Disclaimer: I will not claim to own anything of this story. Joss Whedon created the characters, Billie Letts wrote "Where the Heart Is", which this is based on.

Rating: This will be rated R! Sorry kiddies, but I like using inappropriate language.

Author's Notes: Sorry I took so long to post. School is an utter nightmare of homework, and I just wish I could go live in a little cave all by myself. Hey, so . . . yeah, don't know what else to say. Umm, read "The daVinci Code"! It's fabulous.

PS: Happy Groundhog's Day. ____________________________________________________________________________

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Chapter Fifteen- Vanished

It was still dark when Buffy's alarm clock went off Saturday at six. But, she had been up for hours, staring at the ceiling, while trying to stay warm huddled underneath a mountain of blankets. A cold front had just recently hit the town of Sunnydale, and many of the local weathermen were predicting that it might actually be a white Christmas. The residents had taken to pulling out the warm, fluffy blankets and coats from the attic.

Like any normal person who had a day off, Buffy should have been sleeping. In fact, she should have been planning to wake up by at least ten, then spend the day in her pajamas.

"Gotta get up, gotta get up . . ." She repeated the mantra, willing herself to get out of bed. Her mind was alert, excited for the events planned that December day, while her body was refusing to leave the snuggly paradise.

Finally, she was able to pull herself out of bed, almost immediately regretting it once the cold air hit her body. She pulled on her baby blue bathrobe and matching slippers, and snuck outside, hoping not to wake Joyce.

She made a pit stop in her pursuit of breakfast. Opening Aurora's door slowly, she poked her head in.

Little bubbly, baby sounds were coming from the crib, a beautiful stained wood one that Tara helped her find at a flea market. Buffy crept in, and shut the door behind her.

"Hi honey," she whispered, peaking into Aurora's crib. The baby smiled back, recognizing her mom instantly. Reaching out her chubby arms, she began to coo.

Buffy picked up her daughter, chuckling as she began to squirm in her yellow one-sie with little ducks in rain-boots printed all over the fabric.

"Yeah," Buffy said, seating herself in the nearby rocking chair, "I don't like ducks that much, either."

Aurora knew what was about to happen, and began making her hungry noises.

"Mmm, mmm," she began to whine.

"Mmm, mmm," Buffy mimicked, opening up her pajama shirt. Willow had advised her early on to keep breastfeeding, at least until Aurora was nine months old. Also, as Anya had later pointed out, not buying formula saved money, and Buffy couldn't argue with that.

Rubbing Aurora's head, Buffy noticed that some of her hair was growing back. Aurora had lost all her hair the day she turned five weeks old, but Willow had assured her that it was normal. The hair that was coming in now was finer, although it was unfortunately still dark brown, just like Angel's. At least every other feature on the baby seemed to come from her side, which might not be such a good thing after all.

Buffy had just burped Aurora when her door opened a crack.

Joyce, also in her bathrobe, poked her head in, and smiled sleepily when she spotted Buffy.

"I was just going to check on her," she commented, punctuating it with a yawn.

"You're too late," Buffy responded, sticking her tongue out.

Rolling her eyes, Joyce entered the room, and began fixing the sheets in Aurora's crib.

"You don't mind watching her all day, do you?" Buffy nervously glanced at the older woman.

Joyce laughed. "You couldn't keep me away from her. What time do you think you'll get back?"

"Why, gotta hot date?" teased Buffy.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

Smiling sarcastically, Joyce resumed making Aurora's bed, while Buffy tried to suppress the image of Joyce and Clem, naked and sweaty together . . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Morning Anya!" Buffy walked into the Giles' kitchen, and seated herself across from the woman.

Anya, still blurry-eyed and obviously wearing Giles's bathrobe to cover her cream silk nightgown, took a long sip of coffee before responding.

"I don't see how you could be so cheerful at an hour like this, especially since it is a weekend and there is no reason to get up early."

"Lots of coffee . . ."

Anya raised an eyebrow. "Just coffee? No drugs involved?"

Buffy kept a straight face, though inwardly she was beaming.

"No drugs, except for my huge crack problem. I'm just excited!" Buffy began to bounce impatiently in the chair. "Where's my Partner-In-Crime?"

Groaning, Anya drank the rest of her coffee, then poured herself some more. "You mean Mr. 'Never-wake-me-up-unless-the-whole-bloody-house-is-on-fire- and-even-if-it-is-just-let-me-die'? I poured a bucket of ice water on his head just a few minutes ago."

Buffy gasped. "You didn't!"

"You said you'd find me a tree if woke him up. I do my work correctly and efficiently."

Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open violently, and Spike stormed through, pajamas soaking wet and little droplets of water trailing down his face as he carried in his drenched sheets. Ignoring the two women, he marched to the laundry room, the door slamming behind him.

"I don't think he's gonna be a happy camper today," Buffy muttered, sinking down in the chair.

Anya shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think he'll be too angry. This wasn't the first time I've done it."

"You're kidding."

"How else do you think I got him to go to school when he was eighteen?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

By eight, the time when the two left the library, Spike had calmed down. He had only yelled at Anya for two minutes, and she had shut him up by making him a plate of French toast.

"So what's the plan for today, luv," Spike asked as he jumped into the jeep Buffy had borrowed from Joyce for this day. "Lunch? Movies? Buy me pretty things?"

Rolling her eyes, Buffy shut the driver-side door and buckled her seatbelt. "You and I are getting Christmas trees for our homes. And, before you decide to pick out some half-dead twig for the library, Anya gave me a detailed description of acceptable trees to buy."

Said list was five pages long.

"Well, lead on Ma Capitan!"

Buffy gave him a strange look, and started the car up.

In an extraordinary display of capitalism that would have made Anya weep, seven Christmas tree lots had popped up overnight, joining the five that had been in business since Thanksgiving.

Noon passed, and Buffy had gone through half of them, not finding a tree she liked. Every single one she had looked at was too short, too brown, too "needle-ly", too bare, or, in the case of one specimen, "too green".

"Holy God! There is someone in this world more anal-retentive than Anya!" Spike exclaimed in amazement as he paid for the tree he had found in lot #8, one that fit his aunt's description.

"I'm not anal, I'm just picky. None of these are right," Buffy commented, staring at the Spike's tree, which, in her opinion, looked a tad blue.

As they were carrying the tree to the jeep, Buffy saw a red minivan pull up in a nearby space.

"Look," she pointed out, "The Harris wagon."

Xander, who was driving the car, saw Spike and Buffy as he parked, and after unhooking Meredith from her car seat, walked over.

"Doin' alright, mate?" Spike inquired.

"Not as bad as yesterday," Xander muttered, turning to watch Cordelia step out of the minivan, ignoring her husband and friends as she grabbed Meredith and stormed into the tree lot. "I think she's getting over it."

Reaching a hand out and mussing up his hair, Buffy giggled. "She's never going to forgive you."

"It's not like I was the only one there!" Xander began to pout, and began walking in the direction Cordelia went. "I better go try and make good."

"Diamonds help," observed Buffy, although the two males rolled their eyes.

"See you later!" Xander jogged off.

Spike shook his head as he secured the tree to the roof. "Less than five months, and they're pregnant again. Can't believe it."

"Well, it's not all that uncommon." Buffy remembered her own little almost- accident with Riley Finn just three months after Aurora's birth.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Nothing," she quickly said, climbing into the jeep. "Let's get out of here."

Lots nine through twelve flashed by, and Buffy still hadn't found her perfect tree. Yet, there was hope. One customer at lot eleven told her of a small Christmas tree place a half-hour drive from Sunnydale, which had beautiful, but spendy, trees. Buffy had no problem with spending the money, so soon the two were off towards this secret tree lot.

Spike leaned his head against the window, watching the scenery pass by.

"I don't see what's so important about these damn trees. I mean, you buy it, put it up in your living room, then take it down when it dies. Not that big of a bloody deal," he groaned.

Buffy sighed, taking off the ski cap she had worn all day.

"Did you always have a tree?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I didn't. In fact, I've never had a real Christmas."

Unbelieving, Spike turned to stare at her.

"Almost every single year, I was back in a group home for Christmas. You see, money's always really tight around that time, and most of the foster families couldn't afford to feed an extra mouth, so I'd get sent back. I mean, yeah, I'd get a gift or two from those nice people who'd do those giving tree things, but to me, Christmas was a normal day. When I ran away and got a job, I'd always have to work on Christmas because everyone else had families, or someone to be with. But now . . ."

Buffy began to laugh, although there were a few tears falling down her cheeks. "Now, I finally have somewhere to be. I get to wake up extra early on Christmas morning, run down the stairs in my bathrobe and slippers, sit by the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate, and help my daughter open her presents. She's going to get the Christmas I never got, and I want to make sure every single one is perfect."

With the back of her hand, she wiped away the tears. "I guess that sounds kinda stupid," she cracked, gazing over at her friend.

His face was anything but smiling. "No, it doesn't."

A few minutes later, they pulled into the secret tree lot. Spike had stopped complaining. Actually, he leaped out of the car before Buffy had turned off the engine, ran to the manager, and demanded he show them the most perfect tree on the lot.

The perfect tree did exist, a six-foot tall Douglas Fir, full and green, without a single bare spot. Almost twice of what Buffy had intended to pay, she was able to talk the guy into knocking off thirty dollars. It soon joined Anya's tree on the roof.

"You know what," Buffy commented as they drove back towards Sunnydale, "I almost wish Aurora knew what Christmas was all about, so she could get excited too."

Spike laughed. "She's prolly just rolling around in her playpen, wondering why everyone else is getting so excited. After all, a . . ." He frowned, deep in thought.

"A what?"

"Oh!" He sat straight up, a big smile on his face. "Today's the sixteenth, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It's your little girl's five month birthday."

Buffy didn't care that she was in the middle of an intersection, or that there were three cars waiting behind her, because she slammed hard on the brakes.

"What?"

"What the hell's wrong?" yelled Spike, looking all around to see if something had spooked Buffy.

A chill ran down Buffy's spine. "Aurora can't be five months old!"

"Yeah, she is." Spike spoke slowly, unsure of why she had suddenly gone pale. "Born July sixteenth. She's five months today." He paused, watching her take it all in, her eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

They heard a siren, and both turned around to watch it. A police car flew past them, lights flashing, heading in the same direction they were going.

Not answering, Buffy jammed her foot down on the gas pedal and sped towards Revello Drive.

By the time they reached home, four cop cars were parked outside. Neighbors were milling around, watching the uniformed officers run in and out of the door. Both jumped out of the car without bothering to turn it off, and ran over to Joyce and Clem, who were on the front steps talking to an officer.

"What happened?" Buffy screamed over the noise.

Joyce was white, the blood gone from her face. "I was gone only a few minutes . . ." she whimpered.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

Two cops passed by, both of them rapidly talking, so Buffy and Spike could only catch a bit of what they were saying.

" . . . know who took the baby . . ."

Spike watched them go by, suddenly terrified. "Not . . ."

Buffy couldn't feel her legs. They had disappeared from underneath her, and she fell on the ground. Everything turned cold, and she wrapped her hands around her body. Silently, she began to tear up.

"Clem?" she asked, her voice weak, "Where's Aurora?"

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MySweetAudrina- Do you actually think that I would let Buffy get pregnant by Riley? Damn, that's just one scary thought I'm going to have to repress. Maybe, if someone wants to write some scary, funny BtVS story, that could be it? Nah . . . I'd be too scared to read. Thanks for loving this fic so much.

Imzadi- Sorry I didn't establish this more, but Meredith is Xander and Cordelia's child, the one Cordy was pregnant with in the beginning of her story. I felt that we had already gone through one pregnancy already, and *SPOILER ALERT* this won't be the first pregnancy for the Harris's. What happened during this chapter for them is going to happen a lot. *END SPOILER* Oh god, Riley creating a child? Ick. And, sorry, but I think Lindsey is going to disappear into my vault of BtVS and AtS cameos for my stories. Don't hate me too much.

chrestomanci- What horse do I have to screw? Unless you are talking about Emma's fat ass (I so love you darling, do not kill me!) I have no horse. And it's a known fact that I will be going to hell to join my father, so why are you even mentioning it? Kisses for you, although I never wish to touch you.

Spikes-gal787- I'm sorry to say that Buffy isn't the brightest girl in the world, so she won't be finding out soon about a certain blond guy's crush on her. So, you will just have to settle for the little moments of Spuffiness I throw in to keep myself going. But, you just wait, because I promise you'll like the results. I do agree with Cordy's assertion of Riley, because he is an idiot.

Mita487- Innapropriate language is what I love, and do best. And, thanks for the sweet things you say! I feel all special!

Comedia- You know exactly what I think of you. I don't even have to say. OK, fine . . . you are a stuck up, bitchy, dumb-assed little witch who makes Kelly look like Sarah! AAAAHHHH, too scary a thought! No, I love you much, and apologize (kinda) for all the mean things I say. Sydney is the best!

Kendra- Naughty, naughty girl for indulging in fan fic while working. You are very smart, and I will use your example if I ever get a good job. Hope you keep reading.

Kay- I try to update when I can, but school is always getting in my way. Just like you, I hate it when my favorite authors don't update quickly. But, I try, so please be patient. Pretty please?