His Slayer

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs

A/N: Hi all. Thanks for the reviews. Been kinda busy so sorry for the long wait in an update. Anyway for any of you who follow my Fall of William verse there's going to be a continuation of that story. Set in the future. It'll be Spuffy but also Gunn and Faith called Never. Enough of the self promotion.  Onto the story. Enjoy. Skyz.

~*~

Chapter Six:

Giles rubbed his eyes and tried to refrain from letting his frustration out on the delivery boy. Really how hard was it to get the proper change and leave?

Irritated Giles replaced his glasses and glared at the gangly youth.

"Keep it," he abruptly snapped and all but shoved the boy out of the house.

"Way to go G-man. Remind me never to get on your bad side! Oh wait make that never deliver pizza to you," Xander piped up as he wandered over and took the pizzas from Giles.

Giles rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"If you were to ever deliver anything to me Xander-" Giles began with a slight grimace.

Joyce recognized the signs of an oncoming argument and spoke up cutting Giles off.

"Once we've all had some food we'll feel better. Dig in everyone. Rupert take a slice and let's continue with our conversation," she encouraged with a wide and strained smile.

Giles did as he was told and obediently took a slice of pizza and dropped into a chair.

"Where were we?" he asked distractedly watching Xander stuff a whole slice into his mouth.

"Well Angel's run off to London we know," Oz announced as he took a bite of his food.

"A stupid thing to do considering Buffy didn't ask for help," Willow couldn't help but point out.

"Not that she could. What with being hunted by this Maggie woman. We know our cloaking spell worked but it's temporary. The only feasible way I see of helping Buffy out of this dire situation is to-"Giles began pacing the room.

"Road trip," Xander exclaimed jumping up.

Cheese dangled from the edge of his mouth and Joyce made a sound in the back of her throat.

"Xander dear wipe your mouth. I doubt Rupert meant that. Explain," Joyce said as calmly as she could.

These past weeks had passed torturously slowly for Joyce. But she'd come to the realization being hysterical wouldn't help.

"No road trip. But my connections- well my unsavory ones will be helpful. Very. In fact I called a man about Buffy earlier this evening. He was very agreeable," Giles neglected to mention the threats he'd issued.

"That's wonderful! How is he going to find Buffy? She's got to be hiding. I mean with Spike and Drusilla it could be anywhere. And oh! They may not even be in England any more! What if they're gone and we never find them and-"

"We'll find her and Spike too," Joyce snapped sharply and immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry Willow. Buffy is in London still. She wouldn't know how to get about anywhere else. She's in London."

Joyce's voice dared anyone to question that statement.

No one bothered too.

"So what's up with Dead boy? What's gotten into him?  Why does he always have to be rescue guy? He'd better not take all the credit," Xander grumbled mouth full.

"Yes what has become of Angel?" Giles wondered rubbing his chin and frowning thoughtfully.

~*~

"For a vampire such as yourself your self restraint is non existent," Maggie mused aloud as she watched Angel.

Hands fisted on her hips she regarded the vampire who was currently strapped down to a metal table.

Angel continued to moan quietly to himself, and Maggie felt a prickle of pride slide through her.

These were her specialized methods and she was always glad to see them put to good use.

Experimenting on Angelus was a treat.

A real treat.

"I must say I expected more from you. This is just the preliminaries. In fact being older you should have a better tolerance for pain. I guess it depends on the vampire. You see Spike was making rude and brash comments during this phase. Hmm… Another way you and he differ."

Her technicians used to her methods went about their jobs. Poking and prodding. Cutting flesh and taking samples of blood.

As far as torture went this was nothing.

Maggie trailed a hand down Angel's face and watched as he jerked slightly.

"You know William the Bloody. Helped him to become the vampire he is today. It's safe to assume you know how he thinks. I want you to tell me where he would go. Where Buffy would go."

Angel clenched his jaw.

Then screamed as he felt…

The pain was immense as the gaping wound in his stomach was stretched.

Widened and hands…

Hands dug around his stomach.

Pulled and cut…

"You can live without these can't you?" Maggie asked conversationally as she examined his kidneys.

She reached in and gripped one in each hand.

Yanked hard.

Grinned as he screamed and screamed.

"Now let's get into little William's head. Where would he wander off too?" Maggie asked Angel lightly.

The words spilled out of Angel's mouth like quicksilver.

~*~

He wasn't sure what drove him from the safety of the Slayer but some instinct had him out.

Out and hunting.

Prowling the streets for his prey.

Shifting in and out of the shadows Spike moved silently through the streets of the small village.

His nose twitched as he caught the scent of his prey and he hurried his pace.

It wasn't until he was upon the unsuspecting animal did it occur to Spike, that it couldn't be food for the baby.

He scowled as he took care of the wild boar and slung it over his shoulder.

The baby, he mused with mild annoyance was foremost in all their minds.

Especially the Slayer's.

He couldn't understand her need to talk to the thing all of the time. To hold it and touch it.

He never touched it and never felt the urge to speak to it.

Frankly it angered him that the thing was taking all of Buffy's attention from him. It could do nothing for itself and was useless.

He hadn't made the mistake of saying this to Buffy however. She was protective of it. And wouldn't have appreciated his opinion.

Running on instinct and survival skills he hunted down the nearest milk cow. Wondered what to carry the milk in and decided on a discarded bucket.

With his tasks accomplished he weaved in and out of alleys. Headed to the small house Wesley had acquired.

Tapping softly he entered quickly, and shut the door behind him.

A fire burned in the hearth and Spike's eyes scanned the room landing on Buffy.

He smiled.

Wes looked up from the book he was studying intently and noticed Spike's full arms.

"Oh! Is that a pig?" he asked curiously getting to his feet.

Spike grunted and dropped it to the floor.

Wes inspected the animal nudging it with his foot.

"Well I'll be," Wes shook his head. He'd been hesitant to let Spike go out. He could surely feed and draw attention to them all.

Buffy had been sure that was not going to happen. So sure that she'd insisted Wes let Spike bring ho,e dinner tonight.

"You'll have to skin it," Spike muttered.

Wes and Buffy looked at him in shock.

But for very different reasons.

Wesley had never touched a dead animal in all his life! And wasn't inclined to start now.

Buffy was just hocked that he'd spoken. It was the most things he'd said in the past few weeks.

Usually he almost always spoke one syllable words. A complete sentence was amazing progress.

"A complete sentence! That's great Spike!" Buffy exclaimed as she grinned at him from a chair.

Spike smiled at her once more and wished she'd come to him. Give him his hug. A hug he knew was reserved only for him.

She didn't hug Wesley.

Only him.

It made him happy and proud.

"Milk for the baby," he muttered then as he lifted the bucket.

Buffy squealed.

"Thank you," she cried as she got to her feet patting the baby on the back.

Spike watched Wes's useless attempts at skinning a pig for awhile. Leaning against the wall he rested his head against it, and let his eyes fall half close.

"Why couldn't he have chosen a skinned and processed pig to pick up?" Wes muttered to Buffy a few moments later.

Buffy laughed softly as she fed the baby.

It was a good thing they'd managed to pick up a few baby bottles while leaving England behind.

They hadn't had much time to get anything else. The most essential Buffy had figured was getting food for the baby.

The formula they'd gotten needed milk thus Spike's foray into milking cows.

Buffy sent Spike another smile.

She was quite proud of his progress.

He was talking and looking better each passing day.

The only thing she could complain about was his lack of affection towards his son.

She couldn't understand that.

Wesley had tried to explain it. As he was a Watcher, he was an authority, he assured her.

Vampires couldn't love and so why would Spike feel a thing for the baby? In his mind it was just food.

Buffy hadn't wanted to start an argument but she disagreed.

She knew Spike could love.

She'd seen it with her own eyes.

Spike had it in him even without a soul. He had loved Dru for years and she just knew if he let himself he could love the baby.

Rocking the sleeping baby Buffy studied Spike.

"We have to give this little boy a name," she announced and watched Spike's reaction.

He frowned.

Buffy was slowly becoming to realize Spike didn't just dislike the baby, but he was jealous of it as well.

The baby had most of her attention and Buffy supposed it was natural for Spike to be this way.

He had hardly any alone time with her since the baby had been born.

"Ugh," Wes gagged as he skinned the pig. "Well I've always liked Franklin."

Buffy frowned in dismay.

"Franklin?" she echoed glancing at the baby's peaceful face.

"What's wrong with that?" Wes demanded.

"Spike come sit by me," Buffy ordered.

Spike pushed off the wall and in a couple of strides was next to her.

He slid to the floor at her feet.

Peering up at her he waited.

"Do you like Franklin Spike?" Buffy asked.

What was the point of this? Spike wondered as he shrugged.

"Well how about Rob?" Buffy asked eagerly.

Spike shook his head.

"Rob? No Englishman would name their child Rob! Buffy you must think of the heritage of the name," Wes informed her.

Spike listened with half an ear.

His eyes and thoughts were glued to another matter.

He watched Buffy's mouth move.

It fascinated him to no end.

She fascinated him.

He wasn't sure what it was but she kept him intrigued. For months on end she had been his only thought.

Yet here she was not more than a few inches away.

He marveled at it all.

She was special he realized. Something worth dying and fighting for. He knew this with a certainty that was startling in its depth.

Buffy was everything he had hoped she was. She had come as he had suspected she would. Taken him and Dru under her protection and she cared about him.

"…Wesley's a fine name. A dignified name Spike," Wes's voice interrupted Spike's thoughts and he dragged his gaze from Buffy to Wes.

"Wesley?" Buffy echoed incredulously. "He barely knows you! I doubt he'll name his baby after you," she added with a small laugh.

"What say you Spike?" Wes asked nose in the air as he slid a glance Spike's way.

"Well-"he began slowly.

"I like Tate," Buffy blurted and immediately looked guilty.

It caught Spike's attention immediately.

"Why?" he demanded.

Buffy frowned and tried to back track. She hadn't meant to say that. In fact it had been her personal preference slipping out.

She'd always thought if she lived to see the day she'd name her son that.

Now it was out there in the open and she was having second thoughts about the name.

"I…just like the name is all," she mumbled into her chest.

Spike nodded.

"That's all good and well but Wesley is still a better name," Wes continued stubbornly.

"Tate," Spike repeated slowly. He glanced at the sleeping baby and rolled it around his head. He could live with a name like that, he thought.

Buffy glanced down at the little boy and gave a mental shrug. It wasn't likely she'd live to even have children. So what was the point in hoarding names?

"William Tate," Spike announced with a satisfied smile.

Buffy smiled too.

"We'll call him Tate," she replied.

"Ah there is still Wes-"

"William Tate," Spike snapped impatiently. "Known as Tate. Now shut the bloody hell up."

Wes sighed in defeat.

"William Tate," he murmured in remorse.

Buffy lifted her arms out to Spike.

"Here hold him. Hold Tate," she urged.

Spike stared at the creature with an impassive face. He hadn't willing held the child since it had been born.

Hesitation eased through him like blood.

He didn't want to hold the baby.

For then it would make it real and that would mean…

He accepted the baby from Buffy.

Awkward and stiff he held Tate to his chest.

"Don't worry," Buffy told him gently. "Hold his head. Yeah like that. Good thing we've got Wes with us or we'd never know the proper way to hold a baby," she mused.

Spike stared wide-eyed at his son.

"Tate," he whispered aloud.

An odd thing happened then.

He fell in love for the third time in his unlife.

As his son stretched in his sleep, his little mouth moving.

As the little thump of his heart reached his ears. As he traced his son's features engraving them in his mind…

He loved.

He blinked as Buffy's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the world William Tate…er Bloody," she said softly.

//

Buffy knew it was dangerous ground she was treading on these days. Dangerous and all too complicated.

She leaned her head against the window and breathed in deeply. On the third watch tonight she was aware that her wandering thoughts could get them all killed.

She made an effort to restore some semblance of balance to her thoughts.

"Buffy?" his voice was she wished an unwanted intrusion.

She wanted to sigh again and tell him to go back to sleep. She wasn't up to talking to him. At least not now.

But things had a way of changing when her back was turned and here he was.

She looked at him over her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she asked distractedly.

He came to a stop at her side.

"Buffy…"

She really didn't want to turn and look at him.

But she did against her better judgment.

Looked into his azure eyes and wanted to fall into them, him, she wasn't sure which was scarier. The fact that she knew he wouldn't mind or that she was seriously contemplating such a thing.

She if she wanted to could read every emotion in his gaze. Discern them and evaluate them. Use them and have whatever she wanted from him.

She was his life line.

His savior.

She knew that.

Grudgingly accepted it.

And would never use it against him.

"Don't look at me like that," she muttered as she turned her gaze away. From him and the temptation he offered.

His look could make her forget the important things.

"Like what?" he asked softly a small frown forming.

Like I'm all you've got. Like you can't survive if I'm not here with you…

Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part but she hoped the latter was true.

Now how pathetic was that?

"Like I'm some sort of thing to be worshiped. I'm just human," she gritted out.

Anger would work well here, she thought. Deflect the impact he was making on her. Hopefully put him on the offensive.

"I know," was his simple reply.

She sent him a narrowed eyed look.

Did he really understand? She wondered.

"I…I'm only who I am Spike. Nothing more. Nothin less. Human with all the flaws that entitles."

She was so much more than that.

Could she not see that?

She was no mere mortal and it was up to him to make her realize that.

He took a step forward with his first words.

"You're more than that. I know you," he announced and saw her shake her head in denial.

"No you don't. All we've ever done was fight one another. I don't know you and you don't know me. We're mortal enemies."

"It doesn't feel that way to me. I don't want to fight you…"

"Then what do you want?" she managed to get out through a dry mouth.

She knew what he wanted…

Wasn't sure if it was what she wanted too.

Spike lifted one hand and brushed aside a few stray locks of hair. Cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled gently.

"You can't love me," she blurted out desperately.

He couldn't.

Shouldn't love her.

His smile turned into a smirk.

"Who said anything about love?" he voiced aloud fingers trailing up and down her cheek. Love was all around her, it was a wonder she couldn't see it.

Feel it.

Buffy jerked her gaze from his and moved her head slightly so his hand fell away.

"You don't understand Spike. You don't remember the way things are between us. We aren't friends and never will be."

"You rescued me," he countered sharply.

To him there was nothing else to talk about. She'd rescued him and that meant something whether she liked to believe it or not.

"Rescued?" she echoed incredulously. "I just came to check things out. There was no rescuing going on! I would have come for anyone."

"You came because it was me. I know it. I can feel it. I know you can too. Why deny it Buffy? You came for me and now you're stuck with me."

"Angel," his name sprang from her lips like a prayer. Why hadn't she thought of Angel in all the time she'd been gone? He was a part of her!

Shame settled over her as she realized she'd completely forgotten him in her haste to get here. To help Spike.

She shuddered slightly.

"Who is that?" Spike demanded. He didn't appreciate the way she spoke the name Angel.

Their eyes met and held.

"My boyfriend," she lied heart pounding. He was still kinda her boyfriend. In the fact that she'd sent him to hell. And now he was back. So bring forth much angst and end of the world histrionics. Yippee!

He stepped forward until she was pressed against the window pane.

He lowered his head until his mouth was near her ear.

"Is he here?" he asked in a smug whisper.

Buffy jerked and wanted to lie but she was certain he'd know it.

Damn him! Why couldn't he just leave this alone? She didn't want him feeling whatever he was towards her.

Not another vampire, she sternly reminded herself.

"Did you tell him you were coming for me? He let you come here alone. Knowing you might be walking into a trap? What kind of man lets his woman do that? He's not here so he's irrelevant."

"No he's not! I love him. He's everything I've ever wanted. Tall, dark and handsome! He broods and worries and I find all that so attractive. Except there's the curse and there's a limit to how close we can get- But hey that's no reason for me not to love him. Cuz I do! A lot-"

Spike watched her ramble with an expanded sense of hope.

She was trying too hard.

"You love me too," he murmured smugly.

She stopped mid word and gaped at him.

"No! No I do not! There's no love for you inside of me! I-"

"There will be," he assured her as he settled his mouth over hers.

It was quick and over too soon.

A mere brush of his lips over her own.

Buffy felt it all the way to her toes.

She'd barely gotten a taste of him…

For a brief minute she considered dragging him closer and kissing the hell out him. Just to see him lose that smug expression.

That mindless smirk.

There was just enough of the old Spike left that it made her angry.  Angry enough to lift her head and glare at him in defiance.

"Never," she stated coldly even as she was reaching out.

Angel…

His name was a vague memory.

Irrelevant as Spike had stated.

She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him.

His hands fisted in her hair and he tugged her head back.

It was a hot opened mouth kiss that seemed to go on and on.

He nipped at her bottom lip before his tongue slipped inside to lazily dance against hers.

Wes came awake with a start. He jerked up and blinked looking around wildly.

What had awakened him? He wondered.

Then he heard it.

A slight gasping sound from the corner of the room.

He turned his head and felt his mouth fall open in shock. It was one of the most in appropriate things he had ever seen.

His gaze was drawn from the kissing couple to the baby at his side.

Well not the most in appropriate thing he mused, possible the second.

"Does she not realize she's a Slayer?" he whispered to the baby. "It's her job to kill them. Not fall in love with them. I think it's time to put a stop to it."

Tate seemed to agree as he opened his mouth and wailed.

"There's a good boy little Wesley," Wesley praised with a grin.

"His name's Tate," Spike drawled out.

Wesley looked up as he picked Tate up out of his makeshift crib and held him close.

"I still believe Wesley is a much better name," Wes complained.

Buffy turned her back from the scene.

Wiped at her mouth and groaned silently.

She wasn't in love with him.

Would never be in love with him.

A new feeling was blooming inside of her. One that wasn't a happy feeling. It was a sense of doom that very much concerned her.

More than she was willing to admit.

She was certain that before they were out of this, choices would have to be made, and decisions justified.

As confusion and a slight trickle of terror of the unknown filled her she was sure of only one thing.

She was never going to let Maggie Walsh get her hands on Spike or little Tate.

Never.