Tara quickly made her way to Spike's crypt. She knocked on the door for several minutes before Spike finally opened it, dressed in only a pair of unzipped black jeans and ruffled hair.

"What do you want?" asked Spike, covering his surprise with annoyance.

Tara blushed.

"I didn't mean to interrupt anything. We…we've just been worried. But I can see there's no reason…"

Tara trailed off as she noticed a young woman in only a sheet ascend the ladder from Spike's bedroom. Tara was speechless as the woman walked up to Spike and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"You..you're not Buffy!" Tara finally managed to blurt out.

"Why don't you go and wait back down stairs, pet?"

Spike leaned over and gently nipped at the girl's neck with blunted teeth.

"Won't be long."

The girl nodded and did as she was told. Spike stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Tara stood and waited as Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, picked one, and lit it. Finally, it was obvious that Tara would have to take the initiative.

"Where is Buffy?"

"Don't know where Slutty is and don't care."

"Don't care?"

Tara's shout made Spike jump. He'd never heard her raise her voice - ever. Spike covered his reaction by stretching.

"Why should I care about that bint?"

"Because she's pregnant!" Tara was livid.

"So…"

Spike took a long drag from his cigarette.

"So! I thought you loved her."

Spike flicked the butt of his cigarette away.

"Did. Was getting tired of being used. Her bonkin' another guy was the last straw."

Spike turned to go back inside but Tara grabbed his arm.

"What other guy?"

"The guy who's gonna be a proud papa soon. Poor sod."

Spike opened the door and entered the crypt. Tara followed him.

"Spike!"

"You know, ducks, you're starting to get annoying."

"I know who the father is. Buffy had me cast a spell to make certain of his identity."

"'Make certain'! God! How many guys is she doing?"

Spike's reaction was explosive and it confirmed Tara's belief that he still cared for Buffy.

"Only one."

Tara's soft-spoken statement stopped Spike in mid-rant.

"What did you say?"

"Buffy was only…involved with one guy. You."

Spike just stared at Tara.

"You're the father of Buffy's child. The spell I cast proved it."

Spike's mind was reeling. It took a while for a cohesive thought to form.

I'm going to be a father!

But his euphoria quickly turned to shame.

"I never gave her a chance to explain. I just threw her out," Spike whispered to himself.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. She came by three nights ago but I threw her out before she could explain. How could I have been so bloody stupid?"

"She's vanished. You were apparently to last person to see her."

Spike began dashing around the crypt – picking up cloths and boots as he went.

"You had better be gone when I get back," he yelled to the girl downstairs.

Pulling on his duster, Spike stepped outside.

"You go back and tell the others I'll find her, I give you my word."

Tara nodded, knowing Spike would keep his word, and turned to head back to the house, while Spike began his search.

Buffy lay in bed. She had barely moved since she arrived. She had ignored the hunger and thirst until they went away. She knew she was killing herself and her child but she didn't care. Suddenly, she heard a noise in the hall. It didn't sound like the rats that also inhabited the mansion. Buffy summoned the energy to lift her head. In the doorway stood Spike. Buffy laid her head back down on the pillow. Spike entered the room and knelt in front of her. When he reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, Buffy flinched. Spike remembered a time when having the Slayer afraid of him had been his dream. Now it made his undead-heart ache.

"Pet...I'm so sorry."

Spike gently stroked Buffy's hair and she let him. She looked at him with glittering but not quite focused eyes.

"I told the others about us. They hated me. I came to you and you hated me, too."

Buffy rolled over to face away from Spike. Spike hesitated, then stood up and removed his duster. Then he climbed into the bed and wrapped his body around Buffy's.

"I'm sorry I didn't give you a chance. I should have. Buffy, I know I'm just a monster. But I love you. You say you can't love me because I don't have a soul. But your wrong, luv. I do have a soul – you."

Buffy turned her head to look at Spike. There were tears running down here face.

"You are a poet."

Spike gave Buffy a cocky half-smile.

"Come on. We've got to get you some food and let your groupies know that you're okay."

"I'm not sure I can walk. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since leaving the house."

Spike got off the bed, wrapped Buffy in his duster, and gently picked her up, holding her tight to his chest,

"Not a problem, luv."

Realizing there wasn't enough time to take her home before sunrise, Spike carried Buffy back to his crypt. When he tried to lay her on the bed, she refused to let go of him.

"Pet. Buffy. I'll be back, I promise. But you need food and none of what I have here would interest you."

Buffy slowly released her grip. Spike gently tucked her in and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Buffy was asleep before he left the room. She awoke less then an hour latter to the smell of food. Spike was laying out his purchases out on a TV tray next to the bed. There were sandwiches, salads, bowls of soup, bottles of water, and an assortment of vitamins.

The change in Buffy's breathing pattern alerted Spike to the fact that she was awake. He offered her the meal with a flourish and his best posh British accent.

"Breakfast is served, madam."

Buffy smiled and tried to sit up in bed.

"Am I supposed to eat all of this?

Spike helped her into a sitting position and then sat down beside her.

"Only what you want."

"In that case, hand me a salad and a bottle of water,"

Over the next few hours, Buffy finished off three sandwiches, two salads, three bowls of soup, and four bottles of water. Her hunger finally satisfied, Buffy turned to Spike, who was cleaning up the remains of her meal.

"Did you let the others know I'm okay?"

"Yeah, pet. Sent Clem with the message."

"Clem? Floppy-eared, kitten poker-playing Clem?"

"Yep. Told them I'd bring you home right after sunset."

"Are you mad at me?" Buffy asked in a small voice.

The sudden change of topic surprised Spike.

"No. Why would I be mad?"

Buffy gently held her abdomen.

"Because I got pregnant."

Spike sat back down on the bed and put his hands over Buffy's.

"I'm not mad."

Buffy wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Buffy… look at me…I love you and our child. I've never thought about fatherhood, but I will do everything I can to see that you and our child…"

Spike trailed off, cocked his head, and leaned towards Buffy. Suddenly his face split into a wide grin.

"…Our children are protected and provided for."

"Children?" Buffy asked, breathlessly.

Spike nodded.

"I hear three heartbeats – yours and two others."

"Wow."

Buffy leaned back into her pillows.

"You're going to have to take over patrols."

"Of course, luv. And you are going to have to think up names."

"Why me?" asked Buffy with a grin, "You're the poet."

Spike laughed and hugged Buffy to his chest.

"I love you."

Buffy's statement made Spike pull away and stare at her.

"I've tried not to. I'd almost convinced myself and then this happened. This miracle. Maybe this is an attempt from the Powers That Be to tell me that it's okay to love you. And I do. You've stayed with me through everything that's happened and everything I've done to you. You haven't left me and I realize now that you never will,"

Instead of replying, Spike pulled Buffy into a passionate kiss. He slowly lowered her to the bed. Then he began to gently nip at her neck as he unbuttoned her shirt. He proceeded to trail kisses down her neck, between her breasts, and over her stomach. He unbuttoned her pants and place a gentle kiss over their unborn children.

"I love you. All three of you. I love you all so much that it hurts."

Buffy smiled and drew the father of her children to her.

Sometime later, Buffy and Spike were cuddling – her head on his silent chest, their legs intertwined. Spike was stroking Buffy's back.

"Joyce and William."

"What was that, pet?"

"The names for the babies: Joyce and William."

"How do you know they will be a boy and a girl?"

Buffy shrugged.

"A feeling."

"Well…I agree with 'Joyce"100 but William…"

"It's your name."

"It was. If you'll notice, I've changed it to something a little less nancy."

Buffy stuck her lip out in a pout. Spike leaned down and gently nibbled on it. Buffy laughed.

"I happen to like 'William'."

"How 'bout we compromise? Liam."

Buffy hesitated, remembering another Liam from what seemed like another life. Buffy shook her head to clear her thoughts,

"Joyce and Liam it is."

Spike nodded his agreement and settled down to sleep until sunset. Buffy stayed awake a while longer, remembering the past and thinking about the future. Then she looked at her lover and imagined that she could feel the tremulous heartbeats of her unborn children. When she finally fell asleep, Buffy felt safe and love for the first time in what felt like forever.

FIN