Disclaimer- I do not own any the characters of Buffy or Angel

This is a few days after Damage

Sorry for having it take so long. Real Life was kicking in. Thanks for all the reviews.

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Spike eyes radiated in amazement of the strangeness of the cosmos. "You know, luv. There is so much more." He pointed to the sky. "You see all those stars? Probably a lot of them contains life. Take for example Orion, over there -"

He stopped as Fred looked bored. He chuckled. "Uhm, sorry. I guess you know all about that." He refocused himself before continuing. "What I wanna say was there are more things between Earth and Heaven, they are mysteries. I should have been dust along time ago, but here I'm standing talking to you. In a time we barely knew what stars were . . ."

He took a drag from his smoke. He smiled. "Well, I certainly didn't. I guess others like you would have . . ." He looked at her straight in the eyes. "Ever got feeling that people don't understand you." At her nod he continued. "Must be a pain in the ass, being a genius, but only a few people can share that worldview with you. Can understand you."

He recieved a shy smile from the girl. "I-I learned to live with it."

"Sure you do. I know the feeling too . . . Oh, I'm not a genius. Far from. But nobody understood me too . . . Not even my own so-called friends." He chuckled. ". . . Not even by myself."

He took another drag. "But they did. You know, the Scoobies . . . the enemy."

"Buffy?"

He sighed. "Yeah, Buff. Well, uh, yes and no-" Fred looked surprised. "She didn't understand me, not completely. But she accepted me. . . . She changed me."

Fred nodded as her eyes betrayed him to hurry up.

"Patience, luv. You asked, I tell. Than there was little nibblet. Big chunck of energy was suddenly a secret friend . . . first friend ever." He offered her his patented grin. "Well, I was mostly a crush, but hey can't blame her." He tone went serious again as he continued. "Everybody wants to protect her. Then there is Giles and Joyce. Bloody Brit tried to kill me, but he felt like a father to me. And Joyce-" He looked up again and sighed. "Joyce was wonderful. The most amazing person I have ever met. Everybody loved her. She was a mother . . . to us all." He looked into Fred's eyes. "You know her, don't you?"

She nodded. "I-I know. Angel talked about her one time. I-It's the only time I have seen him cry."

Spike almost choked if he needed to breathe and his eyes widened. "Really?"

She smiled. "Single tear."

"Bloody Hell, I thought he could only brood."

"S-She was the reason why he had left Buffy. He said t-that he a-admired her for that."

"Well, her spirit is bloody sure from the Summer's gene-pool."

Fred smiled. "Sounds more like a real mom."

Spike returned the smile. "She sure was. She made hot chocolate . . . Best in the world," he explained.

"A-and what about Willow?"

"Little Spitfire? Well, don't mess with her luv or -" Fred wondered what he was thinking. "You're bloody toast. Or skinned alive or . . . Turned into a frog?" He quickly said as he noticed Fred's horrified face.

"Skinned a-alive?"

"Well, that or the end of the world." Fred looked shocked as Spike continued, "Can't blame her though. Tara was a real sweety. Shy, but with a strong will. Like you."

Fred blushed. "Really?"

"Uh, well, don't think about it, luv. She has a girlfriend now."

"O-okay," she replied puzzled.

"So, the world is save from her . . . for a while . . . Anyway, she is a real big help for Buffy. Magic, hacking and research. Big brain and pretty good with the fighting too."

Fred nodded. She knew her friend like that.

"And life-long friend with that -" Stopped as he looked up again and slowly blew a luxurious cloud of smoke into the air while he thougth about the third miracle of the day. "Bloody whelp was nice to me," he muttered softly.

"W-with who?" Fred inquired, wondering.

"You don't know?" Spike asked surprised.

"Uh, A-Angel, Wes and Cordy never talk much about S-Sunnydale."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "You know about Buffy and Willow, but not about that bloody wanker?"

Fred shook her head, her face puzzling. "Uh, b-bloody wanker?"

"Buffy's boy. Cordy's ex luv crush. Ya know, that bloody smartass who wishes he could stake me five times a day. Bloody stubborn and protective as hell for his friends."

"A-Angel?"

Spike rolled his eyes as he flipped his sigaret away. "No," he drawled, "Xander."

"Oh?"

***

Hey, Buff. Must be a real shock, huh? I'm sure Dawn supports you. She's extraordinary with that.

Feeling a soft squeeze brought a smile to the blond Slayer's face.

I have told Spike about him being the father. Don't worry or be angry with him for not having called you, Buff. Knowing Spike, he probably is just too nervous. I have asked him to take a two day break to adjust to the happy news. And I ask you to do the same. At least until we know more about the baby.

Please, let Dawn take care of you,

Xander

***

Somewhere in Central Africa

a day earlier

A young man was riding in his cheep. His mood was one of frustration which had only increased in the last hour. The biggest part of that frustration was caused by the person sitting in front seat next to him. The Dark Slayer was worried. She could clearly see it and she knew that from the corner of his right eye he could see her watching him as he suddenly spoke - without turning his head.

"Tell me again, why am I your Watcher?"

Her expression quickly morphed into her usual attitude. "Thought that a trip through Africa would be cool," she replied with a smirk, "And you happen to be assigned here by G already . . . wondered how sexy ya would look in tribal wear-"

"I'm here to seek the origins of the Slayer-" he interrupted.

She held up her hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're here for the cute little baby and I'm here rollin' up baby Slayers."

"Then why are you coming with me? "

"Hey, thought ya would appreciate the company." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged. "Well, most men do."

"Then why did Wood break with you?" he simply asked, semi-serious.

She flashed him a nasty look, but dimmed quickly. "Couldn't fit in his 'perfect mother' picture, " she explained as she took out another cigarette.

"Doesn't surprise me."

"I tell ya, he really has this huge Slayer obsession."

"'So, you're fine with it?"

"I'm five by five. He didn't fit in my 'being a real man' image anyway, if ya get my drift," she explained, raising an eyebrow.

Xander rolled his right eye and his imaginary left eye as she smirked. "Oh, boy. Now I am gay."

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