55

Rose had shooed the two males out of the kitchen, insisting on washing her own dishes, since she was the only one with any dirty dishes to speak of. At home, when they had one, Spike had generally dried while she washed, just to spend the time with her. But here, at Angel's it just felt different. She didn't know how or why, but it did.

It didn't take long to do the washing up, and soon Rose had everything put away save for a small baking dish Angel had used to cook her meal in. He seemed to enjoy cooking for her, so she didn't object when he offered. Especially since he was better at it than she was. But where had he gotten that dish? She wracked her memory and came up with a visual. One of the high shelves. Easily accessible to Angel, but out of her reach.

Rose got stubborn. She was not about to call for help to put one little bitty dish away. No way. Wasn't happening. Moving as quietly as she could, she put a chair in front of the cupboard, knowing that if either of the two vampires saw her lifting something that big she'd probably be in for a lecture. But if she slid it across the floor, they'd hear and come running anyway. She was going to show them that pregnant didn't mean disabled.

&&&&&&

Angel lifted his head from the evening paper that he was pretending to read. It made it easier to ignore Spike.

Spike was idly flipping through the book of names, but obviously not putting any real attention into it.

"Did you hear something?" Angel asked, sitting straight up.

"Can't say as I did," Spike muttered. "Hearing voices or some such, ponce?" The insult almost sounded pre-recorded, Spike was so enrapt in his own little world at the moment.

Maybe Spike was right though. It could well be that he was just all keyed up and.., Suddenly his ears caught a startled gasp from the kitchen and he was on his feet and moving.

&&&&&&&&&

Rose tucked the dish away with a feeling of satisfaction. Then, whether she moved too abruptly, or simply had a dizzy spell, even she didn't know. All that she knew was that she was falling, and that she had made a big mistake.

Wondering what the hell was going on, but following his grandsire because he was in such an almighty hurry to reach the kitchen where Rose was, Spike arrived just in time to see Angel catch Rose less than a foot away from the floor.

Rose looked up into Angel's eyes, and at the moment saw nothing there but concern, for which she was profoundly grateful. But when she caught her breath and looked over his shoulder, she saw Spike, and the relief she felt at being saved from her own folly fled. Lecture time with a vengeance, and no getting out of it. She felt a little sick, knowing not only what was coming but that she merited whatever Spike had to say to her. No sense in putting it off, she supposed. Best get it over and done with.

"I'm all right now, Liam, thank you," she said softly to Angel. "You can put me down now."

Angel noticed that her attention was only minimally on him, and even guessed the reason why. Spike must have followed him in and seen him catch Rose. He didn't really want to hear Spike haranguing her, but this was an occasion where he decided, however reluctantly that he'd better not step between the two of them. He carefully sat Rose on the chair she'd been using for a step, gave her cheek a surreptitious caress and left the room.

Rose sat looking at her hands on her lap. Hands that she meant to keep folded, but that kept fidgeting anyway. She couldn't look up, couldn't bear to see the look on Spike's face and know that she had let him down again. And worse, put their children in danger. She didn't deserve to be yelled at, she deserved to be smacked, except that Spike would never do that to her, especially now. But she had a feeling that it would hurt a lot less than having to bear his disapproval. Despite her best intentions, a tear dropped onto her twisting hands, and then another. But she still refused to look up.

When he had seen Angel catch Rose, Spike's heart had gone into his throat. What had Rose been thinking to pull such a dangerous stunt? And while she was pregnant yet? He was torn between sheer, cold terror for the light of his life and their kids, and anger that she would behave so irresponsibly. And that he owed the ponce yet again. When Angel moved past him on his way elsewhere, he stopped him briefly, with a hand on his shoulder, letting his actions say what he couldn't bring himself to with words. And Angel, seeming to understand perhaps more than Spike would have liked, reciprocated the gesture, then continued on.

And yet there sat Rose. Looking small, and helpless and terribly forlorn. She deserved a lecture, most definitely. A sound scolding, maybe with some out and out yelling thrown in. But she looked so contrite, and so alone, that he could feel his resolve wavering. And then, when the little wet droplets fell from her eyes, his heart melted and all he wanted to do was to chase the tears away.

Rose sat in miserable anticipation, wishing that Spike would get on with it, get it over with instead of just letting her sit here and wait. She almost felt that this was worse than any lecture he could give her could possibly feel. Another surreptitious sniffle, another tear falling, then Spike was kneeling in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as if that was what he was going to do all along. It made Rose feel much better and, conversely, much worse.

"I'm so sorry, love," she managed to choke out. "I know it was a stupid, stupid thing to do. I knew it when I did it, but I did it anyway and..,"

"Hush, sweetheart," Spike soothed, pushing back an errant lock of hair, brushing away the tears. "Just promise me you won't do it again, please."

"I won't," Rose promised, still sniffling.

"Do you think we can manage to turn off the waterworks then?" Spike practically begged. "It breaks my heart to see you cry, luv. Especially since all I want to do is make you happy."

&&&&&&&

It had been quiet out in the kitchen for quite a while now. In fact, it had never gotten loud at all, which was a surprise, since Angel had fully expected Spike to read Rose the riot act. Finally, despite his best intentions, he had to go look, but what he saw was nothing remotely like he anticipated.

Rose was still sitting in the chair, but it was back by the table, where it belonged. Spike occupied another chair, nearby, feeding Rose ice cream as if she was a baby.

"This probably is going to sound stupid," he began. "But just what are you doing?" Despite how quiet it had been, he saw tear-streaks on Rose's face.

"I'm practicing," Spike replied. He dipped the spoon into the ice cream. "Open up for daddy, there's a good girl."

Rose giggled, but complied. When she had swallowed, she remarked, "What are you going to do if they're both boys?"

"Not happening," Spike said firmly. "At least one of them's got to be a girl. A pretty little girl who looks like her mum."

"I don't know," Rose murmured reflectively. "I was sort of hoping for a pair of miniature Spikes, myself."

"That makes one of you," Angel commented. "I think the one you've got is more than enough."

"Feel free to go screw yourself," Spike said reflexively. He dipped the spoon in the ice cream again.

&&&&&&&

A portal opened in the ruins of Spike and Rose's late apartment, and two figures stepped through. One was a wizened old crone, toothless, with skin seamed with wrinkles so deep that they looked as if they were actually painful. The other was the cloaked and hooded figure of Kraj.

Kraj spread a map of the city on the floor in front of the hag. "Get to work," he snapped. "Lord M'rek wants the vessel found with all due haste. Locate her."

The humanoid female dared a glare at the yapping hound before her, but said nothing. She dangled a brilliant, perfect crystal on a string over the map, humming a strange, dissonant tune. The crystal bobbed and spun, but refused to choose a location.

"What ails it?" Kraj demanded. "I was informed that you are the best of his Lordships mentalists, and yet you cannot locate something of such import and presence as the vessel of the new race?"

The old woman shrugged and spread her hands helplessly. She had dodged execution again and again, and was now so old that it really didn't matter to her. A point of personal and professional pride though made the chief slave's words galling. Still she didn't answer. She couldn't. Like all the humanoid persons on M'rek's staff, she had had her tongue cut out at birth. The jackal-like race considered humans and those like them to be inferior breeds and therefore denied them the privilege of speech which was, after all, an attribute of sentient species.

"Try again," Kraj ordered. It wasn't as though he cared about the fate of this lesser being, but Lord M'rek might see her failing as his also, and he still wanted to live.

The ancient rolled her eyes eloquently, but did as she was bid. And with the selfsame results. No location determined.

Kraj barely suppressed a whimper. He fervently hoped that there was good news awaiting him on the progression of the background check that the law firm had insisted on. It might be the only thing that could save him now.

&&&&&&&&

Rose, who had given in to Spike, and now Angel's importunings showed up for work the next day in the height of pre-natal fashion. By the time she had gotten to her office, she was already getting sick of the words 'cute' and 'adorable'. But she had a sneaking suspicion that she was going to hear a lot more of them.

She still got to the office early enough to see Wesley and Fred arrive together, and share a quick, surreptitious kiss good-bye before they went off to their own departments. It gave Rose a little warm glow to see it. Sometimes she felt a bit selfish, being so happy with Spike and having none of their friends able to share in such happiness. She saw Wesley and Fred's romance as a definite step in the right direction.

"Oh, hello, Rose," Wesley muttered, flushing. He didn't think that anyone had been there. "You're here bright and early."

"All I had to do was take the elevator down from the penthouse," she reminded him. "But why are you trying to keep it a secret, Wesley?"

"Keep what a secret?" Wes replied, setting down his briefcase and beginning to shuffle through some papers.

"Fred, you ninny," Rose answered, smiling at the surprised and slightly guilty look he gave her. "I knew yesterday. That's why I took off early. When I came back from the ladies room, you were.., occupied. So I decided to leave you alone."

"Has anyone told you that you look positively adorable in maternity clothes?" he asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"All and sundry till I could scream," Rose responded. "Wesley, you're not ashamed of Fred, are you?"

"Of course not!" It came out before he could think of an evasive reply. He suddenly looked more than a little sheepish. "I guess I am being silly, aren't I?"

"A bit," she conceded. "I think you're allowed to be once in a while. But don't ever be ashamed of love, Wesley. Until I became human, I didn't appreciate how precious a gift it was. Or how rare."

"Point taken," Wesley said. "Now, enough of my personal life and let's get some work done, shall we?"

"Anything you say, boss," Rose said with a giggle.

&&&&&&&&

"You took the seer to the last known location of the vessel and were still unable to find her?" M'rek roared. "I am surrounded by incompetents!"

"It is even as you say, Lord," whined Kraj, feeling sick. This was it. Today he was going to die. Probably slowly and painfully.

"Yet you are fortunate beyond merit," M'rek remarked. "For the morrow will see us in the business wherein the vessel labors. You are spared, Kraj. For the moment."

Kraj heaved a heartfelt sigh. A reprieve. Hopefully the visit to the law firm would prove productive and allow them to capture the vessel.

&&&&&&&&

Wesley handed Rose a stack of papers. "These are the employee evaluations. I want you to do them this quarter." He waited for the outburst, and it came as predicted.

"I thought I was working on the prophecy," Rose protested. "And what about finding out where those men came from?"

"You are officially off the case, Rose," Wesley replied. "And while I heartily approve, it wasn't entirely my idea. I'm operating under orders."

"There's only one person here who gives you orders," Rose mused aloud.

"And you can speak to him this evening after work," Wesley replied. "In the meantime, I'd appreciate you getting to work on those evaluations."

Feeling childish, but unable to resist the impulse, Rose stuck her tongue out at him. And then went into her own office and started on the employee evaluations.