Xander read the name again. Buffy A. Summers. He laughed softly. Was this a joke or something? Buffy pregnant. He couldn't even wrap his brain around that concept. He cringed thinking about Spike, but immediately dismissed that idea as being totally ridiculous. One of the things he'd taken great relief in was the notion that nothing could ever come of Buffy's relationship with Spike. There wouldn't be any little Spikey's running around the place. So, who was the father?

Tara and Dawn stood still, on guard for any sudden movements from Xander. When Xander grabbed the picture, they both expected him to do one of two things: faint or rant. He wasn't doing either. He simply stared at the picture, not in anger or disgust.

Willow looked equally perplexed. Being Xander's oldest friend and confidant, she knew this wasn't going to be easy for him to accept, but his behavior was surprising to her. She'd expected him to totally lose it, throwing things and cursing Spike and Buffy. Maybe, she had underestimated the amount of maturing Xander had done in the last week. Yeah, and maybe, I'll go straight again.

"Do you think we should shake him or something?" Dawn whispered to Tara.

Tara shook her head. "I don't know. He doesn't look upset." Tara tilted her head to get a better look at him. "Look he's smiling." She pointed out.

Xander smiled. He understood all the secrecy, now. Buffy had slept with Riley when he came back. Wow! Man, he felt bad for Sam, but Buffy and Riley had history. Unfinished history, at that.. That had to be it, he thought, looking up from the photo in his hand.

"Is Buffy going to tell Riley about the baby?" He inquired, handing the picture back to Willow.

"What?" Dawn squawked. "Riley. Why would Buffy tell Riley about the baby?"

Xander could have kicked himself for not realizing how Dawn might react to Riley. She obviously didn't want Riley involved in the baby's life. Riley's reappearance would definitely signal an end to Spike and Buffy's relationship, if you could call it that.

"Sorry, Dawnie, but come on. Riley has a right to know he's a father. I know you're concerned about Spike, but doesn't this child deserve to know his father?"

Dawn's eyes bulged out of their sockets. SHe shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs.

"She will know her father. He's not going anywhere." Dawn said, slowly.

Willow's mouth gaped open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Xander wasn't this dense. Was he? No, he's in shock, that's all. "Xander, maybe you should sit down?" She suggested.

"Why?" He asked, finally noticing Willow's stricken appearance. "What? Spike does know this baby's Riley, doesn't he?" Xander looked around the room, still not understanding why everyone was looking at him strangely.

"Dawnie, run upstairs and get Buffy. Xander, it's best if you talk to Buffy about this. She can explain things much better than we can." Tara said unsure if even Buffy would be able to make Xander see the truth.

Dawn walked past Xander, shaking her head. "Spike's going to love this." She said under her breath.

Willow sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her. "Sit down, Xander. Buffy will be down in a minute." Tara sat on the other side.

"Will, I'm okay. Hey, it's a shock. I mean, The Ry Man and Buffy aren't the cheating types." All Willow and Tara could do was nod their heads in agreement.

Dawn stopped outside of Buffy's door, listening. When she didn't hear any of the usual Spuffy noises, she knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," rang out from inside. Dawn pushed the door open, and stuck her head inside.

Buffy was half-asleep. "Sorry to disturb you, but we have a situation downstairs that needs your attention."

Spike sat up, noting the mischievous gleam to Dawn's blue eyes.

"What kind of situation?" Buffy asked, warily. "It can't be that bad. I don't hear any screaming."

"Out with it Nibblet. You look ready to burst." Spike said impatiently.

"Well," Dawn drawled. "Xander accidentially saw the ultrasound of the baby."

"What is it with everyone accidentially finding out my business?" Buffy said, irritated.

"That's not all of it." Dawn grimaced. "He thinks Riley's the baby's father."

"What?!" Spike and Buffy shouted.

"That bloody idiot!" Spike said, highly amused.

"Are you sure, Dawn?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

Dawn nodded her head, a slight smile on her face. "He saw the ultrasound. Stared at it for a few minutes, then started with the crazy talk."

"He actually thinks Buffy would have an affair with a married man?" Spike said dumbfounded. " Buffy would never do something like that. This is unbelievable."

Buffy giggled softly, pressing her hand to her sore ribs. This entire situation was too hilarious to believe. "When exactly did I have time to sleep with Riley? I was a little busy that day." Buffy grimaced as she laughed again.

"Who knows how Xander's mind works? What I do know is you need to go down there and tell him the truth?" Dawn told her.

"What are the witches doing?" Spike asked, still shaking his head over Xander's stupidity.

"They're trying not to break out into hysterical laughter." Dawn said, pointing to Buffy.

"Hey, I'm allowed." Buffy said, scooting off the bed. She pulled her sweats over her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Spike asked her, yanking the pants down to their regular position. "The cat's out of the bag, luv. He knows you're pregnant."

"I know, but what am I going to say to him?." Buffy sank back down on the bed.

Spike bent in front of her, taking her hands. "How about this? Spike and I are having a baby." He suggested. "It really doesn't matter what you say. He's not going to change the truth."

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Buffy asked him, smiling slightly.

"Nah, Pet, because I know it's going to hurt you." Spike said, kissing her. "Now, get off your duff, and go down there."

"They killed the leader. So, no more Kalstas to worry about." Xander commented.

"Yeah, so they're safe from this particular pack." Willow was saying as Buffy came into view.

"Buffy." Tara said, relief evident on her face. She and Willow had successfully steered the conversation away from the baby, but it was like a huge pink elephant in the room. You couldn't ignore it, no matter how hard you tried.

"Guys, could you give me and Xander some privacy?" Buffy asked, hoping Spike wouldn't be difficult. Her eyes widened when she realized the entire room had emptied out, leaving only her and Xander. Chickens. She thought.

Xander stood up and embraced Buffy tightly.

"Ribs, Xander. Ribs!" Buffy moaned.

"Sorry." Xander apologized. "So, I'm assuming the baby is alright." He asked concerned.

Buffy eased down on the sofa, and waited till Xander joined her. "Yes, the baby is fine. I know you've got questions. I just wanted to apologize first for not telling you myself about the baby." Buffy began.

Xander squeezed Buffy's clenched hands. "It's okay, Buffy. I haven't been the most approachable person lately." Xander said, patting her thigh affectionately. "You're telling me now, and I couldn't be happier for you. And about Riley? Don't worry. My lips are sealed."

Buffy ached seeing the sweet expression on Xander's face. She knew her next statement was going to devastate him.

"Xander, Riley isn't the father." Buffy said quickly, peering into his eyes to gauge his reaction.

"Oh, it was an one-night stand, then." Xander said, disappointed with the news, only because it meant Spike would be staying.

Buffy was speechless and angry. What kind of person did he thinks she was? "No, there was no one-night stand. There was no affair with Riley. Spike got me pregnant." She said, giving up on trying to finesse the truth for Xander.

Xander blinked. "Spike?" He asked, confused. "That's not possible, Buffy. You must be mistaken."

Buffy stood up, wincing at the foolish gesture. "I'm not mistaken. I haven't slept with anybody else. Spike's been my only lover." She said, raising her voice. "Look, Xander, I know this is hard to comprehend, but through some wacky prophecy, Spike got me pregnant. We are having a baby."

Xander looked at her, like he was seeing her for the first time.

"You're pregnant with Spike's baby. Oh." He said, zoning out.


Willow said he shut down to protect himself. The truth was just too much for his mind to take. They were gathered around the sofa staring at the motionless Xander.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" Dawn asked, trying not to laugh. Spike elbowed her, and she put on a serious face.

"Well, Buffy eventually came out of her trance. Maybe, we need to leave him alone for a bit." Spike suggested.

"Maybe, Tara can do that spell I used on Buffy." Willow alternated between patting Xander's cheeks and squeezing his fingers.

"That spell is too powerful to use on Xander." Tara told them.

"Especially with that weak mind of his." Spike mumbled under his breath.

Buffy spun on Spike, angry, frustrated, and tired. "Not helping, Spike."

Spike threw up his hands. "What would you like for me to do, Buffy? Feel sorry for him? I don't think so. Do you really think he would have been concerned about my reaction if that baby was Riley's? I don't think so." Spike said harshly. Buffy teared, and Spike felt like a pig.

"Let it go, guys. You're both exhausted and strung out. Look, we need to figure out something. We either do the spell or we leave him here to snap out of it on his own." Dawn bent to take a better look at Xander. She waved her hand in front of his face. No reaction. She snapped her fingers near his ears. Nothing.

"It's up to you, but I think he'll come out of it. Xander's just upset. He'll get over it.." Dawn stifled a yawn. "I'm going to bed. I'm beat. Wake me, if anything interesting happens." Dawn bade everyone goodnight.

"The kid makes sense." Spike said, taking a chair from the dining room and straddling it.

"She does, but I feel bad. We can't leave him like this. It's not natural." Buffy said, worried.

There was a knock at the door. Seeing as how everyone Buffy knew was here, that only left one person. "Hi, Anya." Buffy said, opening the door.

"Hi, Buffy. Sorry, I'm late. I had so many customers come in at 8:30pm. Is everyone here?" Spike saluted her. Anya turned and saw Xander and Willow on the sofa, with Tara pacing next to them.

"Hello, Xander." Anya said, dryly.

Anya threw her purse down on the weapons chest. "What, you can't speak?" She said annoyed.

Tara took pity on her. "Xander's not himself right now." She explained.

Anya saw the ultrasound sitting on the table. "Oh, he saw this. Well, you knew he was going to find out sooner or later." She rolled her head side to side, looking over the picture. "Cute little blob, Buffy. So, are we still having this meeting or not?"

"No, we're not having a meeting. If you hadn't notice, Xander's comatose." Willow said angrily.

"Excuse me, but Warren is still out there. We could have been killed tonight, and you think I'm waiting around for Xander to grow up." Spike said, pushing the chair away as he stood up.

"You don't care, Spike. Xander's been through a lot." Willow said, defending her friend.

"He did it to himself. So, no, I'm not feeling very charitable towards the whelp." Spike shouted back.

"Neither am I." Anya added. "Were you not there when he dumped me at the altar? He was a coward then, and he's doing the same thing now." Anya angrily reminded her.

"Stop it!" Tara said, whistling loudly. "This isn't helping. Yes, a lot of what has happened to Xander is his own fault, but that doesn't mean we stop caring about him."

"Thank you, Tara." Buffy said grateful for the cease-fire.

"I'm sorry, Willow. I can't wait for Xander to wake up. My baby's safety is too important. Your safety is too important. Do what you can for him? We'll be in the dining room if you need us." Buffy turned away and walked into the dining room. Spike joined her, regretting his earlier outburst.


Giles stared at the phone, uncertainly. Olivia knew the information he had for Buffy was unsettling. "You have to tell her, Rupert. She deserves to know. You've told me about this Spike. He seems to love her very much. I don't see the same thing happening to them." She said, caressing Giles' furrowed brow.

"Thank you, Olivia. It's Buffy I'm concerned about. She may not take the news well." He said, staring at Charles Jayme's diary.

Olivia picked up the phone, and hit speed dial. "You won't know until you tell her." She kissed him on the cheek, and left the room to give him some privacy.


The phone rang in the Summers' house and the youngest Summers snatched it up before anyone else could.

"Hello." Dawn said, sleepily.

"Dawn. It's Giles. Sorry to wake you." He said, looking at his watch. It was only 9 o'clock there. He wondered what Dawn had been doing to force her to bed so early. "Are you ill?"

"No, I'm fine. Busy night." Dawn said, coming fully awake. "How are you?" She said excitedly. "Where you able to decipher the text, because let me tell you, we need some good news."

"What has happened? Is it the baby?"

"In a way, it's a big baby." Dawn groused. "Xander found out about the baby, and freaked. He's in a stupified trance in the living room."

Dawn sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She could hear Giles chuckling in the background.

"You say he's in a trance? Have they been able to get any reaction from him?" He asked, trying to take the situation seriously.

"I don't think so. They were still arguing over what to do when I went to bed." Dawn stretched the cord as far as she could and opened her bedroom door. "Any news on your front?"

"Actually, I was quite successful in deciphering the rest of the text. I was also able to obtain Charles Jayme's diary from the archives."

"That's great. Let me get Buffy."

Giles jerked the phone away from his ear as Dawn screamed Buffy's name. If that didn't snap Xander out of this ridiculous escape from reality, nothing would.

"Hello, Giles. What's up?" Buffy stood against the wall, facing everyone. They were all anxious to hear what Giles had found.

"Buffy, I finished the text, and it is indeed a prophecy. The baby was fated." He said carefully.

"She was." Buffy said breathly, smiling broadly at Spike. "In a good way or bad?" She asked cautiously.

"Well, I believe in a good way, Buffy. Just listen and you decide." Giles cleared his throat.



"Do you know what this time of pure emotion is?" Buffy asked.

"Love, Buffy. It is the purest emotion known to man. At the moment of conception, your feelings for Spike were untainted. They were pure." Giles stated firmly.

"Tainted by what?"

"Fear, hatred, anger. Any of those emotions. For that one moment in time, you loved Spike." Giles told her.

"The demon and the man." Buffy said, turning to look at Spike.

"Yes. You loved them both without reservation."

"Uh huh, I did." Buffy said remembering. "Why don't you tell Spike what you just told me?" Buffy said caressing Spike's face before heading upstairs.

"Giles, what's going on? Where you able to translate the text?" Spike asked, concerned about Buffy.

"Yes, I was. I just told it to Buffy. I'll discuss it with you later. I wanted to talk to you about what I found in Jayme's diary." He said.

"I don't like that tone Watcher. What did you find?" Spike said, taking the phone into the kitchen.

"Jayme became Martine's Watcher in 1787 after she was called. In 1788, she met the vampire, Henri Grenier. They fought each other repeated. Neither one able to best the other. One night, he claimed her. After that, Jayme writes, Martine was totally in thralled with Henri. She wasn't able to be an effective Slayer. The Council sent Martine away to cleanse her from the thrall. It took some time, but eventually, the effects of the claiming wore off, and Martine became involved with a human."

The crease in Spike's forehead deepened as he listened to Charles Jayme's description of Martine and Henri's relationship.

"Henri eventually found her." Giles continued, unaware of Spike's lapse in concentration. "She was pregnant by her human lover. Yet, Jayme offers no explanation for how the rumor was started about the baby's parentage." Giles interjected.

"Henri killed Martine shortly after the baby's birth. There is no mention of the baby. I'm assuming Henri killed the child. The last entries in the diary detail Jayme's hunt and subsequent kill of Henri Grenier."

Spike cracked his neck. "Is that all, Giles?" He said, deceptively calm.

"Yes, Charles Jayme resigned his commission. He moved his family to New Orleans, and was never heard from again." Giles put the diary down beside him on the sofa. He knew Spike would have questions.

"You know that whole thing is a crock of shit, don't you?" Spike said, his voice edge with anger.
"For all you Watchers do know about vampires, there's a lot you don't. Martine Auberjonis wouldn't have been able to go a hundred yards from Henri if she was in his thrall. It would have been physically impossible. The craving for Henri's bite would have driven her insane if the bond wasn't renewed."

"I know that Spike. So what's the truth in your opinion?" Giles mockingly asked.

"They were in love. They fulfilled the prophecy. They had a child. The Council hunted them down and killed them. The Watcher felt guilt for what happened and ran away to New Orleans." Spike stated.

Buffy stood on the stairs in the doorway. "Spike?" She croaked out, her hands on protectively on her belly.

"Giles, let me call you back." Spike hung up before Giles could say anything. He opened his arms, and Buffy slid into them, her head resting on his chest. "They killed them all. Oh, god, they killed the baby, Spike."

"Yes, they did, Pet. They killed them. " He pulled her head back. "I'm sure they thought their reasons were just."

"No, don't. There is no good reason for killing a child, Spike." She said angrily, pulling away from him.

Spike came up behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "I know you're scared, but they'll never get their hands on Bitty. We'll disappear. No one would find us."

The phone rang and this time Buffy answered it. "Yes, I kinda guessed that." Buffy said.

"Buffy, I wanted to get Spike's opinion before I told you. I knew this would upset you. It upset me when I read it , but it was a lie." Giles had taken the opportunity to pour himself a stiff drink. He sipped the rich, amber liquid slowly.

"I knew the Council could be evil, but a little baby, Giles. They killed an innocent child for no reason." Buffy looked down to the ground, her mind going over the prophecy again. "They knew about the prophecy. They knew the child would be powerful." Spike turned her around, and lifted her chin with his finger. What? He mouthed to her.

"Giles, here's Spike. Read the prophecy to him. I need to check on something with Willow." Buffy's anger at the Council had increased ten-fold when she realized the real reason behind Martine's death. And she knew where the real answers were.


Spike watched as his little determined Slayer stomped out of the kitchen. Buffy ran head-on into Dawn, who'd been eavesdropping. "Sorry. I just wanted to know what Giles had found."

"That's okay. Don't be scared. No one's going to hurt my baby." Buffy said resolutely. Dawn followed Buffy into the living room.

"Willow, you said Charles Jayme settled in New Orleans. Are any of his family still living there?"

Willow gave Xander an affectionate pat on the cheek, then went to get her computer. She pulled up the file folder that contained the geneological history for Charles Jayme. Willow scrolled till she found the information Buffy was looking for. "Here, Buffy. It says there is a great-great granddaughter living in Meterie, Louisiana. It's about 30 minutes outside of New Orleans." Willow looked up. "Why?" She asked.

"Well, Giles found Charles Jayme's diary. It was filled with lies about Martine and Henri." She placed her fingers over her lips to keep from crying. "And their baby. The Council killed them."

Anya, Tara and Willow were stunned.

Buffy steadied herself. Now wasn't the time for a breakdown. "I want to get in touch with that woman. I'm hoping she'll have his real diary."

"Why would their be a second diary?" Dawn inquired, coming to stand beside Buffy.

"I'm hoping Charles Jayme's guilt forced him to keep some account of what actually occurred." Buffy said, her voice calm.

"What did he do?" Tara asked once the shock and horror had subsided.

"Martine trusted him and he betrayed her. Charles Jayme killed Martine and her baby." Buffy's eyes had narrowed into slits.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked, terrified by what Buffy was implying.

"Martine would have contacted him about the baby. He was probably the only person she would have trusted with the news. Jayme went to the Council and told them where she was hiding." Buffy's body was stiff, reflecting the amount of control she was exerting.

"That's the same conclusion we came to." Spike told them, startling Buffy with his touch to her arm. "Giles, thinks the Council allowed Jayme to leave the country and set up a new life, as long as he never told what really happened to Martine."

"Are you going to New Orleans, then?" Anya asked, taking a seat on the sofa. She glanced at Xander, and shook her head disgusted.

"Yes." Buffy stated emphatically.

"Buffy, what did the prophecy say exactly? If the Council thought it was something bad, then maybe that explains what they did?" Tara winced after saying this. She didn't want to believe there were people that evil in the world.


Spike squeezed her shoulder, urging her to tell them. Buffy repeated verbatim what Giles had read to her. They all nodded, listening intently. When she finished, she leaned into Spike.

"That's amazing, Buffy. The Council knew all along there was a chance a Slayer and a Vampire would conceive, yet they allowed you and Angel to date." Dawn said.

"There was never any chance of me having a baby with Angel." Buffy said embarrassed. "The Council knew if we ever achieved that pure emotion, Angelus would return."

"But Angelus did return and you didn't get pregnant." Tara said as confused by this as Dawn was. Spike stood behind Buffy, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He knew what she wasn't telling them. The Powers never intended for Angel and Buffy to be together. It was always going to be them.

"Oh, I get it." Anya said, getting up from the sofa. "The curse." She said as if the answer was obvious. Spike's grinned spread.

"Right you are demon girl." He said. She bowed slightly.

"The curse?" Willow repeated. "Oh, I see. Angel could never love you without worrying about Angelus. The curse meant he always had to be on guard. There was always going to be something to prevent him from being truly and completely happy. So when you conceived, you didn't have any of those things holding you back. You loved Spike totally and completely." She paused, tears in her eyes. "That's so romantic."

Buffy could sense all eyes on her, but she felt Spike's boring a hole into her scalp. "Fine. I loved him." She admitted grudgingly. "I even know when the baby was conceived."

Spike spun Buffy around. "You know when it happened?" He asked her softly.

"Ah ha, I've got something on you for once." She teased. The rest of the world ceased to exist as they stared into each others' eyes. She crooked her finger, beckoning him closer. "The night of Mom's anniversary. I opened my heart and let go, and it was beautiful." She said running the back of her hand down his face.

"But you ran away." Spike said, still hurt.

"I ran away because it was too much. It was like being open to everything. I felt everything, and I didn't want to feel. I didn't want to love because loving someone meant they'd leave, so I ran."

"I should have come after you." Spike said. "Then, all this other stuff wouldn't have happened."

Buffy laid her head on his chest, sighing heavily. "Doesn't matter. We're here now. We're going to have a baby. If going through all that pain and bullshit, got us her, then I'll take it." Spike peered into her hazel eyes and saw the truth there. It all came down to this innocent being. He'd sacrifice everything for her.

"Hello, we're still here." Anya singsonged. Buffy and Spike shook their heads, laughing. They had totally forgotten about the rest of them.

"Sorry." They said.

"Don't mind Anya. Come on, Buffy. You've got to tell us. We have a right to know." Dawn said with a pout.

"Oh, do you?" Spike teased. Buffy smiled at their matching smirks.

"It was the anniversary of Mom's death." She said, watching Dawn carefully.

Dawn immediately teared. "Do you think Mom knows about the baby?"
"I think so." Buffy said thoughtfully.

"From death comes life." Tara stated quietly. "Life is a cycle. It's always renewing itself. I don't think it's a coincidence you conceived on the anniversary of your mother's death, Buffy. You may have not been ready to accept your heart without a little push from Joyce." Tara reasoned.

"Stop it, now!" Anya told them. "I'm getting emotional. I think I've done enough crying in the last month. I don't want to get weepy again."

"Anya's right. This is no time to get weepy. We've still got to figure out when Warren's going to hit the Army base, and how we're going to get Xander out of dreamland." Buffy stated, coming to stand in front of him.

"Is there any way to make him more comfortable? He's giving me the heebe jeebies with the open stare thing."

"I can try to ease him into a more normal dream sleep, but then he might not want to return to this one" Tara suggested. In reality, what she wanted to do was slap Xander silly for doing this to them. Buffy needed all her friends to get through these next 6 months. Xander had to know that nothing was going to come of this. Buffy and Spike were having a child together. They were going to be a family with Dawn and the baby. And the goddess willing, for a very long time.

"No, let's not do anything like that. Believe me, I know how attractive life away from Sunnydale would be. I almost chose that other world myself." Buffy said.

"Tape his eyes closed, then." Spike suggested as he came back into the room. He held a sandwich in one hand, and a glass of milk in the other. He shoved both into Buffy's face. She scrunched her nose at him, but one look at the chicken salad, and her mouth watered.

"Eww! We're not taping them closed." Willow shouted. Then, her eyes widened. "Hold on, a minute." She ran up the stairs to her bedroom. A few minutes later, she returned with an eye mask. "We can use this."

"Ah, Willow, that's a gel mask to remove puffiness." Dawn laughing told her.

"I know, but maybe, it's soothing effects might help him." Willow said, embarrassed now.

"I'm sure that'll be fine, Will. Here, let me help you get it on him." Tara offered. Hell, anything had to be better than Xander staring at them like a zombie.

"Okay, now that the whelp is all comfortable, why don't we get to work." Spike suggested. Buffy nodded, taking a bite of the sandwich.

They spent the next few hours, discussing the shipments Warren could attack and why. Each shipment scheduled to be delivered to the base on its own would be worth a great deal on the black market. They all agreed, though, that Warren was after power. Money would get him power, but then he'd have to share it with whoever bought the goods. No, Warren would go after the one thing that would ensure his dominance over Sunnydale and the world.

Buffy lay in bed, staring at the picture of her unborn child. Spike stood in the doorway, watching her.

"Penny for you thoughts, luv." He said, closing the door behind him.

"I look at it, and I still can't believe it. I feel her growing everyday, but seeing what's actually going on inside me. It's a little humbling."

"Yeah, to me too." Spike lifted the covers and slid in next to her.

"Are you scared, Spike? I mean about this whole parent thing?" She asked, snuggling closer to him. Spike rested his chin on her shoulder.

"A little. I wonder how I'm going to explain what I am to her. How can I tell her not to do wrong, when I don't have a soul." Spike sighed, his cool breath tickling her ear.

"Having a soul doesn't matter. I told you that. Warren has a soul and he killed Katrina. The Council have souls and they killed Martine and her baby. I think you'll be a better parent than I will. You've always known what to do with Dawn. When to give her space, when to talk to her. I'm flying blind here." Buffy stroked the tiny image, her heart bursting with love for her child.

"Well, you won't be going it alone. I'll be here. Dawn, Red, Glenda, Anya. They'll all be here with you."

"Do you think Xander will ever forgive me?" Buffy asked.

"Forgive you for what? Creating a miracle child. You don't owe him anything, Buffy. If he can't accept us, you, me, the baby, then you don't need him."

"But I do, Spike. I need him, like I need you. You're all a part of my life."

"I know Buffy. I know, but I don't want you to get your hopes up with Xander. He loves you. He wants what's best for you, and that's not me, and especially not my baby." Buffy turned in his arms, holding him tight, wishing she didn't have to choose between her oldest friend and her future.


The house was dark, quiet, except for the usual night sounds. Xander took a deep breath and looked out at his surroundings. All he saw was blackness. All he felt was cold.

"I'm blind. I'm blind." He shouted, raising his hands to his eyes. He felt the mask on his face, and pulled it off. Looking at it strangely. Where am I? He wondered. He looked around the room. Buffy's living room. His mind slowly recalled the events of the evening. He went to Buffy's. Spoke to Willow and Tara. Looked at photos. Photos of what? He searched his brain. What was the photo of? Xander rubbed his eyes. It was an ultrasound. An ultrasound of a baby. Who's baby? Oh, that's right. Buffy's baby. Buffy's baby with ... "SPIKE!!!"

Spike and Buffy shot up, startled out of a deep sleep. Spike grabbed his pants, pulling them on as he raced for the door. Buffy grabbed her sweats and Spike's shirt and followed him down the stairs. Willow and Dawn also came rushing out of their rooms.

Xander covered his eyes, screaming over and over "Oh, my god! Oh, my god!"

Buffy shook him till he stopped to look at her. He looked from Buffy's worried face to Spike's smirking one, and started to scream again. Buffy smacked him. "Stop it, Xander! You're only going to make yourself sick." Buffy said, pushing him back against the sofa. "Now, I know you're in shock, but you really need to calm down. "

Willow rushed over to Xander, pushing past Spike to throw her arms around his neck. "Xander," she said excitedly. "You're awake. We were so worried."

Xander looked around the room. They were all staring at him, like he'd grown a second head. Spike was looking at him with disdain, and the weight of what he'd found out, pressed on him.

"I think I should go." He said, starting to get up.

"Oh, no you don't." Buffy said, forcefully pushing him back down. "We're going to get this all out in the open, because to be honest, I have other more important things to deal with. I'm not wasting one more day worrying about you. You're a grown man. I'm a grown woman. I'm having a baby with a man I love. Deal with it."

"Deal with it. You're having a baby with a vampire, Buffy." Xander shouted back at her. "It's a big deal, if you ask me?"

"No one did, you ponce." Spike remarked heatedly.

"How did you do this?" Xander said accusingly to Spike. "How did you impregnate her with ..." He said pointing to Buffy's stomach.

"Don't say another word, Xander." Willow said, angrily. "Before you say something, that will likely get you hurt." Dawn had her hand on Spike's arm, knowing he was about to throttle Xander.

"Look, I'm not trying to hurt you Buffy, but you can't expect me to understand this." Xander stood up, preparing to leave.

"I can and I do expect you to understand. I would do the same thing for you." Buffy said, pushing her hair behind her ear. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"We have nothing to talk about." Xander said icily.

"Yes, we do. You're my friend. I love you."

Spike watched the scene in front of him with mixed emotions. While he hated the whelp with a passion, he knew Xander was important to Buffy. Dawn stood beside him, and her presence gave Spike pause. His friendship with Dawn was important to him. Before Buffy, there was Dawn. If anything threatened their relationship, he'd want to work things out too. So, he stood by with his anger in check, and listened to Buffy try to reason with Xander.

"Xander, please. You wanted the chance to talk to Buffy. Now, here it is." Xander winced at the pleading tone in Willow's voice. Her subtle reminder of their talk, though, only served to anger him.

"You knew!" He said accusingly, pointing at Willow, who stepped back. "You knew she was pregnant, and you never told me. You let me go on and on about how much I cared about her. I can't believe you. You're my best friend, Willow."

"I am, Xander. I just found out a week ago myself." Willow fought to keep from crying. She couldn't believe how badly this was going. "Xander, please. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"Huh! Some friend, you are." Xander huffed.

"Stop it, Xander!" Buffy shouted. "Your problem is with me, leave Willow out of this."

"What were you thinking Buffy?"

"I didn't plan on getting pregnant, but I am. I won't apologize for having a baby with the man I love." Buffy said emphatically.
"You don't owe me an apology, Buffy. You don't owe me nothing." Xander remarked snidely.

"Right about that whelp." Spike said, pulling away from Dawn. "Who the hell are you to judge anything Buffy does?" Spike moved to stand beside Buffy. "Have you lived her life? Have you had to make the decisions she's had to make?"

Xander refused to let Spike put a guilt trip on him. "You don't know what I've gone through, Spike, so shut up!"

"Have you had to kill someone you loved?" Spike asked pointedly. "No, you haven't. Have you had a bull's eye painted on your back for 6 years? Does every demon want to increase his stature by killing you? No! You're sitting here whining because she didn't consult with you before getting pregnant. You're an idiot. You should be grateful she's put up with your sorry ass for all this time. After some of the stunts you've pulled, I would have some demon rip you apart. But that's me. She's," Spike said, slipping his arm around Buffy's waist. "A far better person than I am."

No one said anything. Buffy's life wasn't anything to envy. They'd watched while she'd made the hard decisions, while she'd faced the dangers, but it had never really touched them. They were there voluntarily. Buffy had no choice. She was the Slayer. She was the Chosen One.

"Do you want to be a part of my life or do you want to say good-bye right now?" Buffy asked, deceptively calm. She looked up, her green eyes pained. "If you can't accept my baby, then I don't want you around. So, you make the decision right now. Do you stay or do you go? And if you go, know that I'll always be here for you if you need me."

Xander flinched. Buffy was serious. She would push him out of her life without a second glance. He didn't want that. All he wanted was for things to return to normal. Who's definition of normal, though. His conscience argued. This is what Buffy wants for her life. Her life. It reminded him again.

"So what's it going to be Xander?" Buffy prodded.

"I don't want to lose our friendship, Buffy."

"What about the baby?" Buffy asked tentatively.

"I don't have a problem with the baby, just her father. That's nothing new. You can't expect me to accept Spike. He isn't innocent." Xander said, the beginnings of a smile on his face.

"No, he's far from innocent." Buffy laughingly admitted. Xander got off the sofa, pausing to hug Willow. "I'm sorry Will. I'm an ass. Please forgive me?" Willow hugged him, her eyes tightly closed.

When they finally pulled apart, they were both crying. Xander turned tentatively to Spike, Buffy, and Dawn. Look at them. His mind prodded him. They are a family. It finally struck Xander what had him so upset. Buffy really didn't need him. She had all she'd ever need to make her happy. She had Spike. She had Dawn, and now, she had a baby. He could either continue to stubbornly deny his place in Buffy's life, and lose her forever or he could work on finding his own happiness.

Xander stuck his hand out to Spike, who regarded the out-stretched hand warily. He looked at Buffy, and nodded. He gripped Xander's hand tightly, wanting to break the bones, but the thought of touching Xander any further caused him to yank his hand away awkwardly. Dawn giggled, and Xander smiled back at her.

"I'm so sorry, Buffy. I guess that's not nearly enough to make up for all the grief I've given you, but I hope you know I thought I was doing it for all the right reasons." Buffy nodded her agreement. "I haven't been fair to you or Spike." Xander said sheepishly.

"I understand, Xander. I really do. I thought I was doing the right things, but they weren't. They caused a lot of heartache. So, if you need me to be there for you, I will. I'll always be there for you." Xander nodded, then reached for her tentatively. Spike nudged her, and Buffy embraced Xander.

"I've really missed you, Xander." Buffy said, weeping. "I can't do this without my brother. That's what you've been to me. My brother, my best friend."

"Tell me we can get that back, Buffy. I know I've hurt you, but I'd like to get back us back." Willow walked up to her two best friends.

"I love you and Will so much. Please tell me I haven't totally ruined everything we had."

"No, you haven't." Buffy said, clutching him tightly. "We've survived worse. We can survive this."
Maybe, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Buffy thought, looking at Xander and Willow.

"We're meeting tomorrow at the Magic Box around noon. We can talk before or after. Okay?" Buffy suggested.

"That'll be fine. I'll call you in the morning." Xander said, preparing to leave.

"Xander, you might as well stay. The sun's almost up." Dawn suggested.

"What?" Xander said amazed. "What time is it, anyway?" Xander asked, looking at his watch. It read 4:21am.

"Geez, how long was I out?" Xander asked incredulous.


Buffy moaned sleepily, twisting against the cool sheets. Wait a minute. She thought. Since when do my sheets kiss my neck? She smiled against the soft hair at her cheek. "Nice way to wake up, luv." She said, repeating Spike's words.

"Hey, sleepy head." Spike blew lightly on her neck, causing goose bumps to spread across Buffy's body.

"Umm, that's nice."

"If you think that's nice, I've got ..." Knock! Knock! "Damn! Go away!" Spike shouted at the door.

Buffy giggling replied. "Hold on."

Buffy threw the covers back, and slid out of bed. She stooped to pick up her robe, and opened the door a crack. Dawn stood on the other side, hoping from one foot to the other.

"Dawn, uh, what's up?" Buffy said, holding the collar of her robe closed.

"Well, let's see. Mr. Walker from Social Services stopped by for a surprise visit. Everyone's down stairs trying to explain why they are here, and you and Spike are up here playing footsie. That just about covers all that's going on with me today." Buffy reached out and pulled Dawn into the room.

Spike was sitting up in the bed, having heard part of the conversation. "What's with the surprise visit? I thought you'd been given the all clear."

"We were. Mr. Walker told me I was doing a terrific job on his last visit." Buffy said confused.

"He wouldn't tell me what's going on, but he was asking Willow all these questions about you and whether or not you were planning on starting your own family soon." Dawn winced when Buffy became pale as a ghost.

"How did they find out about the baby?" Buffy peeked down the stairs, listening to the mumbled conversation down below.

"I don't know Buffy. What are you going to do?" Dawn asked concerned. She shifted her gaze from Spike to Buffy. Buffy tapped her foot, trying to come up with a plan.

"Dawn, go tell Mr. Walker, I'll be down in a minute." Buffy closed the door behind Dawn and leaned against it. "How do you think they found out?"

"Who knows. It could have been anything. What are you going to say to him?" Spike stood up in bed, and dropped down in front of Buffy.

"The truth, I guess." Buffy bent to pick through the clothes on the floor. She found her sweats and a new t-shirt and pulled them on. "I know he's not going to be pleased I'm going to be a single mother." She said putting air quotes around the term.

"What if you weren't a single mother?" Spike asked, looking at her from under his lashes.

"Unless, you're planning on dropping to one knee to ask me to marry you, I'm going to be a single mother." Buffy joked, though, her stomach was doing cartwheels.

"No, I wasn't." Spike noticed with some interest the frown that creased her brow. "But if you want to pretend to be engaged, we can." Spike suggested.

"I don't mind, if you don't." Buffy answered, taking great interest in her toes. "We would need a ring to make it real."

Spike turned away, with his back to Buffy, and dug in his coat pocket. He pulled a velvet pouch out, and handed it to Buffy. Buffy looked suspiciously at the bag, before pulling the ends apart. She shook the contents out and gasped. She'd never seen a stone that big before. She picked the ring up, letting the pouch fall heedlessly from her hand. She sat down on the bed, her eyes never leaving this gorgeous ring.

"It's beautiful." She said breathlessly.

"I was going to give it to you on Mother's day to celebrate being a Mom-to-be, but I guess this is as good a time as any." Spike took her left hand in his right, and slipped the 3-stone ring on her finger. It was a little big, but it shone brightly on Buffy's hand. The center stone was a diamond, with emerald baguettes.

Spike lifted Buffy's chin and saw she was crying. "Hey, now. What's with the tears?"

"If you had given me this on Mother's Day, there would have been a lot more tears. I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I thought of you, when I saw it. I mean your eyes are green and they shine when you get angry." Spike said, lowering his head.

"Do they?" Buffy said, touched. Spike slid in between her parted legs.

"So, this is just pretend. Right?" Spike said, watching her twist the ring on her finger.

"I don't want this to be pretend." Buffy said breathlessly.

"Me neither." Spike said, pulling her into a searing kiss. Buffy legs rose and crossed behind Spike's back. Their tongues battled, trying to overpower the other. Buffy whimpered from the heat between her legs. When they finally broke apart for Buffy to breath, Spike peppered her chin with kisses, pushing her till they lay on the bed.

"I love you, Ms. Summers." He said, lowering his head to kiss her stomach.

"I love you too, Mr. Develin." Buffy closed her eyes, seeing flashes of light behind them. When she opened them, Spike was laying on his back, his eyes closed. Buffy looked around dazed. It was still dark, the first rays of the sun just barely peeking through the closed curtains. What the fuck? She thought. Buffy looked down at her hands, expecting to see the emerald and diamond ring, but it was gone. She fell back against the pillows, disappointed. It had all been a dream.