A/N : Y'know this fic is getting severley out of hand! I had planned a much shorter, less complex story than this, and now suddenly we're on chapter twenty-two and the whole thing is spiralling out-of-control! Okay, I'm calm now...I can deal, honestly, it just suddenly struck me how far away from what my original plan I have come witht his story, but you all still seem to like it so, hey, I must be dong something right.
Thanx to all you wonderful reviewing people - kori hime, Arisluv, spikeswife1, Freezyboncoolipants, Spuffyfan4eva, Screeching Dragon, MikiBaby, theoneandonlygurl, Lady Savage, sunnyhell, Kari Mouke, eletricgurl, Shania Maxwell, Brittany, Artemis Moonshine, Moluvsnumber17, spuffy-fan1, UAEgal, pixiecorn, naiya-isis, Katie, La Diosa, Higgy's Red, sPIKEaNDmE.
Here's the new chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 22
"Man, that was wicked-awesome!" Faith grinned as the Scooby gang arrived back at Giles' apartment.
"We did do rather a good job, didn't we?" the Watcher agreed.
Adam had yet to be defeated, despite various attempts by both the gang and the crumbling Initiative to bring him down. Still there was always more evil to be fought, vampires to stake and apocalypses to avert. Xander, Willow, Giles and the rest had found Faith and Angel to be useful allies in the absence of Buffy and Spike, though none were really willing to admit it. Between them they'd just managed to rid the world of a rather nasty demon clan who had been atempting to resurrect the spirit of their old leader. All in all it was a job well done.
"I'd say thats enough for one night" Angel guessed, seeing the young people yawn and fall into chairs, "Besides I need to check in with Cordy soon, it's been three days since we last talked"
The souled vampire liked to know what was going on with his own team, even if it was only two people. Cordy had only had one vision this past week and had handled it herself along with Wesley. Obviously the Powers That Be knew Angel belonged in Sunnydale, helping the Scoobies bring down Adam and various other baddies whilst the Slayer was indisposed.
"I'm too pumped to sleep" Faith shook her head, "I think I'll take a sweep through a couple of cemeteries" she said, taking a few practice swings with the sword Angel had just put down, "I'll meet you back at the hotel" she told him as she breezed out the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow" Angel nodded to the gang as he too left and Willow was quick to follow suit.
"I think I need to sleep for a week" she declared with a yawn, "but I'll settle for a few hours"
"Come on Wills" Xander smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders, "I'll walk you home"
When the group had gone Giles collapsed into the nearest armchair, deciding he would deal with the bloodied weapons on the table tomorrow. He was starting to wonder if he wasn't getting far too old for all this. He sighed as he poured himself a scotch and removed his glasses, leaning back on the sofa. There was so much still to come, he realised, more demons and then Adam to deal with, that was a puzzle in itself.
Of course what worried him most was Buffy. Somehow Joyce seemed to have convinced Angel to leave the topic alone. He hadn't mentioned the blonde Slayer once since he'd gone to visit Mrs Summers last week. Still it bothered Giles a little that his Slayer was alone with Spike, and having his child no less. He'd spoken to her on the phone, but only twice since he hated to lie to her and knew there was no way he could let her know about the troubles in Sunnydale. She'd be back like a shot, putting herself and her baby in danger, and Giles would not allow it.
It had been a few days since he'd read the Watchers Diaries that referred to the other pregnant Slayer, Nikki Wood. It was getting late but perhaps he should get through a few more pages before he turned in for the night.
Picking up the later dated book he tried to find the required page, but found he'd got it upside down and was actually starting from the back. As he turned the volume around he realised this was the final entry in the book. Morbid curiosity led to his reading just enough to know how Nikki Wood was put to death - on a New York City subway train, at the hands of Spike.
"Oh and, as usual, dear"
- - - - - - -
Despite being convinced he would not be able to sleep at all, Spike had drifted off just an hour after Buffy had. It was only when the sun rose that something inside him, that sense of knowing it was day, woke him up again. For a split second he'd forgotten what had occurred last night, didn't realise where he was. Then suddenly all the delicious memories came flooding back and he looked down to see Buffy lying half next to him, half on top of him, still wrapped in his arms.
Spike couldn't help the smile that spread across his face and he squeezed her just a little tighter to him. Her warm skin was heating up his own, a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time, not counting the hour or so he had in the sun when he'd stolen the Gem of Amara.
Still, this was better, this was everything to him. The woman he loved, the mother of his unborn child, lying here beside him, trusting him in a way he never believed she ever would, though he'd dreamt it often enough.
It seemed a shame that she would wake up soon, then the spell would be broken. Right now Spike could let his imagination take over. He could believe she loved him, imagine all the wonderful things they might have done in that bed to make her so tired, even if none of it were true. When she awoke she would remind him they shared no more than a distorted friendship, a slight trust, and a child formed under the influence of the magicks.
"But just for now" he whispered, kissing the top of her head, "I can believe your mine, until..."
A loud knock on the door woke Buffy up with a start.
"Oh, bollocks" Spike swore as the Slayer's eyes shot open.
"What?...What was?...oh, hi" she was suddenly very embarrassed to find herself effectively in bed with Spike.
"Hi to you too, pet" the vampire smiled back at her, the loud person at the door momentarily forgotten as she stretched her body against his and made him feel all kinds of things he couldn't control.
"Is it day already?" she frowned, still not moving too far out of his embrace, it was just too damn comfy.
"Seems that way, luv" Spike nodded, "but we don't have to get up if..."
The knocking on the door came loud and clear again and the vampire closed his eyes wishing the interruption away. Of course it didn't work.
"Is someone at the door?" Buffy shook her head to clear the fog of sleep and finally pulled herself up and out of bed. Immediately Spike felt the loss of contact as his body temperature dropped like stone.
"Bloody buggering hell" he muttered to himself as he to got out of bed and followed her into the living room, still wearing only his black jeans. Buffy herself was in just pants and the skimpy top she'd had on under her sweater yesterday, and both of them looked decidedly dishevelled from sleep.
Buffy paused by the front door and looked back at Spike.
"You open it" she said, moving back again and the vampire frowned at her, "It's too much like my dream..." she mumbled in response to the look he gave her.
"Come here, you soppy bint" he said good-naturedly, rolling his eyes as he put an arm over her shoulders and headed for the door with her, "Nothing bad is gonna happen..." he stopped talking as he opened the door and came face to face with one of the last people he expected to see.
"Surprise!" Joyce grinned, until her eyes took in the scene, "Oh, did I interrupt something?" she asked with a look. She knew Spike cared for her daughter and that there was less hate on her side these days, but the way they were now, arms around each other and looking as if they'd just rolled out of bed...or were they possibly on their way there?
"Interrupt someth...? Oh God no!" Buffy extracted herself from underneath Spike's arm and stepped away, suddenly realising what her mother was implying. Spike stifled a smirk at her embarrassment.
"Good to see you Joyce" he turned his smirk into a smile as he greeted the older woman and invited her in, lifting her bag over the threshold for her and placing it in the living room.
"I had no idea I'd be seeing quite so much of you, Spike" she gave him a smirk of her own as she eyed his well toned body. Buffy looked shocked and appalled.
"Mom, please" she whined like a child as her face got more and more pink. Spike thought it was fairly amusing really but he didn't want to distress the Slayer too much.
"'Scuse me ladies" he nodded, "Think I'll go locate me a shirt" he smiled as he wandered off to the bedroom again.
"Oh look at you" Joyce said with a smile when she was finally alone with her daughter, "You're glowing Buffy" she exclaimed with a tear in her eye.
"It's great to see you Mom" the Slayer smiled, moving to hug her, "but it was kind of a shock, you never said you were going to come visiting"
"I didn't know myself until yesterday" Mrs Summers shook her head as the two women moved to sit down on the sofa. Thankfully it was no longer wet from the rain water Spike had dripped on it last night.
"Can I get you a cuppa, Joyce?" Spike asked as he came back into the room, still buttoning his red shirt that he was wearing since his black T-shirts seemed to have gone astray.
"Thankyou Spike, I'd love one" she smiled, a little surprised at how 'house-broken' he was "Milk but no sugar please"
"Cos you're sweet enough already, no doubt" he smirked, not requiring an answer as he busied himself in the kitchen, one ear still tuned in to the conversation in the living room.
"So, how are things with you two?" Joyce half-whispered to her daughter.
"I don't know" Buffy shrugged, "Sometimes it's okay and other times, it feels weird y'know? I mean, he is still a vampire but he's changed a lot since the chip and finding out about the baby" her hands subconsciously went to her stomach, resting on her bump as she explained, voice dropping to a very quiet whisper, "I just feel like...even though there's all this stuff we share, there's so much I don't know about him"
In the kitchen, Spike strained to catch every word and then wished he hadn't. It was like she was psychic or something, like she bloody knew without him telling her that he was the reason the last Mother-Slayer didn't see her kid grow up
Now Joyce was here, it seemed he wouldn't get the opportunity to tell her just yet. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing Spike hadn't quite decided yet. He wanted her to know in some ways, because he wanted her to know everything. No relationship could last based on lies, he knew that. Problem was, he was just starting to get close to her, really close, and that could all change so drastically if he told her the truth.
"You okay, Spike?" a voice said behind him and he spun round so fast he almost dropped the tray of tea things.
"Fine, Joyce" he replied with a fake smile, "Top of the world"
She shook her head in disbelief as he walked past, setting the tray down on the table and seating himself on the sofa.
"Buffy gone to get dressed?" he asked absently. Hearing the water running in the bathroom he guessed she was taking a shower too.
"Spike" Joyce sat beside him and put a hand on his arm to stop him moving, "How old are you?"
He stopped, put the cups down and looked at her in confusion.
"Hundred and nineteen years dead" he told her matter-of-factly, "What of it?"
"You look good on it" she commented, reaching for one of the cookies on the tray beside the tea cups.
"Do I now?" he asked, wondering where this conversation was going. He was slightly concerned she was about to jump him, but maybe that was just his vivid imagination and huge ego.
"Spike, what I mean is...in relative terms you're not that much older than Buffy" she tried to explain what she meant "You look and behave like a pleasant enough young man..."
"But I'm not" he cut her off, "I'm a vampire. Man possessed by demon. And that's all your daughter will ever see me as" he added bitterly.
"I think you're wrong about that" Joyce told him, "You're different, she knows that. Angel was different too, but only because of his soul" she considered, as Spike set about pouring the tea for something else to do, "Look, I don't know all the details or how exactly it works, but it seems to me Angel is good with a soul and evil without it. You have the ability to be a good person though apparently you don't have a soul. That has to count for something" she said, trying to see his face as he kept his head down and handed her a cup of tea, "Angel is in Sunnydale" she said then, knowing it would definitely get Spike's attention.
His head snapped up immediately, as he fought to keep his game face hidden.
"Why?" he ground out. Joyce wasn't the least bit worried by his anger, it wasn't aimed at her.
"There's a demon that escaped from the Initiative labs" Joyce explained quietly, she didn't want Buffy to know, "Rupert explained it but the details are pretty much lost on me, anyway Angel and Faith came from LA to help fight it since Buffy and you were here"
"Does he know?" Spike wondered, looking over at the door that Buffy was behind.
If Angel knew she was pregnant with his kid he was probably massively brassed off and that would usually be fun, but right now Spike was not in the mood for a fight with the grand-sire. If he lost, Buffy would be alone to bring up their child, or worse Angelus would take his place.
"He knows that Buffy is pregnant and that the baby is yours" Joyce nodded, "He also knows that you're with her, but no-one but me knows precisely where you two are" seeing the worry on his face she reached over to put her hand on his, "I promised not to tell anyone and I'll keep my word Spike. I don't want him near Buffy anymore than you do"
He looked down at her hand on his and then up and the soft smile on her face. She reminded him of his own mother, only younger and American obviously. They had the same smile and expressions, kind manners and comforting words. Spike found he was distinctly fond of Mrs Summers. Maybe with her on his side, he could win Buffy over after all.
"So, you gonna give us the latest Sunnydale gossip, Mom?" the aforementioned girl asked as she came from the bedroom, now clean, fully dressed, and drying her hair with a towel.
"There's really not all that much to tell" Joyce shrugged, sipping at her tea and shooting a look at Spike thank thankfully her daughter didn't see, "I was bored and a little lonely so I thought I'd come and visit my little girl, see how you and Spike and the baby were doing" she smiled.
"You plan on stayin' a while?" Spike looked quizzically at her.
"If you don't mind me stealing your sofa to sleep on, I'd love to stay a few days" she said innocently as Spike and Buffy shared a look. If her mother took the couch, that meant the two of them sharing the bed on a regular basis.
Spike dared not to answer, there was no way he was pushing his luck on that score. He was surprised but pleasantly so, when Buffy spoke up.
"Of course we don't mind" she smiled at her mother, "Stay as long as you want"
To Be Continued...
A/N2 : Review if you loved it, and if you didn't...basically just review and tell me what you think anyway, please! Oh, and I've also updated Who's That Guy? for anyone who's interested.