The sun was just coming up, and they had just arrived at the hotel. Again Angel did not run inside to escape the maturing sunlight. But walked over to the other side of the car, opened the door and shook Giles awake. He then opened Buffy's door and carried her inside. Angel walked slowly as he carried her up to her bed. He smiled at her as he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Be happy Buffy." He said softly.
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"Don't worry mate, she will be." Spikes voice said.
"Spike! " Buffy said with a smile. He walked to her and placed a hand on her stomach.
"You know you're going about this the wrong way, Luv." He said softly.
"What? How?" Buffy asked.
"I can't tell you more than you know. And you know you're going about this wrong. Don't you?" Buffy nodded. "You'll figure it out. You have one more day, Luv. I love you."
"What do I do?" She asked.
"I can't tell you." He said softly. he looked back into the mist. "I have to go now. Just one more day, Pet. One more day." His British accent faded out.
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Buffy woke and whispered "Every night I save you." His voice rang in Buffy's ears. "One more day." She muttered as she climbed out of bed and into the shower. She made the water as hot as could stand and sat down in the tub. The water flowed over her cleaning her body of it's stains. In her hand she held the dagger from last night. The dark red blood, so dark that it was almost black, was being washed away, and with it the Hynes Blood. And for a moment she wanted to stick it in her chest and end her pain and go to be with Spike forever, but she knew she couldn't do that. It would be one thing if she was just killing herself, but committing suicide while she held this child within her body was just as bad as abortion, if not worse. It wasn't that Buffy was thinking of abortion as a horrible crime, but that this is her child, and Spikes, and she owed it to his memory to keep it alive... Buffy's eyes shot to attention. "His memory?" she said out loud. "Spike isn't a memory, He's real!" She stood up. "And he'll be with me again after tonight." Buffy finished her shower and cleaned the blade of the dagger more delicately then her own body. She admired it's beauty. The blade's soft yet dangerous curves. Designed just like a good weapon should be, perfectly balanced. Buffy turned the water off and got dressed. The dagger was always in her line of sight, a beautiful obstacle she was determined to overcome before tonight. "Time to go downstairs." Buffy said to her self. And that's exactly what she did.
"Morning." Dawn said cheerfully.
"Morning." Buffy replied. She waved with the dagger.
"Whoa what did I do?" Dawn asked.
Buffy looked at the dagger. "Not for you." She said simply.
"I'd hate to be the guy that iis/i for." Xander said.
"Me too." Angel said as he walked in. "Still carrying that thing around?"
Buffy nodded. "You don't have a sheath for it by any chance do you?"
Angel smiled. "I'm sure I could find one. Now down to business. Buffy. We've got all we need, we can do it tonight if you're ready. Giles is doing the spell."
Buffy nodded silently. Dawn walked over to her. "What's wrong? Spikes coming back, and then we'll all be a family, and you're all not jumping for joy." Buffy shrugged. "Well damn it Buffy this is crap!"
"Dawn watch your mouth." Giles chided.
"I will not. All she does is brood about how she misses him and now he's coming back and she just act's all unhappy." Dawn said.
"That's it I've heard..." Buffy cut him off
"No, Giles, she's right. Let her be." Buffy said. She got up quietly and walked to the stairs. "I'm going back to sleep."
"What is up with her?" Xander asked. "It was like zombie Buffy or something."
Angel sighed and looked solemnly at the stairs. "She's remembering what it's like to be pulled out of heaven. Wouldn't be surprised if she changed her mind about the whole thing."
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Buffy undressed and climbed into bed. Sleep over took her quickly but she first remembered that she had left her dagger downstairs. Soon she was dreaming.
i"Buffy!" Spike yelled across the cemetery.
"Not again" She cried in her sleep. "I can't take it. I can't watch the man I love die again. Take me."
The events replayed themselves again but this time, when Xander went to stake Spike Buffy jumped in front of Spike and sacrificed herself. Spike held her and sobbed. And some how even dream Buffy knew she'd done the wrong thing./i
But soon the bright white light was around her and Spike was standing there, not even speaking to her, but crying. She looked up at him, confused. He didn't reach out to hold her, and he didn't speak, he just cried, and soon Buffy was crying too. She felt his tears as her own, and only when she had cried all her tears did Spike hold her face in his hands and wipe them away.
"You died." He said softly. Buffy just nodded. "And our child." She sniffed and nodded again. "Why?"
"So you wouldn't." She whispered.
"But I'm not dead, Pet. I'm alive here." He held his hand over her heart.
"That's not good enough." She whispered still more softly.
"I'll be alive on earth in approximately 4 hours." He said with a soft smile.
"Why?" Buffy asked.
"To love you, and our child."
"There must be something else."
"Oh there is but He made it clear to me that you and my child are what is important, Buffy. He and I we've had some time to talk, and what he says is that the family is the important thing in life. This is my last chance Buffy. I'm doing it right. 'Tis by grace that I have been saved, and not by works. I don't deserve this chance, but I'm getting it just the same, because I need to teach our child and you, now that I know it. I have to pass it on." Spike gently kissed her forehead. "I love you Buffy. And I'll see you in 4 hours." He turned and walked away.
Buffy's eyes opened, and she smiled. The cloak said 8:00 PM at midnight he would return. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought about how she'd been asleep for nearly 10 hours, but then her eyes fell on the dagger.
"Be gone. In the name of all that is good and just, under heaven and earth." She said sternly to the dagger, and then she picked it up. The feeling of despair that she had felt before when she held it was gone. "Thank you." She whispered. She got dressed and went down stairs where preparations had already begun.
"Buffy." Cordy said with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you rested. From what Angel has been telling me, this requires the most effort from you."
"It won't hurt my child will it?" Buffy asked worriedly.
Giles walked up. "No. It won't." He said softly "But lets get to it?" Buffy nodded and let Giles lead her into the lobby. The tone of the lobby had changed. It was covered with Black tapestries and there was a circle of sand on the floor. Candles were everywhere and on a pedestal in the center of the circle there was a large bowl. Buffy approached it carefully ignoring everyone in the room. It was full of blood, lots and lots of blood. Buffy felt her stomach lurch.
" Where did you get all this blood?" she asked shakily.
"I pulled a few strings." Angel said without looking at her. In fact he was looking anywhere ibut/i at her.
"What animal did it come from?" Buffy asked.
"It doesn't matter Buffy, we need to do this now."
"NO! Why does this feel wrong." Buffy asked.
"Because it is Buffy, I told you. It's spiritually wrong."
"Whose blood!?" She repeated. Dawn stepped forward.
"Mine." She said as she held out her arm. There was a small puncture wound on the inside of her elbow.
"And mine." Willow exposed the same wound.
"And mine" Anya held her arm out.
"And mine." Cordelia came forward.
"And mine." Xander ripped the bandage off his arm.
"And mine." Giles showed his wound.
"And mine." Angel said.
"We'd do anything for you Buffy." Giles said. Tears welled in Buffy's eyes but she held them back.
"Let's begin." Was all the response she gave.
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The group sat around the circle and held their respective candles. One Red held by Angel. One Yellow held by Dawn. One Blue held by Anya. One Purple held by Xander. One Green held by Cordy. One Orange held by Willow. One White held by Buffy. Giles stood in the center over the bowl and holding the scroll.
"Hades fair and just, hear our plea. A life was taken, a life is missed, and here we have our sacrifice. From the immortal Gods, and the loved ones of the grief stricken. We give you the essence of the war god formally so great in power," Giles put in the piece of Ares hair. "and we give you the beauty of the love goddess formally so pure." He then placed in Aphrodite's eyelash. "Ka lesso Masento Copratiouses." The candles ignited. "From the loved ones we have blood. The blood of the Drinker," Angel came forward and placed three droops of the dark red wax onto the cool blood. "Blood of the Light," Dawn came forward and did the same with the yellow wax. "Blood of the Calm," Anya dripped three blue wax drops. "Blood of the Royal," Xander's purple candle added to the mix. "Blood of the Earth," Cordy did her part. "Blood of the igneous." Willow added hers. "Blood of the Demon," Buffy noticed the black candle by Giles for the first time as he dripped his wax in. "and love of the pure." Giles signaled Buffy and she let 3 drops of white wax fall into the bowl. She watched as Giles chanted, "Mi Lia So Me Ti Nah Ko Me" over and over. The candle drippings mixed into black against the blood and into the shape of a skull. Her white drops punctuated the eyes and one spread to be a mouth.
"No..." Buffy murmured softly. All the candles except Giles and hers went out. And he continued chanting. "No." She said louder. The chant continued and the skull began to glow. "NO!" She screamed as she wrenched the scroll from Giles hand and held it over her candle. She watched it burn and then when it was only a little square, she put it in the bowl. The lights came back on, and Dawn was staring at her.
"Why?" Dawn asked tears welling in her eyes. "Why?"
"It was wrong Dawny. You know it, and I know it." Buffy looked around, everyone except for Dawn and herself were unconscious. "Just look what it did."
"But Spike, now he'll never, it was our only chance." Dawn sobbed as she fell to her knees. Buffy turned away, unable to look at Dawns pain. Then a warm embrace held Dawn and pet her hair.
"It's all right Niblit." The thick British accent soothed. Buffy spun around and stood in shock. But the shock was gone as soon as she saw the tender scene before her. "Your sis did the right thing. I knew she would." Dawn looked up into Spikes blue eyes.
"Spike?" She wrapped her arms around him and held him so tight he had to choke out,
"Air 'Lil bit, I need air." Dawn loosened her grip but never let go.
"Sorry." She whispered.
" 's all right 'bit." Spike kisses her cheek.
"How?" was all Dawn could say.
"Your sis did what she was supposed to. Cut it a little too close for my liking, but doesn't matter now." Spike explained.
"Why's everyone else out?" Dawn asked as she pulled away from Spikes embrace.
"I asked for it, wanted this to be a family moment." Spike replied with a fatherly smile. "Speaking of," He looked at Buffy. " you've been taking good care of my baby haven't ya?" Buffy smiled softly.
"The best." Se replied.
"C'mere." Spike commanded, Buffy was more than happy to comply. She walked over and sat beside him, at which point he put his arm around her, and kissed her softly. "I love you, Pet."
"I love you too." She whispered as she rested her forehead against his.
"And I love you." Spike said to Dawn.
"Ditto." Dawn said. A groan resounded from Giles and then Xander.
"Uh oh... party's over." Spike said as he motioned for them to get up. Soon everyone was squirming and rubbing their eyes and repeatedly asking what happened. Angel was the first to come to his senses. Game face on, he walked towards Spike and sniffed him. Spike suppressed his laughter.
"Hello Peaches." spike said. Angel growled.
"You don't smell like a vampire." He said.
"Nope." Spike replied.
"But," Angel reached pack his arm and punched at Spike. Spike quickly moved his head to the right, dodging the blow and then caught Angels are and flipped him over, just as if he was still a vampire. "Yeah, yup, yeah, that's definitely vamp strength." He moaned. Cordy ran over to him and his Game face disappeared.
"Angel's being over protective again." She sighed and helped him up. "Hello Spike. Not going to be killing this time around I hope."
"Only the baddies." Spike said with a smile. "It's good to see you prom queen."
"Ditto." She replied.
"He doesn't seem normal either." Spike said to Cordy. "What's up?"
"Permanent soul." Buffy and Cordelia said in unison.
"No it's more than that prom queen. Now tell me the truth." Spike stared her in her eyes.
"He's kinda like you only with fangs. He can walk in the sunlight and stuff." She spat out hurriedly. Spike nodded.
"Thought as much. Peaches, you got it good, don't blow it again." Spike said. Angel growled again and Cordy elbowed him in the gut.
"He's right and you know it." Cordy said. "Now please behave or I'll start treating you as if your soul were not so permanent again." Angel's eyes widened.
"You wouldn't." He said half-heartedly.
"Oh I would." Cordelia replied. Spike looked at Buffy and pulled her close. He buried his head in her hair and closed his eyes. Buffy rested her head on his chest and ignored the sounds from Angel. Cordy's eyes lit up.
"Oh... Oh, Duh! You two would want to be alone." Cordelia tugged on Angels sleeve. He tugged back. "Come on." She insisted.
"No! I won't... I mean this isn't... I can't believe I helped this come about!" Angel stormed out of the room. Cordelia looked helplessly after him.
"I'll talk to him. You two rest. Dawn and Giles and Willow and Xander and Anya can find something to do. Dawn there's Aspirin in the kitchen cabinet over to stove. They may need it." She informed with a small smile before walking away.
"She's right, go have some alone time." Dawn said as she walked over to the others. "you might want to go quickly before they wake up and figure out you're back and Giles wants to have a fatherly talk with Spike." Dawn laughed as Spike's eyes opened wide.
"Lets go." He told Buffy as he took her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "I really don't want a 'What are your intentions' talk right now." They ran up the stairs and into Buffy's room.
"Well what iare/i your intentions." She asked as she closed and locked the door. Spiked eyed her hungrily.
"Well for starters," He grabbed her and pulled her close before dipping her backwards and kissing her passionately. "And then," Spike picked Buffy up and laid her down on the bed. Buffy reached up and circled her arms around Spikes neck, pulling him down on top of her and kissing him.
"I've missed you so much." She said after she pulled away. Her hands traveled to his belt. iDamn the powers that be,/iShe thought as she fumbled with his belt buckle. iWhy'd they have to clothe him./i Spike chuckled softly.
"Slow down, Luv." He took her hands away and kissed her gently. "Lets do this right." He then got up and walked away. "Luminous!" At his word hundreds of candles lit the room. Buffy stared at him in awe. "I learned a few new tricks." He smiled slyly. "Now where was I?" He traveled back to her and kissed down her neck. "Right about here?" He asked as he lay between her legs. Buffy moaned softly. "Shh, Luv. All in good time." His hands deftly unbuttoned her shirt while he kissed every new inch of bare skin. Slowly, her clothes fell away and he stood beside the bed. There she lay in all her glory. Lips slightly parted, skin flushed, breasts glowing in the light of the flames. Spike couldn't help but stare and Buffy, though very flattered, was growing impatient. She stood up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Then his belt buckle and his pants. Soon he too was naked and it was her turn to stare. She didn't get a very long look though because Spike soon had her on the bed and had begun kissing her deeply, though still lovingly. His hands traveled down the length of her sides as her hands reached up and caressed his back. Slowly and gently he massaged her breast, lightly rubbing his thumb over her nipple. Buffy moaned softly in response. Spike then moved his lips down to her neck causing her moan to increase in volume. as he did this his hand made its way to her entrance, and she bit her lip as his fingers brushed over her nub.
"Oh... Spike..." She whispered huskily. Spike said nothing but gently dipped one finger into her to test her. She was so wet he couldn't believe it, and he placed a second finger inside her causing her to moan loudly. "Spike please." He moved a third finger in her and gently pushed in and out. "Spike, I want you..." He continued to move his fingers only a moment longer before positioning himself at her entrance. He thrust in slowly. Once in he stayed there unmoving. He then pulled out and thrust in again, a little harder this time. "God, Spike." He continued to thrust very slowly, savoring every moment.
For what seemed like hours he continued to move with in her. her ever little whimper set him on fire. "Spike, I can't take much more." She whimpered again. "I need you now." Spike complied and sped up ever so slightly, but he thrust harder and harder until she was screaming his name. Oh how he'd missed that. Her nails dug into his skin as she came. And as her walls clenched around him and shutters racked her body, he came, spilling his seed deep into her.
They lay like that, entwined and panting for long minutes until Spike moved. Buffy wrapped her legs around him and pulled him back.
"Don't leave." She pleaded.
"No worries, Luv." Spike whispered as he flipped her over and on top of him. They fell asleep that way.
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i"I guess I'll need and Apartment now huh?" Spike asked. "A crypt really isn't as appealing anymore, too cold." Buffy nodded but then stopped and looked up at him softly.
"Come live with me Spike." She said.
"What?" He asked shocked.
"Come live with me and Dawn and be a family with us."
Spike just stared, stunned. "I... There's nothing I'd love more for you and I and ''Lil bit to be a family." Buffy smiled and kissed him again. When she pulled away her eyes grew wide in horror. Spike turned around and Buffy screamed in horror./i
Buffy sat straight up in the hotel bed, clutching the blankets to her chest. The room was full of sunlight, but she was alone. Buffy couldn't even speak, she just collapsed on the bed, curled into a ball and wept. There was no Spike, there was no future, there was just her and this baby and a lot of pain. Pain... Buffy screamed as a stabbing pain shot through her abdomen. Just then a door burst open.
"What's wrong." A worried British voice asked. Buffy's vision went dark but she fought to stay conscious. "What's wrong?" The voice repeated more loudly than before. Buffy felt a hand on her cheek
"My... here." She took the hand and placed it on her slightly bulging stomach. "Pain."
"My God, the baby." The voice said. Shock swept over him. "Bloody hell !" Without bothering to dress Buffy he picked her up and wrapped her in the bed sheet. "PEACHES, GLINDA, RED, WHELP, SOMEBODY HELP!" He stormed down the stairs, as Buffy's eyes cracked opened.
"Spike?" She asked faintly. "What's going on?"
"Does it hurt love?" Spike asked as he continued looking for the inhabitants of the hotel.
"I'm dying aren't I? That's why you're here. I woke up and it was all a dream, and now I'm dying." Buffy began to cry again. "My baby it's dying inside me I can feel it." She held on to spike as tightly as possible (which wasn't much at all) and just kept repeating it. "It's dying, it's dying."
"No it's not, Love. Our baby is going to be just fine, and so are you." It was just as Spike reached the last step that he noticed the blood. All of the Scoobies and the LA gang that sat around the table spun to look at the two. Angel jumped up like someone had kicked him in the ass and stormed over to them.
"What did you do to her?" He demanded.
"I didn't do anything." Spike replied over Buffy's weak repetitions of 'It's dying.' "I found her like this." Tara and Willow rushed over. Tara having arrived overnight at the news of Spikes return now approached Buffy.
"How far along is she?" Tara asked.
"I don't know I've been dead." Spike said frantically.
"Somewhere between 2 and 3 months." Dawn said from her place the table.
"What's wrong with her Glinda?" Spike asked. Tears filled his eyes as Buffy kept muttering.
"It's dying. My baby is dying. iWe're/i dying."
"She keeps saying that, Glinda, what's wrong?" Tara placed her hands on Buffy's stomach. Her eyes fluttered, but Buffy didn't stop her chant. Tara opened her eyes and looked at Spike sadly. "What's happening?"
"Your child is punishing her, Spike. She tells me that Buffy lost faith." Tara choked out. "They're both going to die. These powers are beyond my control. I can't help them. I'm so sorry."
"No..." Spike felt week in the knees and fell to the floor. He set Buffy down and put her head in his lap. Her chant was barely a whisper now and getting weaker by the second. "No! I refuse to lie down and take this. Buffy wake up!" He shook her none-to-gently but her eyes remained closed. "Wake Up!" He slapped her across her face. Angel growled and lunged at Spike but Cordelia's hand on his arm held him there. And when he looked at her in confusion, she simply shook her head, and leaned into his embrace as she cried. "Buffy!" Spike screamed over and over again "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy." his last one was so weak that only the dead could have heard it. "I'm alive, don't leave me." and his head fell against her chest as he wept forcefully. Angel walked over to check Buffy's pulse, but Spike grabbed his hand when it was and inch from her skin. "Don't touch her." Angel backed away. Buffy was barely breathing and no technology could have saved her.
The room went dark, and then Spike and Buffy were alone. it was pitch, except for the light shimmering above them. It descended, and lifted Buffy from Spikes arms. Spike stared in awe unable to anything but weep.
"From two will come one, and one shall become two." The voice said mysteriously. The glow brightened as it held Buffy and began to enter her. "Of the mother, of the Father." Spike heard a new sound, almost like a soft heartbeat. "Of the Child, a woman new, a man of love." Then the heartbeat split, there were two.
"What does that mean?" Spike dared to ask.
"Touch them." The voice commanded gently. Spike rose, placing one hand on Buffy's heart and one on her stomach. "The light and the dark balanced to perfection, peace and love. Light always wins in the end." The Glow placed Buffy back into Spikes arms and then it was all gone. He was in the hotel again, with Buffy in his arms and the Scoobies standing all around.
"What happened?" Xander spoke first. "Now we see you. Now we don't. Now we see you again?" Slowly Buffy's arms encircled Spikes neck. "What in the...?" Xander stepped back, even though he wasn't close to the pair.
"Spike?" Buffy's eyes fluttered open.
"I'm here, Love, I'm here." he held her close.
"Put me down." Buffy said.
"Never."
"Just lay me on the couch. iPlease/i?" He couldn't resist her wishes. When he'd done as she'd asked, she took his hand and placed it on her abdomen "Feel them Spike." Tears welled in her eyes. "I will never doubt again." He kissed her forehead.
"There will never be a need." he replied. Dawn stepped up, and Spike pulled her down in an embrace.
"Can I?" She asked. Buffy smiled happily and nodded. Dawn placed her hand next to Spikes and smiled.
"Um... I hate to ruin this tender moment," Xander broke in. Spike cut him off.
"Then don't."
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