded back into the room carrying a pile of towels and blankets. "DB is en route and so is Doc - Ed called them when we were on our way back from the town. They'll be here soon. Jet-person didn't answer, he must still be busy on his mission."

"Thanks Ed," Spike said as Faye panted through another contraction.

"I can't - I need to - ohhhh gods, this hurts!" She managed to splutter after a moment, eyes fluttering open and gleaming wetly with unshed tears.

Ed shared a nervous look with Spike. His face was the only face the young hacker felt safe looking at, given the torment on Faye's, and she certainly didn't want to drop her gaze any lower on either of the adults.

"It's okay, doll, here - we're gonna make you a bed right on the floor, okay? You can sit down or lie down or kneel or whatever is comfortable okay? Just tell us what you need."

Faye nodded shortly, tears starting to leak down her face. "I, uh... I wanna kneel for now I think. Or - hands and knees? Um... on a towel maybe? Oh gods, I'm such a mess,"

"Don't worry about getting the blanket gross, Faye-Faye," Ed advised. "It's just fabric, we can wash it or replace it. Your comfort is tippity top on the importance scale."

"I don't think..." Faye panted, "comfort is an option right now." She held firmly to Spike's form as he slowly eased her down to her knees onto a jumbo beach towel that Ed laid out. "It's - never ending! I don't understand... I thought labor meant... Waves of pain, not this!" She moaned again. "This is... overlapping waves... I feel... like I'm gonna... drown!"

"Ed's been timing your contractions - they're much more regular and recurring than any other day." Ed offered helpfully. "At least this means the baby is finally on the way!"

The sound of a zip craft approaching caught everyone's ears. Spike, Ed, and Ein looked towards the wide open hangar doors and watched as an unfamiliar zip craft touched down on the flight deck. Ein, hackles raised in a display of intimidation, trotted quickly towards the interloper, barking with every step. Faye ignored everything in favor of whimpering.

A door opened on the craft and DB's voice called out in greeting. "Oh Ein, hush up - you know me,"

She wasted no time in scurrying across the hangar deck to reach Faye's side, smoothly sidestepping the locations of vomit and other liquid puddles.

"Hey mami, looks like this is the real deal, yeah? Judging by what Ed told me in her message, you've probably been in the early stages of labor since this morning, or possibly sometime yesterday. Tell me what you're feeling, okay? Is there a tightening around your hips? Maybe some back pain? Cramps like when you get food poisoning? Do you have the urge to push?" As she spoke, DB quickly unpacked her own bag of various implements and began affixing monitors to Faye's stomach. Some were familiar - items that Spike and Faye had seen in her office and which had even been used on Faye already - and others were positively terrifying to look at.

DB caught where their gazes had gone and shook her head briskly. "Nope, don't pay attention to that. The vacuum and the forceps are here in case we need them but ideally we won't. Now come on, talk to me. No no no, you don't have to lie down, I can check you manually without making you move if this position is working for you right now. Keep supporting her like this, Spike. Yeah that's it. Now, this is gonna be uncomfortable, Faye. There's no way around it."

"What - isn't?!" Faye muttered haltingly through clenched teeth. "It's… constant pain. Ohhh… it starts… not back… ughhhh… I can't even… tell!"

DB moved swiftly to kneel in front of Faye. She quickly slipped on a pair of gloves and bent to lift Faye's dress before reaching in with one arm. A look of concentration settled on her face whereas Faye's expression grew even more pained as she tried to squirm backwards.

Spike, kneeling at this point behind her, gave her no chance to escape DB's ministrations, though he looked just as bothered by Faye's discomfort as she was herself.

"Oh my! This little one is certainly raring to go! I was gonna tell Spike to go ahead and put some clothes on but I don't think daddy has time to do that!" She shot a smile to Spike and then fixed her attention back on Faye. "His head stayed right down where we wanted it, thankfully, so no worries that he shifted back to breech. And you're almost fully dilated. You're saying the contractions are on top of each other hey? Any urge to push yet?"

"I don't... I don't think so?" Faye groaned loudly. "I can't... All I... There's just so much pressure! My hips hurt! It's...like an ache that just...so deep…there's no relief!"

"Focus on the pain, Faye. It is not a force to fight against but a force which is on your side. All of your ancestor mothers experienced this. All of their strength is lent now to you in your endeavor. Use the pain. You are so much more capable than you realize. This is nothing - this is what women have been doing for years. And you, Faye, you are young and healthy and doing just fine." DB smiled reassuringly at the sweaty-faced and still-panting bounty hunter. "I will give you some tea leaves to chew. They will ease the pain a touch. It is not your pain, after all, but the pain of every woman. This connects you to the universe itself, my child. Embrace it."

"Easy...for you...to say!"

Grinning at the reemergence of Faye's typical attitude, DB gave Faye a small mesh container loaded with tea leaves. "Here, mami - let this sit on your tongue for a moment, but bite down whenever the pain is too much." She watched as Faye shuddered and moaned again. "You can stay kneeling if you'd like, otherwise it might be easier on you to sort of lay back - not fully down on your back, but resting against Spike like you both practiced in class."

"Yes… let's try… please, another position…" Faye mumbled agreeably.

A commotion on the flight deck drew DB's attention briefly, though Faye and Spike noticed nothing as Faye writhed helplessly against his chest while letting Spike help her adjust her position. Ed, who had been fluttering restlessly around the trio on the ground, was grateful for the new arrival as it gave her a chance to do something. Ein, once again barking up a storm, led the charge towards the open deck.

"Well, shucks howdy," Doc's voice sounded across the open space as he emerged from the ship. "Shaddup, Ein! You know me!" He bent down to ruffle Ein's fur before letting Ed lead him from his newly landed ship into the inner sanctum of the Bebop's hangar. "Gotta admit I never expected you boys to need my help with something like this!"

Spike spared a moment to smirk proudly at the older man. "Appreciate you coming to make sure all goes well here."

DB inclined her head in a wordless greeting to the newly arrived man. "Perfect timing, Doc. Wanna set up on her left side here? Ed, can you lend a hand too? I'm gonna want you both to hold her calves steady." DB instructed, tossing gloves towards both.

Ed blanched, glancing over at where Ein was pacing back and forth nearby and getting an alarmed look from the corgi in response.

"Uhh... Yup! Yup yup yup! Ed will help!" She confirmed after a moment. "I don't have to… look anywhere else?"

"Not unless you want to, kiddo. Actually, Faye? Spike? I can set up a mirror if either of you want to watch?"

"No!" Faye shouted. "Feeling - this - is terrible! I don't - want to - have to see what I'm feeling!"

Spike looked surprisingly torn between emotions. "Uhh, yeah no thanks DB. I've seen this before and it's not exactly a pretty picture." He replied. He brushed a kiss to Faye's temple. "Of course, it's not nearly as bad as some bloody messes I've been privy to, but I think I should stay back here to support her and Faye shouldn't have to worry about catching a glimpse on a mirror just so I can see."

DB chuckled. "All right, mami - I'm gonna need a couple things from you, okay? First off, stop panting. We're gonna do some focused breathing from here on out. The panting was to keep you from bearing down ahead of time. But we're past that point now! Okay Faye, I need you to be sitting up on your tailbone if possible - yeah, support her just like that Spike. Faye, relax against him if possible. Yes, just like that, perfect. Now, Faye, put your hands on your legs behind your knees so you can pull your thighs up and back towards you - Doc and Ed will hold your calves for me so I can stay down here to handle baby's arrival. You can do this! Just hold your thighs there and let the rest of your weight rest on Spike, okay? Spike? You keep her like that, all right? You're gonna be her backbone."

"Gotcha." Spike switched his attention from DB, who was still kneeling in front of Faye, to his laboring lover. A tender smile spread across his face as he leaned in close and pressed his temple against hers. "You're doing so good, babe." Spike whispered. "I can't believe how incredible you are. You're so fucking tough."

She laughed breathlessly. "Says...the man...whose been shot up - cut up - beat up... And more..."

"Accept the compliment, Faye." DB instructed sternly, shaking her head at the pair of them. "Now, you need to start pushing soon, okay? We're gonna use those contractions instead of just enduring them. When it gets unbearable I want you to concentrate on pushing. Believe it or not but it'll help. So when a contraction starts building up take a deep breath and hold it for a count of ten while pushing - Ed, can you count for her? Thank you! And then after that ten count you'll release that breath and relax until the next contraction. We'll do it all over again then. No gasping! No more panting! I can tell you're contracting so c'mon mami, deep breath yes yes yes now hold it..." in the background came Ed's voice counting steadily "and push push push, and exhale Faye! Relax! Perfect! Okay now get ready to do it all again because these contractions are on top of each other and this baby is really ready to meet ya!"

Nodding repeatedly, Faye gritted her teeth but a pained cry still managed to escape her as Ed reached the end of the count again.

"We're so close, mami! You've got this! That was perfect! Now, breathe... We're gonna do that again, okay? All right!"

Agonizing minutes later - an eternity to Faye, and to Spike who was in torment being unable to take any pain from her - the baby finally slid from Faye's body into the world with a raucous cry.

"Well, he's got good lungs and a nice clean airway, that's for sure!" Doc noted, sharing a grin with DB. Faye was sobbing anew, falling limply back against Spike and sending fresh fear tearing through him.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay?!"

"Ed, you wanna undo the buttons on the top of Faye's dress, please?" DB asked as she passed the infant off to Doc so she could bend down to attend to Faye. "I have a feeling you're the only one with steady enough hands right now and we'll need access to Faye's breasts shortly here."

"I just…" Faye tried to stop bawling as she responded to Spike's apprehensive query. "I just realized I'm never gonna feel his little feet kicking inside me anymore!"

"Oh mami," DB laughed softly, glancing up from her work. "You ready for your baby? Here, hand him over Doc! Now Faye, we don't want him in this chilly air for long while he's still wet, but it's good for him to get some personal time with you right now. I'm gonna put him on your stomach, okay? And - watch! This is some potent natural magic. He'll be able to find his way to your chest all by himself! You don't have milk yet, that'll come in the next few days, but he can sense the colostrum that your body has been producing to feed him in the meantime. That's all the nutrients and vitamins to boost his immune system! Oh, see? I've watched it hundreds of times and it's always blown me away."

Faye wrapped shaky arms around the slick little body that was rooting around her breasts. Her breath left her in a rush as wonder flooded her. Spike, still cradling her body against his own, and still impervious to the temperature himself despite his own naked state, gazed down over her shoulder with an incredulous look on his face. Neither even noticed as Doc and DB carried on with the rest of the checkup until Doc told Spike it was time to cut the cord after DB ensured the placenta had left Faye's womb in its entirety.

Ed took Spike's place to help hold Faye semi-upright as Spike shakily took the scissors from Doc and spared a few moments to try and calm his trembling hands before severing the tie that had kept the baby alive and well for so many months inside.

Then Doc was guiding him again, clearly aware that Spike's brain was not in a functioning mode, telling him to help situate Faye on a fresh blanket so he could scoop her up and carry her into the ship while DB gently took the baby from Faye to get his measurements and check his vitals and clean him off.

And just like that, Spike and Faye became parents.

xxx

Later that Day

In Spike and Faye's Quarters

"This is it, Faye. This is the best thing I've ever done with my life." Spike gazed at the newborn in DB's care with a dazed look in his mismatched eyes. "It's the realest thing I've ever had to deal with yet somehow it still feels like a dream." Spike rambled, which was unusual for the cowboy.

Faye, delirious with a potent combination of love and exhaustion, paid him very little mind as she too regarded the infant. She had tears on her cheeks though she wasn't really aware she was still crying, and she couldn't manage words to save her life.

DB smiled at the pair of them as she finished swaddling the freshly cleaned infant and carefully laid the baby on Faye's ample bosom. She adjusted Faye's arms around the infant and helped assist the new mom and child with the latch.

Spike watched, stunned, with a mixture of awe and respect. There was little for a father to do at this point but he was such a mess of nerves anyway that he didn't think he could be trusted to do much of anything. He was still surprised they'd trusted him to cut the cord and wasn't even sure how he'd managed to pull on pants once they'd made it to the room.

"A fine job and a fine son. The Great Spirit smiles on your family." DB said warmly. "I will give you privacy to settle into these new roles and to rest and recover. You both did well out there. Doc and Ed and I will handle the clean up and then check in on the three of you in a while." She gave a little wave as she departed, chuckling at the fact that neither adult seemed aware of her parting words or her exit.

Spike gingerly sat next to Faye on the bed, crowding into her space but trying to do so in a gentle manner that didn't cause her any pain. She was so wholly enamored of the child that she didn't register his movements at all, though she was clearly acutely aware of his presence for she leaned back into the comfort of his half embrace as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Not as messy as I expected," He noted quietly. "How are you feeling?"

Faye took a breath and closed her eyes briefly. "Like a cloud."

He grinned and kissed her temple. "Not sure what that means but it doesn't sound terrible."

Faye smiled too. "No, it's... it's good. The hurt will come back as the endorphins wear off but this right now… this... this is perfect. He's perfect. I don't know how we did something so right for once."

"You did most of the work for this one," Spike said, pride evident in his tone. They were competitive about most everything in their lives, but Spike was willing to give credit to Faye for this. No matter how many times he'd run to the store to satisfy her cravings, or how many times he'd rubbed her back or feet, he was merely the sidekick in this whole ordeal. She'd been the superhero. And Spike was inarticulately proud of her.

"I'll admit I expected more yelling. Maybe some blame laying." He went on.

Faye gnawed at her lower lip bashfully before letting out a soft sigh and glancing over at him. "I was too scared, Spike. Childbirth is still incredibly dangerous for women. And between the freezing that did god knows what to my body and the normal risk of pregnancy and birth… I just… I didn't want… if it was the last things I said…"

He felt his heart clench at her words. "Faye… Why didn't you tell me?"

Faye swallowed hard, giving a half shrug with the arm that wasn't as involved in cradling the baby to her breast.

"Because... that ...that would have made it more real. The possibility I mean. I couldn't jinx myself that way." She sniffled and then perked up. She'd sensed his upset and shifted gears so he couldn't linger with the dark fears she'd finally revealed. "Don't worry though! Now I know what to expect - next time there will be angry words, I assure you."

As she'd intended, her promise provoked a hint of a smile and a wild look to enter his eyes. "Next time, eh? Already planning out the future are you?"

Faye laughed. "Well shit, Spike, have you seen how freaking beautiful this damn baby is?"

"With parents as good looking as us are you even surprised?" He teased, gaze fixed on mother and child.

With parents as good looking as us are you even surprised?" He teased, gaze fixed on mother and child. Having them both alive and well, here in the world beside him, was filling him with emotions he couldn't begin to process.

Relief, at the safe arrival, but brand new anxiety because the baby was so damn small Spike had no idea how they'd manage to clothe or change him without breaking him somehow. Neither he nor Faye were known for a delicate touch.

"Oh Spike," Faye breathed, eyes glistening with fresh tears. "I just love him so much already. Little Lupin..."

"That name seems to suit him well," Spike said. "He'll need to be clever and resourceful if he's gonna make it in this world."

"And cheerfully optimistic, and stubbornly persistent." Faye added. She grinned down at the baby. "I'm glad Ed had us watching all those Old Earth animes. I actually remember seeing some of them - or parts anyway - before my accident, when I was a kid. Of course, the heist stuff never interested me much back then but I do recall liking how the girl always got the best of him."

"Heh, you would. Well, that's settled then. Little Lupin Spiegel." Spike sighed, using the arm around Faye to trace random patterns over her elbow. "I don't know how we're gonna do this, Faye. I don't wanna scare you but I'm not sure I'm ready."

Faye snorted, giving him an impish smile as she eyed him sideways. "You think I was ready for any point of my life? You think I'm ready now for this?! There's no way... I've got no clue... But, when has a lack of preparation or complete knowledge stopped us before? Besides, at least we've got help. It's not like we have to wing it solo."

Spike glanced over at Ein, who was curled up asleep by the door, and then brought his gaze back to baby Lupin who was sleepily nursing.

"Yeah... You're right, Faye. We'll figure it out as we go along and hopefully this little guy is willing to be patient with us." He pressed another kiss to her temple. "All I know for sure... is that I love you. And I love him. As for the rest of our lives... Whatever happens, happens!"

xxx

Welcome to the crew, little baby Spiegel!