Ch. 12
"Damn, damn, damn!" Buffy pounded the bed with her fists. She felt her eyes water with tears, a result of her disappointment.
Spike jumped out of bed naked, ready for attack. "What? What's wrong?"
"Spike. It's nothing. Calm down. Just had a dream." Spike looked at her queerly, surprised to see her lashes wet with tears. He climbed into bed, quickly wrapping Buffy up in his arms.
"Wanna tell me what it was about?" Spike asked, rubbing his chin through her hair.
"It was nothing, really. Just a silly dream." She said embarrassed.
"If it was silly, then why were you beating the bed up?" He teased.
"Are you going to keep pushing me until I tell you?" Buffy asked hotly.
"Ooh, musta been some dream, but no, I'm not going to push. When you're ready to tell me, you will." He kissed her temple. "Go back to sleep, Grumpy. We've got a busy day ahead of us."
"I'm not grumpy." She answered back, but he only laughed at her.
Buffy knew she was being silly, but that dream had upset her. Why? Because it wasn't true and she wanted it to be. She wanted to be bound to Spike. She wanted to know he couldn't up and leave her and the baby. Truthfully, she wanted proof Spike wanted this life.
You've got some serious daddy issues, Summers. The man has only changed his entire existence for you. He's only turned his back on his kind to be with you. Hell, he's put up with Xander. That's more than any man or demon should have to do. Buffy giggled. Her heart didn't pull any punches, much like the man sleeping next to her.
Buffy leaned back, watching as Spike's features softened in slumber. She kissed her fingertips and lightly touched his bottom lip. He smiled in his sleep. Buffy knew her irrational reaction to the dream had a lot to do with Martine. She couldn't help but empathize with the young girl. The Council saw the baby as some creation that had the potential to be evil, but that wasn't true. Love was good and pure. The baby was created from Martine and Henri's love. Buffy knew you had to look beyond vampire evil, slayer good and see the in-between stuff. That gray area where the love between a Slayer and a Vampire resided. Grey wasn't her favorite color, but she was starting to like it.
Jonathan and Andrew jumped as the bottle shattered into pieces against the wall.
"That bitch is still alive." Warren screamed. "Those fucking demons couldn't kill one pregnant Slayer. She's gotta be weak carrying that kid around, but no, she ends up killing the entire pack. Now, the others won't come near Sunnydale. They were the most ruthless bunch I could find in this dimension. I'm surrounded by idiots."
Jonathan rolled his eyes at the now familiar refrain. No one was as good as the one and only Warren. Andrew cowered under Warren's tirade.
"That's okay." Warren said to himself. "It'll be over soon enough. They think they know what I'm going to do. They have no idea. They think I'm going to hit the base. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! No, I'm going to attack the convoy before it reaches the base."
"Oh Supreme ruler, don't you think we should call this off? Buffy found the surveillance equipment at the Magic Box. We know they have your computer. Willow is smart. She'll be able to fix it." Jonathan reasoned.
"Jonathan." Warren growled as he turned to face him. He stalked over to the smaller man and grabbed him by his shirt. "Do you doubt me? No one is smarter than I am. No one! That redhead couldn't break my codes on a good day." Jonathan wrenched away from Warren, recognizing the simple fact that Warren was going insane.
"Warren's right, Jonathan. We're safe. They have no idea what we've planned. They'll still be searching for us, and we'll be on the beach sipping Shirley Temples."
Both Jonathan and Warren looked at Andrew with raised brows. "What? You can get alcohol put in them." Andrew told them.
"Uh huh. Ok, on to other things, now that Timothy Dalton's bitch has given us his two-cent worth. We still need to test these packs before Wednesday. We need some volunteers. Spanky, here, can be one." Warren said poking Jonathan on the head. "Now, we need two more."
"I'm not putting one of those on before we test them. So forget it!" Jonathan angrily told him. "You'd like it if I was killed, wouldn't you?"
"No, I wouldn't. We're a team, Jonathan. We couldn't have made it this far without you." Warren grinned sickly. Jonathan felt his skin crawl under the madman's gaze.
"So we go hunting tonight?" Andrew asked, stroking the barrel of the stun gun lovingly.
"We go a demon hunting, boys."
Xander stood hidden out of view, watching Anya, Tara, and Willow. How could he show his face after everything he'd done? He'd been an ass to each of them. He knew 'sorry' just wasn't going to cut it, especially with Anya. She'd trusted him with her newly human heart, and he'd betrayed her and hurt her. He missed talking to her, laughing with her, and loving her. He knew with startling clarity, she would never allow him near her heart again. Right now, he would settle for being her friend.
"Planning on staring at her all day." Buffy asked him, startling him out of his reverie. She saw Spike and Dawn come in from the basement.
"Spike dropped me off around back." Buffy answered his unspoken question. "The smell in the sewers makes me sick."
Buffy headed inside, but Xander remained rooted to the ground. "Baby steps, Xander. You're going to have to take baby steps. It isn't going to be easy, but before all the sex and stuff, you were friends. Work on that first, and the rest will fall into place." At least, that's what worked for Spike and me. She thought with a smile.
"It isn't going to be easy." She could tell he was scared. She'd been there too many times to count. "I can't promise you that all the hurt and pain is going to go away immediately, even with me." She warned. "But you can't give up. It's worth the fight.
Buffy sat in Spike's lap as the gang gathered around the research table. Willow and Dawn were laying out the plans they'd been able to retrieve from Warren's computer. Anya peered over Dawn's shoulder.
"A teleporter? Is nothing sacred to you people?" She grumbled, shaking her head and stalking off. They heard her say something about demon envy as she rounded the corner.
"I still can't believe the army's developed something like this. It seems so futuristic. Like 'beam me up Scotty'." Buffy felt Spike's laughter. "I mean it. A super geek having this kind of power is super scary. He could transport anywhere."
"And no one would be the wiser until it was too late." Spike finished for her. "He would be a ghost, invisible. He could go anywhere, do anything he wanted."
Buffy fanned herself remembering what she'd done when she'd been invisible.
"What would be great is knowing where exactly they are going to hit." Willow interjected.
"Xander, is there anyway we can get the army to listen to us? I know this sounds like a prank, but how would we know about the teleporter if we weren't telling the truth?" Dawn asked.
"They wouldn't change the route for that. They'll just increase the troops riding with the convoy. That's S.O.P." He said, sitting down next to Tara.
"S.O.P. What's that, Xander?" Tara asked.
"Standard operating procedure." Tara was duly impressed.
Spike leaned around Buffy and picked up the convoy's schedule. The phone rang and Anya came out of the storage room to answer it.
"Hello, Giles. Yes, she's here. I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking." Spike looked up from his reading, curious at the slight inflection in Anya's voice. She sounded almost happy about talking to the Watcher. Her face was flush, and she was smiling. Could Demon Girl have a crush on ol' Giles? He had to remember to tease her about it later.
"And I hope to speak to you again too." Anya brought the phone over to Buffy, whistling the entire time. Buffy arched her brow at the weird behavior.
"Hey, Giles. Whatcha got for me?" Buffy held the phone with one hand, resting the other one on Spike's thigh. "Really, when? That's great. Oh, that's no problem. You can stay with me. The couch is always open."
"Giles is coming?" Dawn asked, poking Buffy repeatedly on the shoulder.
Buffy widened her eyes in exasperation, and nodded. "Okay, well, I guess we can discuss everything when you get here. See you then. Yes, I'll be careful. Alright, bye."
"So, Giles is coming?"
Buffy nodded happily. "He'll be here on Wednesday night. Someone will need to pick him up from the airport."
"Did he have anymore news on Martine and her watcher?" Spike asked, finally looking up from his research. Spike couldn't stomach saying the man's name. After spending all this time with Giles and Buffy, he couldn't see how Charles Jayme could willingly hurt Martine.
"No, just what he told us last night. He just wanted to let me know he was coming. It'll be good to get a different perspective on this whole Warren thing. My brain's cooked."
"I don't think we've done half-bad, Pet. But, it would be nice to have the Watcher back." He's the only other one I trust to take care of you. He said to himself.
"That's great. You and Giles can bond on the way back from the airport." Buffy said, neatly sliding out of Spike's lap before he could realize what she'd said.
"Oh, come on, Buffy." Spike groaned, following her into the training room.
Spike closed the door behind them.
"You're going Spike, end of discussion. I need for you to do this. You and Giles are the most important men in my life. I need the two of you to be friends at least. I don't expect much from you and Xander, but I do with Giles."
Buffy listened to him grumble as he stomped past her.
"He's going to stake me on sight, then you'll be a single mother." Spike said, plopping down on the couch.
Spike's off-hand comment brought back her silly behavior from this morning. "Hey, I'm sorry I was grumpy girl this morning. I thought I was touchy before. It's ten times worse now." She remarked.
Spike held his hand out to her. She took it, and curled up in his lap.
"You touchy? I don't think so." Spike teased, kissing her softly. " You don't have to apologize for how you're feeling Buffy. I'd rather see you like this, than shut down like you were last year. If you need to be scared, upset, happy, silly, sad, I'm your guy."
"You're my guy, huh? Care to put that into writing?" Buffy said seriously.
"Do you need me to?" Spike asked back, lifting her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Do you?" Buffy was close to telling him yes, then thought he'd probably be offended. How many times had he told her he loved her, proved it with some unselfish act, some heroic deed? And she wanted further proof of his devotion, she must be hormonal.
"I've got an idea." She said, mussing his hair, knowing it would distract him from his question. He frowned at her styling technique and pushed her hand away. Buffy giggled. "I wanted to tell you something." Spike quirked his eyebrow at her, and waited.
"Thanks." She said, rubbing her forehead against Spike's.
"For what?"
"Being here."
"I'm not going anywhere, ever. Don't you know that? All I've ever wanted is here. How many times do I have to tell you Summers? I'm Not Leaving!" Buffy shifted till she straddled him.
"I know, a girl just needs to hear it every now and then." Buffy said, tilting her head back. Spike took advantage of the position to kiss and nibble her ear and neck.
"Umm, you know we haven't trained in a day." She informed him, sliding her hands down his back till she caressed his butt.
"Better watch it, Slayer. You know how much I love being an exhibitionist."
"Buffy! Spike! We really need you out here." Spike clenched his teeth in annoyance.
"Go away, Nib. I'm trying to seduce the mother of my child."
"Uh huh, well, eww! Do that at home! Now, if the two of you can control your hormones, Willow has something to show you."
"We'll be there in a minute." Buffy shouted back, smiling her apology. They listened waiting for Dawn's footsteps recede.
"I'm still here."
"Yes, you are. Come on. We can play later." Buffy said, dragging Spike to the door.
"Promise?" Spike asked, poking his lip out in a pout.
Buffy yanked his arm, pulling him off the sofa. As they entered the shop, she grabbed his butt and squeezed. Spike laughed loudly when he heard her say, "promise."
"Sorry to disturb your..ah.. talk, Buffy, but we think we've figured out where Warren's going to hit the convoy. They had pushed the tables back, and had pieced together a map. The route was outlined in red. Buffy and Spike walked the route till they got to a huge black circle. Buffy knelt to read the information.
"Please tell me that the Hellmouth isn't the most vulnerable area on their route?" The convoy passed the old burned high school. That area was usually deserted, most people remembering the Graduation massacre of 1999. Thankfully, no one had dared to rebuild on the site, leaving the Hellmouth undisturbed.
"Sorry, Buff. I'm afraid the Hellmouth is the winner. All the other areas are well populated or so open the army can protect the convoy by surrounding it. Once they hit Sunnydale, they have to change their formation." Willow said from the other side of the map.
"Warren could ambush them starting here, " Xander said pointing to the old football field, "all the way to where the old library was. After that, the convoy can slip back into its protective formation."
Spike stood at the other end, checking the area out. "He'll still need help. The three of them couldn't manage this without help, magical or otherwise."
"You think they're going to recruit some demons." Tara stated from behind Spike.
"Yeah, I do, Glenda. We'll need to make some discreet inquiries. I'll check Willy's and some other places."
"If you need some back up, I'll go with you." Xander offered. Buffy smile told Spike he'd better accept it or there would be no gymnastics later on the pummel horse.
"Thanks, wh..ah...Xander." Spike smirked at Buffy as he walked by.
"I can prepare some potions and spells. We can use them against Warren's crew or even the army, if we need to." Tara suggested.
"That sounds perfect, Tara. I would love to get the army guys out of there. They're the ones I'm really concerned about. I know what to expect from any demons helping Warren, but the army with those guns and stuff. That's the scary part."
"It'd be great if we could freeze them. Not the chilly kind of freeze, but you know, the time standing still kind, like on Charmed." Dawn giddily suggested. She knew Buffy hated the show, but she thought the characters had some cool powers.
"Well, you could ship them to an alternate dimension." Anya told them. "You could send them someplace for awhile. They'd never know they were even gone."
"N...no." Tara shouted. "We don't know what could happen to them."
"Ok, Tara. It was just a suggestion." Anya said, hurt by Tara's sharp rebuke. Willow stood by feeling guilty, knowing she had suggested the same thing all those terrible months ago.
"There is a spell that would put a barrier around the army convoy. It would work two-fold." Willow piped in, climbing the ladder to find the spell book. "It would keep the army from accidentally shooting one of us, and also keep the teleporter away from Warren."
Willow thumbed through the book till she found the section on magical barriers. She had used the book on more than one occasion to keep Spike and Angel out of Buffy's house. She'd finally memorized that spell, just in case it was needed again.
"So, the only thing left to do is to figure out where we are going to position ourselves around the school." Spike said, coming to stand behind Dawn. He flung his arm around her shoulders.
"We can do that from here." Buffy said. "No one goes near the school. We don't want to tip Warren off."
"Spike, you and Xander get together, figure out the demon situation. Willow, Tara, and Anya make a list of the things you'll need for that spell. If you need anything, call Giles. He can bring it over with him."
"What do you want me to do, Buffy?" Dawn asked eagerly.
"Well, you could help Tara and Willow if you like, but I kinda wanted you to be support girl while I call Francois Hemmings."
"Are you worried she doesn't have the diary?" Dawn said, joining Buffy in the training room.
"Yeah. What if she doesn't have it, Dawn? We'll never know what really happened to Martine."
"Buffy, why is it so important to you? She's dead. Nothing can bring her or her baby back." Dawn sat on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her.
"I can't explain it Dawn. It's like there's some connection between us. I can't help feel that she felt the same things I'm feeling with my baby." Buffy gazed lovingly at her belly. Spike told Xander to hold on a minute, and went to check on Buffy.
"I want everything for her. A home filled with love and family. I want her to know her father and mother love each other very much, that we love her very much."
"Bitty will know all that. And you're probably right, Martine probably had those same feelings. Any mother would. I'm sure Mom did when she had you. It's natural, Buffy." Buffy smiled, and felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"I'm fine, Spike." She said, knowing he stood just outside the door. He stuck his head inside and smiled back at her.
"I know. Just wanted to check on my girls." The door closed, and they heard his boots stomp away.
"Buffy, if Ms. Hemmings has the diary, are you prepared to hear what Charles Jayme has to say. It may not be pretty." Dawn rested her hand on Buffy's knee.
"I have to know, so I can protect her. I have to know what the Council is prepared to do to prevent her birth."
"They don't even know you're pregnant Buffy." Dawn reminded her.
"Mr. Travers, we have a problem sir." The young watcher strode into Travers' London office. He held a file in his hand with the name Charles Jayme scribbled at the top.
"Yes, what is it Reinhold?" Travers asked, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.
"Someone has been trying to access the Auberjonis file." The young man had to restrain himself from taking a step backwards. The look on Travers' face would have sent a weaker man scurrying into a corner.
Reinhold handed the file to Travers, who scanned the sheets in front of him quickly. "Why wasn't I told of this sooner?" He asked, taking his glasses off with an ease that defied his anger at this mishap.
"We thought it was a hacker, sir. Just poking around in our firewalls. It wasn't until we checked and found that an access code was used to bypass security, did we start a full security search."
"And the diary? Rupert Giles was allowed to walk into the archives, request the diary, and no one noticed the note attached to alert me if it was ever requested." Travers was standing with his fists on the table.
"We erred, sir. It won't happen again. The diary was returned after only a day. Mr. Giles stated he'd found the information he was looking for."
"And what information was that, Reinhold?" Travers said steely, slowly coming from behind his desk. "What did he tell you he was looking for?"
"Some demon that supposedly was extinct but was recently seen in Sunnydale." Reinhold said, trying not to piss his pants. Travers stood as close as possible to Reinhold. Reinhold felt and smelled his breath on his face.
"A demon you say. Nothing else." Travers seemed to find this information puzzling, but Reinhold didn't comment. He was just glad the man had stepped away from him. "Did Mr. Giles mention anything else about the Slayer in Sunnydale?"
"No, sir. In fact, we only spoke for a few minutes." Reinhold didn't have anything else to add to his report, so he began to inch his way out of the office.
"You're dismissed, Mr. Reinhold. You're not to mention this conversation or Mr. Giles' inquiry of Charles Jayme to anyone. Do I make myself clear?" He said, looking over his glasses. Reinhold knew he'd been given a reprieve, but damn, if he didn't feel like his life had just been threatened.
Travers waited, contemplating the implications of Giles' actions. He didn't believe in coincidences. Someone was interested in Martine Auberjonis and Giles was looking into Charles Jayme's diary, and his Slayer had a penchant for sleeping with vampires. Travers finally picked up the phone, punching the numbers quickly.
"What do you need done?" The voice on the other end asked, not bothering to question who was calling him.
"I need a team in Sunnydale as soon as possible. We may have another occurrence with the prophecy. This is reconnaissance only. Report back to me when you arrive."
"Will do." The line went dead. Travers continued to hold the phone, thinking about the girl who'd defied him on more than one occasion. If Buffy Summers had some how stumbled onto the prophecy, she would have to be dealt with. He wouldn't allow that prophecy to come to fruition.
"So how did your phone call to Francois Hemmings go?" Spike asked as they finally made it home from the Magic Box. "I meant to ask earlier, but you kinda distracted me with the 'training'."
"We really needed to train." She said trailing her fingers across his back as she walked past. Spike couldn't disagree with her on that.
Buffy curled into a ball on the sofa. Spike slid in behind her, resting his head on the pillow. "She said there were some items up in her attic. Things of Charles Jayme that her grandmother kept. She didn't know if there was a diary or journal among the things." Buffy nibbled her lip, thinking. Always thinking.
"Are you worried she doesn't have it or that she does and won't give it to you?" Spike hugged Buffy tightly, feeling her tremble.
"Dawn asked me if I was prepared to know the truth. I told her I needed to know, to be prepared for whatever the Council has planned, but now.."
"You're not sure." He finished for her. "Buffy, I'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe, all of us. But I gotta tell you, knowing the truth won't bring you any peace, it'll only give proof to your fears." Spike wondered if that was what had Buffy so upset this morning.
"Too late, already scared." She joked. "I feel connected to her. Slayers are like sisters, but this is different. We share something else, something special. I feel her, even 200 years later. Do a time warp and that could be us."
Spike rose up and Buffy lay on her back to look at him. "You're right. Different time, different place, that's us, but it's not. I look at it this way, luv. Martine is helping us, so what happened to her, doesn't happen to us. Call it, Martine's revenge or gift or whatever."
"Do you think it was a coincidence we happen to know the one demon that lived back then? No, I don't think so. You're right, Pet. Our lives are connected." Spike pulled her shirt up, revealing her belly. He leaned over and placed a kiss on their child's heart. "Martine and Henri will not have died in vain, Buffy. Not as long as we're alive, not as long as we keep her safe."
Warren kicked the limp body of the Dvorak demon. The little fuzzy demon had screamed in terror when they ignited the jetpack. Warren couldn't figure if it was from his fear of heights or the intense heat bombarding its body. It didn't really matter now. The Dvorak had died shortly after landing. That was one less demon they had to worry about, in Warren's opinion.
"Hurry up, morons! We've still got to make the modifications before Thursday."
Jonathan and Andrew struggled to get the next contestant into his pack. They looked ridiculous. They each had a tentacle or whatever it was sticking out from its body. Warren would have helped them if his arm weren't still throbbing. That fucking wrinkled demon. Who would have thought something that looked like silly putty would have claws like that?
"We could use some help!" Jonathan screamed, but Warren ignored him.
"You'll manage." Warren said, going over to his laptop and inputting the new information they'd gathered. Despite the gash in his arm, Warren felt terrific. Soon all his hard work and planning would come to fruition. Soon, all of Sunnydale and the world would know his name. They would cower in his presence. But first, he had a score to settle with a certain blonde and her boyfriend. People like Buffy and Spike, the beautiful people, had always looked down their noses at him, but no more. They'd die slowly, and then they would see who was the superior being.
Giles watched the various pieces of luggage go by on the carousel, and wondered what in the hell was he going to say to Buffy and Spike? They were adults. Spike, more so, than Buffy. Through their love, they had created a child. It was all pretty normal, actually, except for the whole vampire thing. What right did he have to judge them? They lived extraordinary lives. They faced and lived death constantly, yet through all the pain and misery, they'd found in each other, happiness.
Spike stood next to Giles, wondering how long it was going to take before the Watcher noticed him. He saw a tweed bag come around with the initials R.G. stamped on it and plucked it off the conveyor belt. He checked the name on the tag to be sure there wasn't some other idiot out there with the same affection for tweed.
"If you're through contemplating the architecture of this place, let's get going. Buffy's waiting on you." Spike said with glee, watching as Giles went pale from shock.
"Spike, good lord, man! Are you trying to kill me?" Spike thought long and hard on that statement before shrugging and walking off, leaving Giles to scramble after him. The walk to the parking garage was done in silence. Each man wondering how far they would take this attempted reconciliation for the blonde they both loved.
Giles decided he'd be the bigger man, and open up the conversation. "Buffy tells me she quit her job last week at your urging."
"Yeah, that place was beneath her. Besides, it wasn't good for her to stand for that long." Spike handed the attendant a few dollars, never once asking Giles to pay for it. "I take care of my own." Spike told him as they hit the highway.
"Yes, Buffy told me about the Amara treasure. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't fence the stuff sooner."
"Didn't have a kid on the way, and Buffy wouldn't have accepted it, anyway." Spike said, chancing a glance in the Watcher's direction.
"Well, you're quite right, it is your responsibility to take care of your child and her mother." Giles looked out the window, listening to the buzz of the cars as they passed them by. Spike's next statement had Giles clutching his heart with shock.
"I'd marry her if she'd let me."
"Uh, um, oh...really." Giles didn't really know what to say in answer to that declaration. "Is that what Buffy wants?"
"I wish I knew, Rup."
Giles heard the vampire sigh, and he wondered again at the irony of this situation. Here, he was, a watcher, giving relationship advice to a vampire in love with a slayer.
"Forget I said anything. It doesn't matter one way or the other. I'm not leaving her ever. Even if we weren't having a child together, I wouldn't leave her." Spike wanted to kick himself for mentioning marriage to Giles. He was Buffy's watcher, father-figure extraordinaire. He might not freak about the baby because it was human, but allowing his slayer to marry a vampire was another thing entirely. Spike didn't even know if Buffy wanted marriage. He thought he knew the answer to that question, but you never knew with Buffy, especially now that her hormones were spiraling out of control.
"How is everything else? Buffy told me about the attack at the hospital. Any sign of Warren and his friends since then?
"No," Spike quickly answered, "but that's not unusual. They get others to do their handiwork, while they hide in their van. The attack on Dawn was the first time Warren got his hands dirty." Spike gritted his teeth. Warren would pay for putting his hands on the Nib.
"Have you found out anymore about the Army heist?" Giles asked, turning in his seat to give Spike his full attention.
"Yeah, the whelp and me hit Willy's and some other spots, picked up a little info. It seems Warren's been recruiting some nasty demons with promises of humans to devour. There've been some takers, but most found out what happened with the Kalstas. That put a crimp in his plans." Spike turned down Revello, and pulled the Desoto into the driveway. He turned off the ignition, and sat there looking at the house.
"I'm going to push off. Staying at the crypt tonight. Figured you and Buffy needed to rebond and all that." Giles nodded. "She's scared, Rupert. She's scared for the baby, for Dawn, for me. Having you here will do her a world of good."
"I've missed her, too. I never should have left her." Giles said, looking up at the house, his second home.
"No, you shouldn't have." Spike said, bluntly. "She needed you and you up and left her. They all left her to handle being back."
"You didn't." Giles stated. "You never left her through all of this. Despite, everything you've done to Buffy, you're a good man." The front door opened and Buffy stepped out. She was wearing a black peasant shirt, which hid her stomach.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Spike. We have a lot to discuss." Giles pulled his bag out the back, noting with some amusement Spike hadn't found his voice yet. Good, he'd been trying for 3 years to get him to shut up.
Buffy smiled at Giles, but her eyes were on Spike. He threw his hand out the window. "Later, luv." Spike shouted out the window, as he put the car in reverse and took off. Giles watched him go, turning back in time to see Buffy's crestfallen expression. But her smile returned and she embraced him tightly as he came up the stairs.
Giles watched Buffy surreptitiously out the corner of his eye as she prepared the sofa for him. She'd been genuinely happy to see him, crying her relief to have him home. When the door opened later to admit Willow and Tara, Buffy had been crushed, but quickly covered. Now, they were alone. Willow and Dawn had gone up to their rooms. Even with a super-geek on their tails, school still called. Buffy fluffed two pillows and threw them at one end. She stood up, and turned, surprised to find Giles staring at her.
"I can't tell you're pregnant." He said in awe.
"You could if I wasn't wearing this shirt. Spike hates it." She explained, smoothing out the sheet before sitting down. She sighed hard, plucking at the shirt's gauze-like material. "Well, I'm sure in the next week or two, I'll get a great view of your stomach." Buffy's eyes widened. "Uh, that didn't come out the way I meant it to."
Buffy snickered. "I'm glad you here, Giles." She said, reaching across the sofa to grab his hand.
Giles patted her hand, remembering a night not so unlike this one, when she pulled away from his touch.
"Gosh, I can't believe you're really here." She said happily.
"Well, I am. I wish it was under better conditions." He said wistfully.
"But it is. I'm having a baby. I have a wonderful sister, who's been nothing but helpful and understanding. She's also Sunnydale's resident matchmaker, but she's good. And that makes me happy." Buffy said, pulling her leg up on the sofa. "And Willow and Tara are doing better. They're dating, albeit taking it slow. Xander, well, he's been an ass, but he's coming around. Anya's great. She seems to be getting her life back in order." Buffy was babbling, and Giles patiently waited for her to tell him what was troubling her. "Everybody's doing so much better. We're all happy, happy, happy." She said, feigning joy.
"And what about Spike?" Giles asked gingerly.
Buffy's lip trembled and she broke out in sobs. "He... he's doing fine. Great. That's why he didn't stay here tonight." Giles stared at her, confused, wondering how they went from a cheery report on everyone to Spike's decision to stay at the crypt.
Buffy swiped embarrassed at her tears. "He said he wanted to give us some time together, to talk, but he's really getting too overwhelmed with all of this."
"Buffy, I don't think that's the case." Giles defended Spike. "He seems..."
"Giles, why are you taking his side? He's not here. Obviously, he couldn't face being here, having you know the truth about us. It's okay to torment Xander, but when it's you, it becomes a little too much for him."
She was becoming overwrought, and Giles had limited experience with pregnant women. "Buffy, calm down. Spike loves you. I've never seen a man more in love with a woman." And it was true. Giles couldn't dismiss Spike's feelings. They were genuine.
"Then, why doesn't he want to marry me, then?" She looked so miserable, Giles' heart went out to her.
Giles smiled, secure in the knowledge, Spike having the same fears. "This isn't funny, Giles. The father of my child doesn't want to be with me. He's only here because of the baby."
Giles grabbed Buffy by the hands, forcing her to sit quietly. "Listen to me, Buffy. Spike loved you before this baby, and he'll continue to love you until he dies. You know that. I've heard you say it too many times in these last weeks, not to believe you know it, deep in your heart. So, what's really upsetting you?"
Buffy took a deep breath. She hadn't meant to lose it like that, but she'd been holding everything in since Spike told her he wasn't staying with her tonight. He wasn't going to be there when she rolled over in the night. He wasn't going to hold her until she fell asleep, and she felt lost and alone. It was insane what she was feeling, but damn it, these were her feelings.
"Nothing." She said.
Giles stroked her cheeks, brushing aside her tears. "Buffy, there are no guarantees in life, but the one thing, you can be sure of is Spike's love for you. He's fought long and hard to be here with you, and I don't think he's going to give up on you and his baby easily."
"It's the first night since we found out about the baby that he's not here." Buffy admitted, glancing unseeing at the ceiling.
"Buffy, what do you want from Spike? If his actions and his words haven't convinced you of his undying love and devotion, then what will?" Giles smiled at the irony of this conversation. They wanted the same thing, but were too scared to approach the other about it. Well, did he now have to take on the role of matchmaker too? God, he hoped not.
"I don't know." Buffy said, taking great interest in the curtains. She refused to look Giles in the eye.
"Do you want to marry Spike?" He nudged her thigh with his hand, when it appeared she wasn't going to answer him.
"I guess so."
Giles shook his head. "You know so, Buffy. Why don't you tell Spike this? I'm sure he'd love to know that's what you want. Hell, he may even want it too."
"I don't want to force him into marriage. It should be about love, not convenience." She answered, and Giles was taken aback at the insecurity he saw.
"What makes you think you'll be forcing him? You and Spike are basically living together. You're parenting Dawn, and running this household together. The only thing you need to make it official is a ring and a ceremony." Giles smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the temple. "Now, no more crying. Tell him what you want. He may surprise you."
"He does everyday." Buffy admitted, suddenly exhausted.
"I'm sure he does." Giles said, comically. "You look exhausted, and to tell you the truth, I'm beat myself. We have plenty of time to discuss Warren and his shenanigans tomorrow. "
Buffy nodded, throwing her arms tightly around Giles' neck. "Thank you. I'm sorry I went a little psycho-Slayer on you."
"It's quite alright. Made me feel right at home." Giles said. "You're cutting off my air, though."
Spike felt restless, despite the fact he'd fought two fledglings before coming here. His crypt. Home. Funny how it didn't feel like home anymore. Home was with 2 sisters, different as night and day. Home had a nice, soft bed, and running water. Home was hearing his baby's heart beating while her mother slept. He could handle one night away from them.
"Hiya, Spike. Whatcha doing here? Did Buffy throw you out?" Clem asked good-naturedly.
"Nah, her watcher's in town. Thought I'd give them the night to bond." Spike pulled his coat off, throwing it on the sarcophagus.
"That was nice of you. You probably want to be alone. I'll push off then." Clem said, disappointed his carefully arranged buffet would go to waste.
"Clem, you don't have to leave. I want you to stay. Not like I've been here much." Spike said, looking around the room.
"You can go back to Buffy's. They're probably asleep by now. You wouldn't be interrupting any bonding time." Clem suggested helpfully.
"No, it's okay. I need do some thinking, and Buffy would be too much of a distraction." Spike said, grabbing a cold beer.
"Want to talk about it? You know I'm a good listener." Clem said, pulling his ear up and out. That display earned a smile from Spike.
"Thanks, but this is something I've got to decide on my own."
"Well, if you need me, I'll be here." Clem said, settling down in front of the TV. "I can warm some wings if you like." Clem turned around, but Spike had dropped down to the lower level.
Spike pushed aside the curtain, and stuck his hand in the wall. He groped around till his fingers landed on a velvet bag hidden inside. The small bag brought back memories of his mother. He wasn't sure why he'd kept her things. She'd been dead for over 120 years.
Darla and Angelus hadn't wanted to leave gay Paris, but had once things got a little too hot for them. They'd landed back in London, some 8 years after Spike's own death. He went to check on his mother, only to find out she'd finally succumbed to Tuberculosis. Darla and Angelus had ridiculed him, telling him he should have put his mother out of her misery when he had the chance. He'd left them to their carnage, and went to his mother's home, which he found was on the auction block.
Spike broke in through the kitchen, moving quietly through the rooms where he used to live. There wasn't much left of his old life, most of it seemed to have been taken away. He had no doubt his mother had those personal items she held dear sent to her brother in Manchester. He took a chance that something would be left, and went into his old room. He counted the floorboards, kneeling on the floor. He pushed the slat, till it revealed its hidden compartment. The velvet bag lay on top of his journal.
Spike sat down on the only portion of the bed, not covered in debris. Memories of cold, winter mornings and hot chocolate, rainy days and scones and tea. Memories of a life he'd nearly forgotten until he met a young girl who reminded him of sunshine. Spike held his hand out and shook the bag. Ruby earrings, a diamond bracelet, and a ring fell into his outstretched palm. Spike laid the items aside, taking the ring between his fingers to examine it.
"William, one day you'll give this ring to a woman who'll love you like I loved your father." Mrs. Develin placed the emerald and diamond ring in his hand. "Your Papa gave this to me when I turned 18. Lord, he'd chased me long enough. He made my head spin, and in my day, that was the sign of true love."
"But there's no one out there that'll have me, Mama." William said, his blue eyes sad. Mrs. Develin laid her hand on William's face, her heart overflowing with love for her son.
"Nonsense, William. You'll find her one day. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but it you're patient," she said, holding up her finger, "you'll find her."
Spike stared at the emerald. Buffy's eyes get this color when she's about to kick some ass. "Thank you, Mama. I did find her, it only took me 128 years to do it."
Spike stood behind Clem, watching Dawson's Creek over his shoulder. Clem was totally unaware of him. All his attention was centered on the TV. Clem finally noticed him when the show went to commercial.
"Whew! That was intense. Did you see that scene with Joey and Dawson? Almost reminded me of you and Buffy." Clem said, around a mouth-full of spicy peanuts.
"I don't know whether to be insulted or not." Spike plopped down in the chair, sipping his beer, which was now lukewarm.
"Ah, Spike. I didn't mean to insult you. I just meant that you crazy kids belong together." Clem twisted his folds together concerned he had insulted Spike.
"Thanks, Clem." Spike patted his pocket, making sure the ring hadn't fallen out in the climb upstairs. "So, do you think Joey's going to finally tell Dawson she loves him?"
"Love's a tricky thing, Clem. You never know what's going to happen with it." Spike said reflecting on his own relationship with Buffy.
Buffy was waiting for Spike when he came through the basement door.
"Hi." She said, soaking in everything about him. Spike slid between her legs, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I missed you last night." She said, breathing in his scent.
"I missed you too. I hope you had a good talk with Giles because I was fucking miserable." Spike said, twirling her hair on his finger.
"Ditto." Buffy said, raising her hand. "I didn't sleep well. Your baby didn't sleep well. So, if I fall asleep on my feet today, it's all your fault." Buffy grinned.
Spike grinned back. "I'll be right there with you, luv."
Buffy leaned in, and kissed him lightly. Buffy sighed from the pleasure of his lips on hers.
"I've got something for you. It was my mother's." Spike handed the pouch to Buffy, and she felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Is there a question attached to this gift?" She asked coyly.
"No," Spike said, enjoying the way her eyes turned dark green. Yep, the emerald definitely matched her temper. "No, there isn't a question. Just this promise: There isn't another woman in this world for me. Whatever is out there looking out for creatures like me created you to be my mate, to be my lover, to be my friend, and I'm yours now and forever."
"Wow, that was pretty good." Buffy pulled the ring out of the pouch, and felt her eyes watered. It was the same ring he gave her in the dream.
Spike took her hand, and slipped the ring on her left ring finger. Buffy admired it in the dim light. She grasped his hands in hers. "I love you. Thank you for loving me."
"Buffy, are you down there?" The door opened and they looked up to see Dawn staring down at them. "Hey, Spike. I'm not interrupting a sexual moment that could scar my young psyche, am I?"
Buffy and Spike laughed, rubbing their heads against each other's. "No, Dawn. No sex going on, but something else."
"Well, everyone's here. They're waiting on you. Is something going on I should know about?" She asked, watching them for deception.
"Nope, nothing going on with us. Just the mushy stuff." Buffy grabbed Spike's hand and they hurried up the stairs. Now wasn't the time to share their news, and to be honest, Buffy wanted time to get used to the idea herself. She wanted to savor this immense feeling of belonging and happiness. She turned and kissed Spike again, shaking her head in wonder at him.
"Maybe, you should put the ring away, unless you want to answer a lot of questions." Spike suggested, keeping her left hand in his.
"I don't want to take it off." She said petulant, reluctantly slipping the ring off her finger. She dropped it back into the pouch, and put it in her pocket.
"Spike, good, you're here. We can get started." The shop had been closed for inspection. Anya gave them an hour to get the meeting underway and completed before she had to open back up. She argued that it would look suspicious to Warren, if the store were closed on the very day he was planning on hitting the army convoy. They couldn't argue with the logic. If they needed to speak further, they could always meet at Buffy's house, which they were planning on doing so anyway.
"Alright, Xander and I drove by the school this afternoon. We found an area where we can hide out until the convoy arrives. We doubt Warren will go to this area. It's on the far end of the school, where we battled the Mayor."
"You'll have to point me to it, since I missed that party." Spike told Giles.
"Don't worry, I missed it too, Spike." Anya added.
"That's because you ran." Willow said, snarkily. "Sorry, I get tense thinking about that day. The Mayor was just cruel. He tried to do his entire speech before trying to kill us. That's just wrong!"
"Yes, well thank you for that recap, Willow. Now, if we could get back to the business at hand." Giles suggested, smiling. These were his kids, and they were the best fighting team he'd ever had the pleasure to work with.
"We'll go in groups of three into the building. Willow, Anya, and I will go first. Xander and Tara will follow, 20 minutes later. By the time Buffy and Spike arrive, we should have the perimeter secure."
"What about me?" Dawn asked.
"Uh, well…" Giles stammered.
"You're staying at the house with Clem." Spike answered in a tone that brook no argument.
"That's not fair."
"Nib." Spike growled. "You'll be safer with Clem than out there with us."
"Dawn, please don't fight us on this. We're not treating you like a child. We love you. If anything ever happened to you, I couldn't forgive myself." Buffy held Dawn's hands in hers.
"I would stay at home too, if I could, but I can't. I have to make sure Warren never hurts another person again. Do you understand?"
Dawn bit the inside of her lip. "Yeah, I do. I'll stay with Clem, but don't be surprised if I know how to cheat at poker really well."
"That's my girl." Spike said, kissing her temple. Giles watched the little family moment for a moment before continuing.
"The convoy is scheduled to pass by the school at 7:45." Willow told them, handing each of them the convoy's itinerary.
"They'll only be vulnerable for 5 minutes. Warren will have to hit them within that time period or he'll lose his advantage." Giles continued. If he hits them before or after, he'll have to do it in the middle of 6 vehicles."
"No one would suspect him to do it then. It would be too dangerous. All he has to do is stop the convoy. The army will be too preoccupied battling the demon squad to fight them." Spike told them.
"I agree with Spike. Tara, is there anyway to put the barrier around them without anyone noticing it." Xander asked.
"Yes, the barrier is similar to the disinvite spell. No one knows it's there until you bump into it."
"Well, I say do the spell once they hit Sunnydale. Don't wait till they get to the school."
"You'll need more ingredients." Anya said, getting her notebook out to note the comp items they would need.
"Ok, change in plans." Buffy interjected. "Anya, you and Tara follow the convoy and do the spell. Then, haul ass to the school. Stay out of sight, until the action starts. We don't want Warren coming after you. I'll go in with Giles and Spike. We'll go first, clear the area of any earlier arrivals. Then, Will and Xander will join us. We'll have to stay under cover until Warren makes his move. Hopefully, Warren won't be able to penetrate the barrier until we get there."
"Bring any weapons you have at home. Make sure you have enough bows. Check the firing mechanisms. We don't need anything jamming on us." Spike slid his hand into Buffy's back pocket.
"I think we have everything, Buffy. Don't worry. Warren's not getting away tonight." Xander promised her.
"Warren's mine. I don't care what happens to Jonathan and Andrew. Warren started this, and I'm going to finish it."
"You okay, luv?" Spike stood in the doorway to their room. Buffy sat on the bed, staring intently at her ring.
"Just thinking we should be celebrating, not preparing for a fight."
"That's our life, Pet. Some days are good, some are like this." Spike said, sitting down next to her.
"When we come back tonight, we're locking the door, and not coming out for a few days." He said, laughing at the lustful gleam in her eyes. "Not sex, Pet. Sleep. I don't know about you, but I could sleep for a few days."
"Yeah, me too." Buffy slipped her fingers through Spike's. "I guess we should go."
"Yeah, it's time."
"Damn, damn, damn!" Buffy pounded the bed with her fists. She felt her eyes water with tears, a result of her disappointment.
Spike jumped out of bed naked, ready for attack. "What? What's wrong?"
"Spike. It's nothing. Calm down. Just had a dream." Spike looked at her queerly, surprised to see her lashes wet with tears. He climbed into bed, quickly wrapping Buffy up in his arms.
"Wanna tell me what it was about?" Spike asked, rubbing his chin through her hair.
"It was nothing, really. Just a silly dream." She said embarrassed.
"If it was silly, then why were you beating the bed up?" He teased.
"Are you going to keep pushing me until I tell you?" Buffy asked hotly.
"Ooh, musta been some dream, but no, I'm not going to push. When you're ready to tell me, you will." He kissed her temple. "Go back to sleep, Grumpy. We've got a busy day ahead of us."
"I'm not grumpy." She answered back, but he only laughed at her.
Buffy knew she was being silly, but that dream had upset her. Why? Because it wasn't true and she wanted it to be. She wanted to be bound to Spike. She wanted to know he couldn't up and leave her and the baby. Truthfully, she wanted proof Spike wanted this life.
You've got some serious daddy issues, Summers. The man has only changed his entire existence for you. He's only turned his back on his kind to be with you. Hell, he's put up with Xander. That's more than any man or demon should have to do. Buffy giggled. Her heart didn't pull any punches, much like the man sleeping next to her.
Buffy leaned back, watching as Spike's features softened in slumber. She kissed her fingertips and lightly touched his bottom lip. He smiled in his sleep. Buffy knew her irrational reaction to the dream had a lot to do with Martine. She couldn't help but empathize with the young girl. The Council saw the baby as some creation that had the potential to be evil, but that wasn't true. Love was good and pure. The baby was created from Martine and Henri's love. Buffy knew you had to look beyond vampire evil, slayer good and see the in-between stuff. That gray area where the love between a Slayer and a Vampire resided. Grey wasn't her favorite color, but she was starting to like it.
Jonathan and Andrew jumped as the bottle shattered into pieces against the wall.
"That bitch is still alive." Warren screamed. "Those fucking demons couldn't kill one pregnant Slayer. She's gotta be weak carrying that kid around, but no, she ends up killing the entire pack. Now, the others won't come near Sunnydale. They were the most ruthless bunch I could find in this dimension. I'm surrounded by idiots."
Jonathan rolled his eyes at the now familiar refrain. No one was as good as the one and only Warren. Andrew cowered under Warren's tirade.
"That's okay." Warren said to himself. "It'll be over soon enough. They think they know what I'm going to do. They have no idea. They think I'm going to hit the base. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! No, I'm going to attack the convoy before it reaches the base."
"Oh Supreme ruler, don't you think we should call this off? Buffy found the surveillance equipment at the Magic Box. We know they have your computer. Willow is smart. She'll be able to fix it." Jonathan reasoned.
"Jonathan." Warren growled as he turned to face him. He stalked over to the smaller man and grabbed him by his shirt. "Do you doubt me? No one is smarter than I am. No one! That redhead couldn't break my codes on a good day." Jonathan wrenched away from Warren, recognizing the simple fact that Warren was going insane.
"Warren's right, Jonathan. We're safe. They have no idea what we've planned. They'll still be searching for us, and we'll be on the beach sipping Shirley Temples."
Both Jonathan and Warren looked at Andrew with raised brows. "What? You can get alcohol put in them." Andrew told them.
"Uh huh. Ok, on to other things, now that Timothy Dalton's bitch has given us his two-cent worth. We still need to test these packs before Wednesday. We need some volunteers. Spanky, here, can be one." Warren said poking Jonathan on the head. "Now, we need two more."
"I'm not putting one of those on before we test them. So forget it!" Jonathan angrily told him. "You'd like it if I was killed, wouldn't you?"
"No, I wouldn't. We're a team, Jonathan. We couldn't have made it this far without you." Warren grinned sickly. Jonathan felt his skin crawl under the madman's gaze.
"So we go hunting tonight?" Andrew asked, stroking the barrel of the stun gun lovingly.
"We go a demon hunting, boys."
Xander stood hidden out of view, watching Anya, Tara, and Willow. How could he show his face after everything he'd done? He'd been an ass to each of them. He knew 'sorry' just wasn't going to cut it, especially with Anya. She'd trusted him with her newly human heart, and he'd betrayed her and hurt her. He missed talking to her, laughing with her, and loving her. He knew with startling clarity, she would never allow him near her heart again. Right now, he would settle for being her friend.
"Planning on staring at her all day." Buffy asked him, startling him out of his reverie. She saw Spike and Dawn come in from the basement.
"Spike dropped me off around back." Buffy answered his unspoken question. "The smell in the sewers makes me sick."
Buffy headed inside, but Xander remained rooted to the ground. "Baby steps, Xander. You're going to have to take baby steps. It isn't going to be easy, but before all the sex and stuff, you were friends. Work on that first, and the rest will fall into place." At least, that's what worked for Spike and me. She thought with a smile.
"It isn't going to be easy." She could tell he was scared. She'd been there too many times to count. "I can't promise you that all the hurt and pain is going to go away immediately, even with me." She warned. "But you can't give up. It's worth the fight.
Buffy sat in Spike's lap as the gang gathered around the research table. Willow and Dawn were laying out the plans they'd been able to retrieve from Warren's computer. Anya peered over Dawn's shoulder.
"A teleporter? Is nothing sacred to you people?" She grumbled, shaking her head and stalking off. They heard her say something about demon envy as she rounded the corner.
"I still can't believe the army's developed something like this. It seems so futuristic. Like 'beam me up Scotty'." Buffy felt Spike's laughter. "I mean it. A super geek having this kind of power is super scary. He could transport anywhere."
"And no one would be the wiser until it was too late." Spike finished for her. "He would be a ghost, invisible. He could go anywhere, do anything he wanted."
Buffy fanned herself remembering what she'd done when she'd been invisible.
"What would be great is knowing where exactly they are going to hit." Willow interjected.
"Xander, is there anyway we can get the army to listen to us? I know this sounds like a prank, but how would we know about the teleporter if we weren't telling the truth?" Dawn asked.
"They wouldn't change the route for that. They'll just increase the troops riding with the convoy. That's S.O.P." He said, sitting down next to Tara.
"S.O.P. What's that, Xander?" Tara asked.
"Standard operating procedure." Tara was duly impressed.
Spike leaned around Buffy and picked up the convoy's schedule. The phone rang and Anya came out of the storage room to answer it.
"Hello, Giles. Yes, she's here. I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking." Spike looked up from his reading, curious at the slight inflection in Anya's voice. She sounded almost happy about talking to the Watcher. Her face was flush, and she was smiling. Could Demon Girl have a crush on ol' Giles? He had to remember to tease her about it later.
"And I hope to speak to you again too." Anya brought the phone over to Buffy, whistling the entire time. Buffy arched her brow at the weird behavior.
"Hey, Giles. Whatcha got for me?" Buffy held the phone with one hand, resting the other one on Spike's thigh. "Really, when? That's great. Oh, that's no problem. You can stay with me. The couch is always open."
"Giles is coming?" Dawn asked, poking Buffy repeatedly on the shoulder.
Buffy widened her eyes in exasperation, and nodded. "Okay, well, I guess we can discuss everything when you get here. See you then. Yes, I'll be careful. Alright, bye."
"So, Giles is coming?"
Buffy nodded happily. "He'll be here on Wednesday night. Someone will need to pick him up from the airport."
"Did he have anymore news on Martine and her watcher?" Spike asked, finally looking up from his research. Spike couldn't stomach saying the man's name. After spending all this time with Giles and Buffy, he couldn't see how Charles Jayme could willingly hurt Martine.
"No, just what he told us last night. He just wanted to let me know he was coming. It'll be good to get a different perspective on this whole Warren thing. My brain's cooked."
"I don't think we've done half-bad, Pet. But, it would be nice to have the Watcher back." He's the only other one I trust to take care of you. He said to himself.
"That's great. You and Giles can bond on the way back from the airport." Buffy said, neatly sliding out of Spike's lap before he could realize what she'd said.
"Oh, come on, Buffy." Spike groaned, following her into the training room.
Spike closed the door behind them.
"You're going Spike, end of discussion. I need for you to do this. You and Giles are the most important men in my life. I need the two of you to be friends at least. I don't expect much from you and Xander, but I do with Giles."
Buffy listened to him grumble as he stomped past her.
"He's going to stake me on sight, then you'll be a single mother." Spike said, plopping down on the couch.
Spike's off-hand comment brought back her silly behavior from this morning. "Hey, I'm sorry I was grumpy girl this morning. I thought I was touchy before. It's ten times worse now." She remarked.
Spike held his hand out to her. She took it, and curled up in his lap.
"You touchy? I don't think so." Spike teased, kissing her softly. " You don't have to apologize for how you're feeling Buffy. I'd rather see you like this, than shut down like you were last year. If you need to be scared, upset, happy, silly, sad, I'm your guy."
"You're my guy, huh? Care to put that into writing?" Buffy said seriously.
"Do you need me to?" Spike asked back, lifting her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Do you?" Buffy was close to telling him yes, then thought he'd probably be offended. How many times had he told her he loved her, proved it with some unselfish act, some heroic deed? And she wanted further proof of his devotion, she must be hormonal.
"I've got an idea." She said, mussing his hair, knowing it would distract him from his question. He frowned at her styling technique and pushed her hand away. Buffy giggled. "I wanted to tell you something." Spike quirked his eyebrow at her, and waited.
"Thanks." She said, rubbing her forehead against Spike's.
"For what?"
"Being here."
"I'm not going anywhere, ever. Don't you know that? All I've ever wanted is here. How many times do I have to tell you Summers? I'm Not Leaving!" Buffy shifted till she straddled him.
"I know, a girl just needs to hear it every now and then." Buffy said, tilting her head back. Spike took advantage of the position to kiss and nibble her ear and neck.
"Umm, you know we haven't trained in a day." She informed him, sliding her hands down his back till she caressed his butt.
"Better watch it, Slayer. You know how much I love being an exhibitionist."
"Buffy! Spike! We really need you out here." Spike clenched his teeth in annoyance.
"Go away, Nib. I'm trying to seduce the mother of my child."
"Uh huh, well, eww! Do that at home! Now, if the two of you can control your hormones, Willow has something to show you."
"We'll be there in a minute." Buffy shouted back, smiling her apology. They listened waiting for Dawn's footsteps recede.
"I'm still here."
"Yes, you are. Come on. We can play later." Buffy said, dragging Spike to the door.
"Promise?" Spike asked, poking his lip out in a pout.
Buffy yanked his arm, pulling him off the sofa. As they entered the shop, she grabbed his butt and squeezed. Spike laughed loudly when he heard her say, "promise."
"Sorry to disturb your..ah.. talk, Buffy, but we think we've figured out where Warren's going to hit the convoy. They had pushed the tables back, and had pieced together a map. The route was outlined in red. Buffy and Spike walked the route till they got to a huge black circle. Buffy knelt to read the information.
"Please tell me that the Hellmouth isn't the most vulnerable area on their route?" The convoy passed the old burned high school. That area was usually deserted, most people remembering the Graduation massacre of 1999. Thankfully, no one had dared to rebuild on the site, leaving the Hellmouth undisturbed.
"Sorry, Buff. I'm afraid the Hellmouth is the winner. All the other areas are well populated or so open the army can protect the convoy by surrounding it. Once they hit Sunnydale, they have to change their formation." Willow said from the other side of the map.
"Warren could ambush them starting here, " Xander said pointing to the old football field, "all the way to where the old library was. After that, the convoy can slip back into its protective formation."
Spike stood at the other end, checking the area out. "He'll still need help. The three of them couldn't manage this without help, magical or otherwise."
"You think they're going to recruit some demons." Tara stated from behind Spike.
"Yeah, I do, Glenda. We'll need to make some discreet inquiries. I'll check Willy's and some other places."
"If you need some back up, I'll go with you." Xander offered. Buffy smile told Spike he'd better accept it or there would be no gymnastics later on the pummel horse.
"Thanks, wh..ah...Xander." Spike smirked at Buffy as he walked by.
"I can prepare some potions and spells. We can use them against Warren's crew or even the army, if we need to." Tara suggested.
"That sounds perfect, Tara. I would love to get the army guys out of there. They're the ones I'm really concerned about. I know what to expect from any demons helping Warren, but the army with those guns and stuff. That's the scary part."
"It'd be great if we could freeze them. Not the chilly kind of freeze, but you know, the time standing still kind, like on Charmed." Dawn giddily suggested. She knew Buffy hated the show, but she thought the characters had some cool powers.
"Well, you could ship them to an alternate dimension." Anya told them. "You could send them someplace for awhile. They'd never know they were even gone."
"N...no." Tara shouted. "We don't know what could happen to them."
"Ok, Tara. It was just a suggestion." Anya said, hurt by Tara's sharp rebuke. Willow stood by feeling guilty, knowing she had suggested the same thing all those terrible months ago.
"There is a spell that would put a barrier around the army convoy. It would work two-fold." Willow piped in, climbing the ladder to find the spell book. "It would keep the army from accidentally shooting one of us, and also keep the teleporter away from Warren."
Willow thumbed through the book till she found the section on magical barriers. She had used the book on more than one occasion to keep Spike and Angel out of Buffy's house. She'd finally memorized that spell, just in case it was needed again.
"So, the only thing left to do is to figure out where we are going to position ourselves around the school." Spike said, coming to stand behind Dawn. He flung his arm around her shoulders.
"We can do that from here." Buffy said. "No one goes near the school. We don't want to tip Warren off."
"Spike, you and Xander get together, figure out the demon situation. Willow, Tara, and Anya make a list of the things you'll need for that spell. If you need anything, call Giles. He can bring it over with him."
"What do you want me to do, Buffy?" Dawn asked eagerly.
"Well, you could help Tara and Willow if you like, but I kinda wanted you to be support girl while I call Francois Hemmings."
"Are you worried she doesn't have the diary?" Dawn said, joining Buffy in the training room.
"Yeah. What if she doesn't have it, Dawn? We'll never know what really happened to Martine."
"Buffy, why is it so important to you? She's dead. Nothing can bring her or her baby back." Dawn sat on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her.
"I can't explain it Dawn. It's like there's some connection between us. I can't help feel that she felt the same things I'm feeling with my baby." Buffy gazed lovingly at her belly. Spike told Xander to hold on a minute, and went to check on Buffy.
"I want everything for her. A home filled with love and family. I want her to know her father and mother love each other very much, that we love her very much."
"Bitty will know all that. And you're probably right, Martine probably had those same feelings. Any mother would. I'm sure Mom did when she had you. It's natural, Buffy." Buffy smiled, and felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.
"I'm fine, Spike." She said, knowing he stood just outside the door. He stuck his head inside and smiled back at her.
"I know. Just wanted to check on my girls." The door closed, and they heard his boots stomp away.
"Buffy, if Ms. Hemmings has the diary, are you prepared to hear what Charles Jayme has to say. It may not be pretty." Dawn rested her hand on Buffy's knee.
"I have to know, so I can protect her. I have to know what the Council is prepared to do to prevent her birth."
"They don't even know you're pregnant Buffy." Dawn reminded her.
"Mr. Travers, we have a problem sir." The young watcher strode into Travers' London office. He held a file in his hand with the name Charles Jayme scribbled at the top.
"Yes, what is it Reinhold?" Travers asked, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.
"Someone has been trying to access the Auberjonis file." The young man had to restrain himself from taking a step backwards. The look on Travers' face would have sent a weaker man scurrying into a corner.
Reinhold handed the file to Travers, who scanned the sheets in front of him quickly. "Why wasn't I told of this sooner?" He asked, taking his glasses off with an ease that defied his anger at this mishap.
"We thought it was a hacker, sir. Just poking around in our firewalls. It wasn't until we checked and found that an access code was used to bypass security, did we start a full security search."
"And the diary? Rupert Giles was allowed to walk into the archives, request the diary, and no one noticed the note attached to alert me if it was ever requested." Travers was standing with his fists on the table.
"We erred, sir. It won't happen again. The diary was returned after only a day. Mr. Giles stated he'd found the information he was looking for."
"And what information was that, Reinhold?" Travers said steely, slowly coming from behind his desk. "What did he tell you he was looking for?"
"Some demon that supposedly was extinct but was recently seen in Sunnydale." Reinhold said, trying not to piss his pants. Travers stood as close as possible to Reinhold. Reinhold felt and smelled his breath on his face.
"A demon you say. Nothing else." Travers seemed to find this information puzzling, but Reinhold didn't comment. He was just glad the man had stepped away from him. "Did Mr. Giles mention anything else about the Slayer in Sunnydale?"
"No, sir. In fact, we only spoke for a few minutes." Reinhold didn't have anything else to add to his report, so he began to inch his way out of the office.
"You're dismissed, Mr. Reinhold. You're not to mention this conversation or Mr. Giles' inquiry of Charles Jayme to anyone. Do I make myself clear?" He said, looking over his glasses. Reinhold knew he'd been given a reprieve, but damn, if he didn't feel like his life had just been threatened.
Travers waited, contemplating the implications of Giles' actions. He didn't believe in coincidences. Someone was interested in Martine Auberjonis and Giles was looking into Charles Jayme's diary, and his Slayer had a penchant for sleeping with vampires. Travers finally picked up the phone, punching the numbers quickly.
"What do you need done?" The voice on the other end asked, not bothering to question who was calling him.
"I need a team in Sunnydale as soon as possible. We may have another occurrence with the prophecy. This is reconnaissance only. Report back to me when you arrive."
"Will do." The line went dead. Travers continued to hold the phone, thinking about the girl who'd defied him on more than one occasion. If Buffy Summers had some how stumbled onto the prophecy, she would have to be dealt with. He wouldn't allow that prophecy to come to fruition.
"So how did your phone call to Francois Hemmings go?" Spike asked as they finally made it home from the Magic Box. "I meant to ask earlier, but you kinda distracted me with the 'training'."
"We really needed to train." She said trailing her fingers across his back as she walked past. Spike couldn't disagree with her on that.
Buffy curled into a ball on the sofa. Spike slid in behind her, resting his head on the pillow. "She said there were some items up in her attic. Things of Charles Jayme that her grandmother kept. She didn't know if there was a diary or journal among the things." Buffy nibbled her lip, thinking. Always thinking.
"Are you worried she doesn't have it or that she does and won't give it to you?" Spike hugged Buffy tightly, feeling her tremble.
"Dawn asked me if I was prepared to know the truth. I told her I needed to know, to be prepared for whatever the Council has planned, but now.."
"You're not sure." He finished for her. "Buffy, I'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe, all of us. But I gotta tell you, knowing the truth won't bring you any peace, it'll only give proof to your fears." Spike wondered if that was what had Buffy so upset this morning.
"Too late, already scared." She joked. "I feel connected to her. Slayers are like sisters, but this is different. We share something else, something special. I feel her, even 200 years later. Do a time warp and that could be us."
Spike rose up and Buffy lay on her back to look at him. "You're right. Different time, different place, that's us, but it's not. I look at it this way, luv. Martine is helping us, so what happened to her, doesn't happen to us. Call it, Martine's revenge or gift or whatever."
"Do you think it was a coincidence we happen to know the one demon that lived back then? No, I don't think so. You're right, Pet. Our lives are connected." Spike pulled her shirt up, revealing her belly. He leaned over and placed a kiss on their child's heart. "Martine and Henri will not have died in vain, Buffy. Not as long as we're alive, not as long as we keep her safe."
Warren kicked the limp body of the Dvorak demon. The little fuzzy demon had screamed in terror when they ignited the jetpack. Warren couldn't figure if it was from his fear of heights or the intense heat bombarding its body. It didn't really matter now. The Dvorak had died shortly after landing. That was one less demon they had to worry about, in Warren's opinion.
"Hurry up, morons! We've still got to make the modifications before Thursday."
Jonathan and Andrew struggled to get the next contestant into his pack. They looked ridiculous. They each had a tentacle or whatever it was sticking out from its body. Warren would have helped them if his arm weren't still throbbing. That fucking wrinkled demon. Who would have thought something that looked like silly putty would have claws like that?
"We could use some help!" Jonathan screamed, but Warren ignored him.
"You'll manage." Warren said, going over to his laptop and inputting the new information they'd gathered. Despite the gash in his arm, Warren felt terrific. Soon all his hard work and planning would come to fruition. Soon, all of Sunnydale and the world would know his name. They would cower in his presence. But first, he had a score to settle with a certain blonde and her boyfriend. People like Buffy and Spike, the beautiful people, had always looked down their noses at him, but no more. They'd die slowly, and then they would see who was the superior being.
Giles watched the various pieces of luggage go by on the carousel, and wondered what in the hell was he going to say to Buffy and Spike? They were adults. Spike, more so, than Buffy. Through their love, they had created a child. It was all pretty normal, actually, except for the whole vampire thing. What right did he have to judge them? They lived extraordinary lives. They faced and lived death constantly, yet through all the pain and misery, they'd found in each other, happiness.
Spike stood next to Giles, wondering how long it was going to take before the Watcher noticed him. He saw a tweed bag come around with the initials R.G. stamped on it and plucked it off the conveyor belt. He checked the name on the tag to be sure there wasn't some other idiot out there with the same affection for tweed.
"If you're through contemplating the architecture of this place, let's get going. Buffy's waiting on you." Spike said with glee, watching as Giles went pale from shock.
"Spike, good lord, man! Are you trying to kill me?" Spike thought long and hard on that statement before shrugging and walking off, leaving Giles to scramble after him. The walk to the parking garage was done in silence. Each man wondering how far they would take this attempted reconciliation for the blonde they both loved.
Giles decided he'd be the bigger man, and open up the conversation. "Buffy tells me she quit her job last week at your urging."
"Yeah, that place was beneath her. Besides, it wasn't good for her to stand for that long." Spike handed the attendant a few dollars, never once asking Giles to pay for it. "I take care of my own." Spike told him as they hit the highway.
"Yes, Buffy told me about the Amara treasure. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't fence the stuff sooner."
"Didn't have a kid on the way, and Buffy wouldn't have accepted it, anyway." Spike said, chancing a glance in the Watcher's direction.
"Well, you're quite right, it is your responsibility to take care of your child and her mother." Giles looked out the window, listening to the buzz of the cars as they passed them by. Spike's next statement had Giles clutching his heart with shock.
"I'd marry her if she'd let me."
"Uh, um, oh...really." Giles didn't really know what to say in answer to that declaration. "Is that what Buffy wants?"
"I wish I knew, Rup."
Giles heard the vampire sigh, and he wondered again at the irony of this situation. Here, he was, a watcher, giving relationship advice to a vampire in love with a slayer.
"Forget I said anything. It doesn't matter one way or the other. I'm not leaving her ever. Even if we weren't having a child together, I wouldn't leave her." Spike wanted to kick himself for mentioning marriage to Giles. He was Buffy's watcher, father-figure extraordinaire. He might not freak about the baby because it was human, but allowing his slayer to marry a vampire was another thing entirely. Spike didn't even know if Buffy wanted marriage. He thought he knew the answer to that question, but you never knew with Buffy, especially now that her hormones were spiraling out of control.
"How is everything else? Buffy told me about the attack at the hospital. Any sign of Warren and his friends since then?
"No," Spike quickly answered, "but that's not unusual. They get others to do their handiwork, while they hide in their van. The attack on Dawn was the first time Warren got his hands dirty." Spike gritted his teeth. Warren would pay for putting his hands on the Nib.
"Have you found out anymore about the Army heist?" Giles asked, turning in his seat to give Spike his full attention.
"Yeah, the whelp and me hit Willy's and some other spots, picked up a little info. It seems Warren's been recruiting some nasty demons with promises of humans to devour. There've been some takers, but most found out what happened with the Kalstas. That put a crimp in his plans." Spike turned down Revello, and pulled the Desoto into the driveway. He turned off the ignition, and sat there looking at the house.
"I'm going to push off. Staying at the crypt tonight. Figured you and Buffy needed to rebond and all that." Giles nodded. "She's scared, Rupert. She's scared for the baby, for Dawn, for me. Having you here will do her a world of good."
"I've missed her, too. I never should have left her." Giles said, looking up at the house, his second home.
"No, you shouldn't have." Spike said, bluntly. "She needed you and you up and left her. They all left her to handle being back."
"You didn't." Giles stated. "You never left her through all of this. Despite, everything you've done to Buffy, you're a good man." The front door opened and Buffy stepped out. She was wearing a black peasant shirt, which hid her stomach.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Spike. We have a lot to discuss." Giles pulled his bag out the back, noting with some amusement Spike hadn't found his voice yet. Good, he'd been trying for 3 years to get him to shut up.
Buffy smiled at Giles, but her eyes were on Spike. He threw his hand out the window. "Later, luv." Spike shouted out the window, as he put the car in reverse and took off. Giles watched him go, turning back in time to see Buffy's crestfallen expression. But her smile returned and she embraced him tightly as he came up the stairs.
Giles watched Buffy surreptitiously out the corner of his eye as she prepared the sofa for him. She'd been genuinely happy to see him, crying her relief to have him home. When the door opened later to admit Willow and Tara, Buffy had been crushed, but quickly covered. Now, they were alone. Willow and Dawn had gone up to their rooms. Even with a super-geek on their tails, school still called. Buffy fluffed two pillows and threw them at one end. She stood up, and turned, surprised to find Giles staring at her.
"I can't tell you're pregnant." He said in awe.
"You could if I wasn't wearing this shirt. Spike hates it." She explained, smoothing out the sheet before sitting down. She sighed hard, plucking at the shirt's gauze-like material. "Well, I'm sure in the next week or two, I'll get a great view of your stomach." Buffy's eyes widened. "Uh, that didn't come out the way I meant it to."
Buffy snickered. "I'm glad you here, Giles." She said, reaching across the sofa to grab his hand.
Giles patted her hand, remembering a night not so unlike this one, when she pulled away from his touch.
"Gosh, I can't believe you're really here." She said happily.
"Well, I am. I wish it was under better conditions." He said wistfully.
"But it is. I'm having a baby. I have a wonderful sister, who's been nothing but helpful and understanding. She's also Sunnydale's resident matchmaker, but she's good. And that makes me happy." Buffy said, pulling her leg up on the sofa. "And Willow and Tara are doing better. They're dating, albeit taking it slow. Xander, well, he's been an ass, but he's coming around. Anya's great. She seems to be getting her life back in order." Buffy was babbling, and Giles patiently waited for her to tell him what was troubling her. "Everybody's doing so much better. We're all happy, happy, happy." She said, feigning joy.
"And what about Spike?" Giles asked gingerly.
Buffy's lip trembled and she broke out in sobs. "He... he's doing fine. Great. That's why he didn't stay here tonight." Giles stared at her, confused, wondering how they went from a cheery report on everyone to Spike's decision to stay at the crypt.
Buffy swiped embarrassed at her tears. "He said he wanted to give us some time together, to talk, but he's really getting too overwhelmed with all of this."
"Buffy, I don't think that's the case." Giles defended Spike. "He seems..."
"Giles, why are you taking his side? He's not here. Obviously, he couldn't face being here, having you know the truth about us. It's okay to torment Xander, but when it's you, it becomes a little too much for him."
She was becoming overwrought, and Giles had limited experience with pregnant women. "Buffy, calm down. Spike loves you. I've never seen a man more in love with a woman." And it was true. Giles couldn't dismiss Spike's feelings. They were genuine.
"Then, why doesn't he want to marry me, then?" She looked so miserable, Giles' heart went out to her.
Giles smiled, secure in the knowledge, Spike having the same fears. "This isn't funny, Giles. The father of my child doesn't want to be with me. He's only here because of the baby."
Giles grabbed Buffy by the hands, forcing her to sit quietly. "Listen to me, Buffy. Spike loved you before this baby, and he'll continue to love you until he dies. You know that. I've heard you say it too many times in these last weeks, not to believe you know it, deep in your heart. So, what's really upsetting you?"
Buffy took a deep breath. She hadn't meant to lose it like that, but she'd been holding everything in since Spike told her he wasn't staying with her tonight. He wasn't going to be there when she rolled over in the night. He wasn't going to hold her until she fell asleep, and she felt lost and alone. It was insane what she was feeling, but damn it, these were her feelings.
"Nothing." She said.
Giles stroked her cheeks, brushing aside her tears. "Buffy, there are no guarantees in life, but the one thing, you can be sure of is Spike's love for you. He's fought long and hard to be here with you, and I don't think he's going to give up on you and his baby easily."
"It's the first night since we found out about the baby that he's not here." Buffy admitted, glancing unseeing at the ceiling.
"Buffy, what do you want from Spike? If his actions and his words haven't convinced you of his undying love and devotion, then what will?" Giles smiled at the irony of this conversation. They wanted the same thing, but were too scared to approach the other about it. Well, did he now have to take on the role of matchmaker too? God, he hoped not.
"I don't know." Buffy said, taking great interest in the curtains. She refused to look Giles in the eye.
"Do you want to marry Spike?" He nudged her thigh with his hand, when it appeared she wasn't going to answer him.
"I guess so."
Giles shook his head. "You know so, Buffy. Why don't you tell Spike this? I'm sure he'd love to know that's what you want. Hell, he may even want it too."
"I don't want to force him into marriage. It should be about love, not convenience." She answered, and Giles was taken aback at the insecurity he saw.
"What makes you think you'll be forcing him? You and Spike are basically living together. You're parenting Dawn, and running this household together. The only thing you need to make it official is a ring and a ceremony." Giles smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the temple. "Now, no more crying. Tell him what you want. He may surprise you."
"He does everyday." Buffy admitted, suddenly exhausted.
"I'm sure he does." Giles said, comically. "You look exhausted, and to tell you the truth, I'm beat myself. We have plenty of time to discuss Warren and his shenanigans tomorrow. "
Buffy nodded, throwing her arms tightly around Giles' neck. "Thank you. I'm sorry I went a little psycho-Slayer on you."
"It's quite alright. Made me feel right at home." Giles said. "You're cutting off my air, though."
Spike felt restless, despite the fact he'd fought two fledglings before coming here. His crypt. Home. Funny how it didn't feel like home anymore. Home was with 2 sisters, different as night and day. Home had a nice, soft bed, and running water. Home was hearing his baby's heart beating while her mother slept. He could handle one night away from them.
"Hiya, Spike. Whatcha doing here? Did Buffy throw you out?" Clem asked good-naturedly.
"Nah, her watcher's in town. Thought I'd give them the night to bond." Spike pulled his coat off, throwing it on the sarcophagus.
"That was nice of you. You probably want to be alone. I'll push off then." Clem said, disappointed his carefully arranged buffet would go to waste.
"Clem, you don't have to leave. I want you to stay. Not like I've been here much." Spike said, looking around the room.
"You can go back to Buffy's. They're probably asleep by now. You wouldn't be interrupting any bonding time." Clem suggested helpfully.
"No, it's okay. I need do some thinking, and Buffy would be too much of a distraction." Spike said, grabbing a cold beer.
"Want to talk about it? You know I'm a good listener." Clem said, pulling his ear up and out. That display earned a smile from Spike.
"Thanks, but this is something I've got to decide on my own."
"Well, if you need me, I'll be here." Clem said, settling down in front of the TV. "I can warm some wings if you like." Clem turned around, but Spike had dropped down to the lower level.
Spike pushed aside the curtain, and stuck his hand in the wall. He groped around till his fingers landed on a velvet bag hidden inside. The small bag brought back memories of his mother. He wasn't sure why he'd kept her things. She'd been dead for over 120 years.
Darla and Angelus hadn't wanted to leave gay Paris, but had once things got a little too hot for them. They'd landed back in London, some 8 years after Spike's own death. He went to check on his mother, only to find out she'd finally succumbed to Tuberculosis. Darla and Angelus had ridiculed him, telling him he should have put his mother out of her misery when he had the chance. He'd left them to their carnage, and went to his mother's home, which he found was on the auction block.
Spike broke in through the kitchen, moving quietly through the rooms where he used to live. There wasn't much left of his old life, most of it seemed to have been taken away. He had no doubt his mother had those personal items she held dear sent to her brother in Manchester. He took a chance that something would be left, and went into his old room. He counted the floorboards, kneeling on the floor. He pushed the slat, till it revealed its hidden compartment. The velvet bag lay on top of his journal.
Spike sat down on the only portion of the bed, not covered in debris. Memories of cold, winter mornings and hot chocolate, rainy days and scones and tea. Memories of a life he'd nearly forgotten until he met a young girl who reminded him of sunshine. Spike held his hand out and shook the bag. Ruby earrings, a diamond bracelet, and a ring fell into his outstretched palm. Spike laid the items aside, taking the ring between his fingers to examine it.
"William, one day you'll give this ring to a woman who'll love you like I loved your father." Mrs. Develin placed the emerald and diamond ring in his hand. "Your Papa gave this to me when I turned 18. Lord, he'd chased me long enough. He made my head spin, and in my day, that was the sign of true love."
"But there's no one out there that'll have me, Mama." William said, his blue eyes sad. Mrs. Develin laid her hand on William's face, her heart overflowing with love for her son.
"Nonsense, William. You'll find her one day. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but it you're patient," she said, holding up her finger, "you'll find her."
Spike stared at the emerald. Buffy's eyes get this color when she's about to kick some ass. "Thank you, Mama. I did find her, it only took me 128 years to do it."
Spike stood behind Clem, watching Dawson's Creek over his shoulder. Clem was totally unaware of him. All his attention was centered on the TV. Clem finally noticed him when the show went to commercial.
"Whew! That was intense. Did you see that scene with Joey and Dawson? Almost reminded me of you and Buffy." Clem said, around a mouth-full of spicy peanuts.
"I don't know whether to be insulted or not." Spike plopped down in the chair, sipping his beer, which was now lukewarm.
"Ah, Spike. I didn't mean to insult you. I just meant that you crazy kids belong together." Clem twisted his folds together concerned he had insulted Spike.
"Thanks, Clem." Spike patted his pocket, making sure the ring hadn't fallen out in the climb upstairs. "So, do you think Joey's going to finally tell Dawson she loves him?"
"Love's a tricky thing, Clem. You never know what's going to happen with it." Spike said reflecting on his own relationship with Buffy.
Buffy was waiting for Spike when he came through the basement door.
"Hi." She said, soaking in everything about him. Spike slid between her legs, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I missed you last night." She said, breathing in his scent.
"I missed you too. I hope you had a good talk with Giles because I was fucking miserable." Spike said, twirling her hair on his finger.
"Ditto." Buffy said, raising her hand. "I didn't sleep well. Your baby didn't sleep well. So, if I fall asleep on my feet today, it's all your fault." Buffy grinned.
Spike grinned back. "I'll be right there with you, luv."
Buffy leaned in, and kissed him lightly. Buffy sighed from the pleasure of his lips on hers.
"I've got something for you. It was my mother's." Spike handed the pouch to Buffy, and she felt a sense of déjà vu.
"Is there a question attached to this gift?" She asked coyly.
"No," Spike said, enjoying the way her eyes turned dark green. Yep, the emerald definitely matched her temper. "No, there isn't a question. Just this promise: There isn't another woman in this world for me. Whatever is out there looking out for creatures like me created you to be my mate, to be my lover, to be my friend, and I'm yours now and forever."
"Wow, that was pretty good." Buffy pulled the ring out of the pouch, and felt her eyes watered. It was the same ring he gave her in the dream.
Spike took her hand, and slipped the ring on her left ring finger. Buffy admired it in the dim light. She grasped his hands in hers. "I love you. Thank you for loving me."
"Buffy, are you down there?" The door opened and they looked up to see Dawn staring down at them. "Hey, Spike. I'm not interrupting a sexual moment that could scar my young psyche, am I?"
Buffy and Spike laughed, rubbing their heads against each other's. "No, Dawn. No sex going on, but something else."
"Well, everyone's here. They're waiting on you. Is something going on I should know about?" She asked, watching them for deception.
"Nope, nothing going on with us. Just the mushy stuff." Buffy grabbed Spike's hand and they hurried up the stairs. Now wasn't the time to share their news, and to be honest, Buffy wanted time to get used to the idea herself. She wanted to savor this immense feeling of belonging and happiness. She turned and kissed Spike again, shaking her head in wonder at him.
"Maybe, you should put the ring away, unless you want to answer a lot of questions." Spike suggested, keeping her left hand in his.
"I don't want to take it off." She said petulant, reluctantly slipping the ring off her finger. She dropped it back into the pouch, and put it in her pocket.
"Spike, good, you're here. We can get started." The shop had been closed for inspection. Anya gave them an hour to get the meeting underway and completed before she had to open back up. She argued that it would look suspicious to Warren, if the store were closed on the very day he was planning on hitting the army convoy. They couldn't argue with the logic. If they needed to speak further, they could always meet at Buffy's house, which they were planning on doing so anyway.
"Alright, Xander and I drove by the school this afternoon. We found an area where we can hide out until the convoy arrives. We doubt Warren will go to this area. It's on the far end of the school, where we battled the Mayor."
"You'll have to point me to it, since I missed that party." Spike told Giles.
"Don't worry, I missed it too, Spike." Anya added.
"That's because you ran." Willow said, snarkily. "Sorry, I get tense thinking about that day. The Mayor was just cruel. He tried to do his entire speech before trying to kill us. That's just wrong!"
"Yes, well thank you for that recap, Willow. Now, if we could get back to the business at hand." Giles suggested, smiling. These were his kids, and they were the best fighting team he'd ever had the pleasure to work with.
"We'll go in groups of three into the building. Willow, Anya, and I will go first. Xander and Tara will follow, 20 minutes later. By the time Buffy and Spike arrive, we should have the perimeter secure."
"What about me?" Dawn asked.
"Uh, well…" Giles stammered.
"You're staying at the house with Clem." Spike answered in a tone that brook no argument.
"That's not fair."
"Nib." Spike growled. "You'll be safer with Clem than out there with us."
"Dawn, please don't fight us on this. We're not treating you like a child. We love you. If anything ever happened to you, I couldn't forgive myself." Buffy held Dawn's hands in hers.
"I would stay at home too, if I could, but I can't. I have to make sure Warren never hurts another person again. Do you understand?"
Dawn bit the inside of her lip. "Yeah, I do. I'll stay with Clem, but don't be surprised if I know how to cheat at poker really well."
"That's my girl." Spike said, kissing her temple. Giles watched the little family moment for a moment before continuing.
"The convoy is scheduled to pass by the school at 7:45." Willow told them, handing each of them the convoy's itinerary.
"They'll only be vulnerable for 5 minutes. Warren will have to hit them within that time period or he'll lose his advantage." Giles continued. If he hits them before or after, he'll have to do it in the middle of 6 vehicles."
"No one would suspect him to do it then. It would be too dangerous. All he has to do is stop the convoy. The army will be too preoccupied battling the demon squad to fight them." Spike told them.
"I agree with Spike. Tara, is there anyway to put the barrier around them without anyone noticing it." Xander asked.
"Yes, the barrier is similar to the disinvite spell. No one knows it's there until you bump into it."
"Well, I say do the spell once they hit Sunnydale. Don't wait till they get to the school."
"You'll need more ingredients." Anya said, getting her notebook out to note the comp items they would need.
"Ok, change in plans." Buffy interjected. "Anya, you and Tara follow the convoy and do the spell. Then, haul ass to the school. Stay out of sight, until the action starts. We don't want Warren coming after you. I'll go in with Giles and Spike. We'll go first, clear the area of any earlier arrivals. Then, Will and Xander will join us. We'll have to stay under cover until Warren makes his move. Hopefully, Warren won't be able to penetrate the barrier until we get there."
"Bring any weapons you have at home. Make sure you have enough bows. Check the firing mechanisms. We don't need anything jamming on us." Spike slid his hand into Buffy's back pocket.
"I think we have everything, Buffy. Don't worry. Warren's not getting away tonight." Xander promised her.
"Warren's mine. I don't care what happens to Jonathan and Andrew. Warren started this, and I'm going to finish it."
"You okay, luv?" Spike stood in the doorway to their room. Buffy sat on the bed, staring intently at her ring.
"Just thinking we should be celebrating, not preparing for a fight."
"That's our life, Pet. Some days are good, some are like this." Spike said, sitting down next to her.
"When we come back tonight, we're locking the door, and not coming out for a few days." He said, laughing at the lustful gleam in her eyes. "Not sex, Pet. Sleep. I don't know about you, but I could sleep for a few days."
"Yeah, me too." Buffy slipped her fingers through Spike's. "I guess we should go."
"Yeah, it's time."
