FUTURE IMPERFECT

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created, like Hope, Nick, Liam, and Callie.

Author's Note:  This story's pairings are as follows, and they'll stay that way, S/B, Fa/We, Gu/Fr, A- /?- /C- /Gw-haven't figured Angel's out quite yet.  In this and the other fanfic's of mine Angel and Buffy are very good old friends but she's with Spike and as such Angel now kind of acts like Buffy's dad or older brother, making sure that Spike gets the message that if he ever does anything to hurt her then he'll have to answer to Angel.

CHAPTER 8-TELLING GILES AND PREPARATIONS

Buffy and Spike's trip to New York had been eventful but it had finally ended when they took Dawn out to dinner and then back to their hotel to talk.  Buffy had gotten back to feeling better and had even gone out on a patrol or two before Dawn had told her not to because of the baby.  Buffy had started to argue but then thought of all of the things that she and Spike could do in the meantime and her anger subsided quickly.  The next morning they had wanted to spend the entire day with Dawn, but the younger Summers' had meekly said that she had plans for the morning, ones which couldn't be changed, that she had to attend to first.  After that though Dawn had said that she was free for the rest of the day.  During the time that they waited for Dawn to return Buffy and Spike kept busy by voicing different opinions as to exactly what it was that Giles and Dawn were hiding from them.  Buffy initially suggested that Dawn was in some sort of trouble from a new demon or something like it and had contacted Giles to help her out with it.  Spike had countered that there was probably a much simpler explanation for it all.  They decided to wait until Dawn met them in their hotel room that day before they started in with their questions.  What they hadn't expected was to see a very frustrated Giles follow Dawn into their hotel room.

"Giles…what's wrong…," Buffy asked with a concerned frown on her face as she started to make the move to get up off of the bed.  She was stopped instantly by Spike's hand on her shoulder and an overprotective look in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me…," Giles asked with a sullen and melancholy frown on his face as he sat down in one of the chairs and set about cleaning his glasses. 

"You mean about the job that I told you about yesterday…well…," Buffy began to say quickly as she was on the verge of beginning to ramble before a frustrated Giles interrupted her.

"No not that…I meant about the fact that you're pregnant," Giles exclaimed with a somewhat angry scowl on his face as he clenched his right hand into a fist, nearly crushing his glasses as he did so.  Sitting on the bed Spike and Buffy nearly fell off in shock before Spike tried to answer.

"Well…we kinda just…and then we…," Spike stammered out quickly as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation that wouldn't only further infuriate or hurt the old watcher.

"Just found out a little while ago…then we kept it to ourselves for awhile as we tried to get over the initial shock of it all, before we swung through L.A. to tell Angel and then come here to help Dawn get settled in," Buffy replied with a worried frown on her face as she tried to stay calm and to not begin crying.

"And just when were you planning on telling me…when your water broke at two in the bloody morning," Giles said, starting off quietly before nearly shouting the last part in frustration, as he tightly gripped the armrests of the chair. 

"She…we…thought that you might be…disappointed…in her…me…us…," Spike mumbled out, with only quick glances aimed up at Giles' face before his gaze returned to Buffy's face to try and keep her calm.  For a second the room was quiet as an extremely nervous Spike and Buffy waited for Giles' most likely angry response.  Spike cringed as Giles stood up and walked over towards the bed, half expecting the old watcher to try and stake him even though he was no longer a vampire.   Instead whatever anger or malice that Giles had towards the two of them for not telling him faded away and the old watcher wrapped his arms comfortingly around Buffy as she began to cry into his shoulder. 

"I could never be disappointed with you Buffy…," Giles whispered softly to Buffy as across the room Dawn was simply beaming with pride that at least one secret was out while Spike let out the breath that he had been holding ever since Giles had stood up. 

"Whew…glad that's over…," Dawn whispered softly to herself as she stood up and made sure that her bag holding the Dringogen texts was safely out of view and that no one saw her do it.

*                *                 *                 *                  *                *                  *                *        

After Wesley's afternoon class he and Faith had taken Hope back home and tried to fit planting their newest bed of flowers in before Faith had to leave to do her radio show.  When they had first moved to New York Wesley had tried to find hobbies for Faith, and other than knitting Faith had discovered that she actually had quite the green thumb when she put her mind, and Wesley's back, to it.  After buying the property the two had spent much of the last year, that time spent not in school or taking care of Hope and doing things with their friends, remodeling the outside of the house as well as the inside.  The two had enough memories to last a lifetime about having paint fights amongst other home improvement ventures.  Fights where the two would end up covering each other in paint and then take a shower together and not notice as the water turned into a mini rainbow before going down the drain.  They had removed several trees in the front yard and only a couple in the back yard.  The flower beds and garden had come along slowly, mostly as a way for the young couple to get out some of their frustrations in a non violent way.  Another plus was that it could be some good time spent with each other and with Hope, who seemed to love the outdoors.  But no matter how hard they tried those days would always end up with Hope needing a bath because she had somehow gotten completely filthy.  Neither Wesley nor Faith could ever figure out exactly how she got so dirty, considering she was always in the shade and always either in her car seat or in a playpen. 

The garden was situated a short walk away from the house near the beginning of a line of trees.  Trying to eat better than they had before Wesley had purchased a great deal of fruits and vegetables before letting Faith choose exactly where and how they were to be planted.  Their first garden hadn't been very big, but the second year they had doubled the size of the garden and it now took a fairly large amount of time to properly care for.  Oftentimes training sessions in the barn would be either preempted or cut short so as to save time to work on the garden.  They had even planted a small patch of garlic in one of the corners.  Most of the food that came from the garden was used in their cooking experiments, with the rest being given out to the few friends that they had made.  Luckily for them Faith had discovered that Hope actually liked the real vegetables better, all mashed up and softened, than the baby food that they started out buying at the store. 

The bed of flowers had gone in quicker than they had thought, prompting Faith to call into the radio station and say that she was sick and couldn't make it that night.  Luckily for her there had been a particularly nasty cold going around. So when Faith had called and said that she felt like she might be coming down with it the station manager had been more than eager for her to stay home and get a good nights sleep.  That being done Faith called Nick and Callie and the two reluctantly agreed to come over and baby-sit Hope for the night.

"And just where are we going to be that we need Nick and Callie to come and baby-sit for us," Wesley asked with a quizzical frown on his face as he came out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel and using another to dry off his hair, which he had allowed to grow slightly. 

"You said last week that there had been a lot of vampiric activity down on the waterfront…so…," Faith teased with the look on her face that she always used when she wanted to either go somewhere or do something that Wesley might not approve of wholeheartedly. 

"So…you want to blow off a little steam by hitting something that can actually hit back…am I right…," Wesley replied with a warm smile on his face as he opened the dresser drawers and laid his one towel on the bed before removing the other. 

"Something like that yeah…," Faith said with a tempted smirk on her face before she picked up the towel that Wesley had laid on the bed and began to wind it up from end to end. 

"Somehow I knew that you were going to say tha…yeow…," Wesley started to say with an amused smirk before Faith wound the wet towel up as tightly as it would go and then snapped the end of it into Wesley's behind , causing him to yelp in pain and shock. Faith erupted in an excited giggle as she hopped back a couple of feet and started to wind the towel up again.  Wesley started to inquire as to why Faith had hit him with the towel as he spun around quickly.  But the reason became clear when he saw the particular smirk that Faith wore.  It was the same smirk that she always wore when she wanted only one thing.  But it was quickly apparent that she was expecting to fight a little first.  Shrugging his shoulders and sighing softly with a sly smirk on his face Wesley dodged the next attack before he was able to lunge forward and lock his arms around Faith's midsection.  Before she could react he pushed her back into the bathroom and towards the shower.

"Wes…wait…," Was all that Faith could get out before Wesley reached around behind Faith and turned on the shower, sending a steady stream of warm water flooding over them both, instantly soaking them both to the bone.  Faith tried to yell at Wesley but all she could do was sputter her way through a curse as Wesley deftly slipped Faith out of her clothes.  Back in the bedroom Hope sat in her playpen, her gaze intently fixed on her reflection in the small mirror that Faith had given her.  "Okay, okay…I give…," Faith exclaimed with a joking smile before Wesley pulled her close and planted his lips onto hers in a teasing kiss.

"Sorry dear…but it's to late for that…," Wesley added after breaking the kiss as Faith wiped her bangs off of her face and ran a hand through her hair.

"What about Hope…," Faith asked softly, with the beginnings of a smile on the edges of her mouth, as she reached up and softly and seductively ran her index finger along Wesley's jaw.

"She's got enough toys to keep her busy for awhile," Wesley mumbled with a sweet smile on his face as he put his hand behind Faith's head and pulled her into a long, passionate kiss.   They were both almost out of breath before they broke the seal on their lips.  Faith smiled seductively as she softly ran her hand across Wesley's chest and then down his stomach, pausing slightly at the bullet scar before continuing her hands descent. 

"Guess that means we can have some fun," Faith said with a saucy snicker as she pushed Wesley back up against the wall of the shower and then down onto the small seat on the side.  As she leaned down and kissed the top of Wesley's head Faith straddled Wesley with her legs on the outside of his.  The next several minutes were washed away in a flood of joy and ecstasy for the two.  In fact when they first heard the noise they thought that it was only the old furnace in the basement kicking on.  But as they stopped and listened to it they recognized the sound of their doorbell.  "Fuck…," Faith muttered sadly with a hint of thinly veiled anger in her voice as she stood up and turned around to shut off the shower. 

"Who could that be…we haven't even called Callie or Nick," Wesley said with a frustrated sigh as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Well you'd better go see who it is…if it's someone from the station remember I'm sick tonight…and don't worry I'll get your clothes ready…," Faith said with a look of abbreviated joy on her face as she shrugged her shoulders and climbed out of the shower, draping a towel over her shoulder as she went.

"Fine…," Wesley grumbled in response as he climbed out of the shower and quickly dried off as best he could before he slipped on an old pair of sweatpants and pulled on an old shirt before going to the door.  Faith meanwhile dried off and went about getting their clothes out for the night.  As he went to the door the doorbell kept ringing.  "Yes what…Nick…Callie…we were just about to call you…," Wesley said in some shock as he stared out at Nick and Callie, who looked somewhat nervously back at him.

"You were…oh…well guess you don't have to now…," Callie said with an embarrassed smile on her face as Wesley ushered the two into the front entryway.

"You're right, but may I ask why you're here…," Wesley asked calmly as he followed Callie and Nick into the kitchen and the trio sat down at the kitchen table before Nick spoke up.

"A friend of mine down at the docks said that workers were starting to go missing, and the police weren't finding anything," Nick said with a concerned frown on his face as he nervously popped his knuckles, prompting a disapproving frown from Callie. 

"And you think that the reason that the police have yet to find anything is because these disappearances is the result of vampire activity in the area," Wesley asked, not reacting when he heard Hope fussing in the bedroom and Faith trying to calm her down.

"It's the only explanation that makes sense…one of the workmen even said that he saw one of the missing men later on…but he was acting completely different, like he wasn't himself," Callie answered clearly as she leaned back in her chair and looked back and forth between Nick and Wesley. 

"Sounds like it's a good possibility that vampires are operating near the waterfront…actually Faith and I were about to head there and have you two baby-sit Hope tonight…," Wesley replied with a serious look on his face as he stood up and walked over to the sink, idly staring at the dirty dishes. 

"Oh you were…well we don't have any plans tonight so if you're still planning on going to the waterfront to check it out we could watch Hope," Callie added before Nick could get a word in edgewise as she laid a hand on his arm. 

"Thank you…Faith's with Hope in the bedroom getting ready…we don't know how late we'll be out tonight so it could be pretty late…it all depends on if we find anything," Wesley said with a slightly tired sigh before he nodded to the couple at the table and then walked back to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"Well…what do Nick and Callie want," Faith asked, with a touch of annoyance in her voice, as she looked up from the bed as she was changing Hope's diaper. 

"Apparently you aren't the only one that thinks that there are vampires operating near the waterfront," Wesley answered as he took his guns out of the dresser and laid them on the bed.

"Do you really think you're going to need those…they're just vampires after all…a stake works well enough," Faith asked with a small hint of fear and apprehension in her voice as she gazed across the bed at Wesley.

"There could be anything by the waterfront Faith…vampires could only be the beginning, it's best that we go prepared for the worst," Wesley replied with a nervous frown on his face as he retrieved the bullets from a shoebox on the top shelf of the closet.

"Are you taking the shotgun to, you seemed to like using it the last time we did something like this," Faith said without looking at Wesley as she began to button Hope's sleeper back up.

"Probably, is that what you're wearing," Wesley asked with a shrug of his shoulders as he looked Faith over. 

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing," Faith asked angrily as she stood up and glared lightly at Wesley, who had already started to change his clothes.

"We're trying to hunt down and kill vampires Faith…not turn them on," Wesley replied with a small smirk on his face as he pulled on the dark blue shirt that Faith had laid out for him.  Faith started to say something as a hasty response but then calmed down and picked her words carefully.

"I'm not wearing it for them Wes…it's comfortable and I know that you like it…," Faith answered confidently as Wesley again ran his gaze over her body.  She had chosen a pair of tight black jeans topped off by a crimson short sleeved top that was cut low in front and hugged every curve of her body.  Above her belt there was just enough skin showing that Faith's pierced navel.  All in all Wesley loved the look but didn't know if it was the best one to wear to the waterfront at night to fight vampires.

"I do…but are you sure you're going to be warm enough, it's supposed to get cold tonight," Wesley asked with some concern in his voice as he tucked his shirt in and then sat down on the corner of the bed to put his socks on. 

"I'm going to bring my jacket along…and if all else fails I'll just wears yours," Faith replied with the edges of her mouth pulled up in a smirk.

"I'll bet…and force me to freeze…," Wesley answered with a smirk of his own as he pulled on his other sock.  Faith had chosen for him a similar ensemble to her own, black jeans, a dark blue short sleeved shirt, a black long sleeved shirt that he decided against buttoning up, and a newer version of the coat that he had brought from L.A. with him.  The original had been a coat that he had customized so that he could easily conceal his two pistols and his shotgun.  The old one had been consumed by fire in a fight against a Fyarl demon after it had accidentally severed a natural gas nozzle.  Thinking ahead he stood up and reached into the closet and pulled out his heaviest flannel shirt, as he bet that they'd need it before the night was over. 

"Dang…ya got it on your first try…come on let's go," Faith said with a fake look of hurt on her face as she opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a few stakes. 

"Right behind you honey," Wesley said with an invigorated smile on his face before he walked around the bed, planted a lingering kiss on Faith, and then picked Hope up and followed Faith into the kitchen.

END OF CHAPTER 8