A/N : Sorry it's been so long since I updated, I feel bad about it really, but here I am now with a brand new chapter for you all! Thanx to the latest reviewers; Freezyboncoolipants, Amandamanda3, Screeching Dragon, Bridge, katie, Sunglasses-At-Night, Arisluv, pixiecorn, rubi-elektra, Lindsay, Moluvsnumber17, Chris, Spuffyfan4eva, Shania Maxwell, MaidenRo, Faint Hate, Katie, tattereds, Lady Savage, velja. Answers to all questions/comments needing an answer are at the end of the chapter so as not to take up to much room at the beginning. Hope you like the new chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 3

Buffy sighed with contentment as Spike rolled off her and did the same.

"I love you" he told her as he always did, pulling her into his arms.

"I love you" she echoed back, loving the feeling of being in his embrace like this almost as much as she loved what they'd just done before.

They lay in comfortable silence thought neither was ready for sleep yet.

"What are you thinking about?" Spike asked, his thumb absently rubbing Buffy's neck as he kissed the top of her head.

"Just you and me and...y'know stuff" she shrugged, snuggling closer to him.

"Oh yeah, stuff" Spike smiled, "that's not in the least bit vague" he said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean" she complained, rolling her eyes, "the stuff" she stressed and he almost laughed at her phrasing when he realised what she meant.

"You can't just say shagging like everyone else?" he asked, as she tipped her head up to look at him, and he pushed her hair off her face.

"Everyone else does not say that" she reminded him, "Just you with your British weirdness" she told him with a smile and a kiss.

"Well, me and my 'British weirdness' are still not understanding what was quite so thought provoking about our latest round of fun" he told her, quickly adding "not that it wasn't glorious as ever" in case he'd offended her somehow. He kissed her thoroughly, enforcing his point, and despite the fact she hadn't felt in the least offended anyway, she enjoyed it immensely.

"It was the glorious that got me all big with the thinkage" Buffy admitted when the kiss ended and she got a chance to breathe, "It got me thinking about the first time..." she admitted almost shyly, as she cuddled up close to him again, hiding her face against his chest so he couldn't see if she blushed.

"You know, pet" he told the top of her head since it's all he could see, "and I'll be severely pissed if you tell anyone this but...it meant something to me too, the real first time between us. I would hope you know that after all this time"

"You never told me" she frowned slightly as she moved to look up at him and he smiled.

"I didn't think I had to" he told her, "Thought it was bloody obvious that I never loved another woman like I love you, never felt anything as special as when we're together" he said softly, his hand caressing her face.

Buffy didn't know what to say to that as she laid back down, half beside him, half on top of him, holding him so tight as if she thought he might disappear at any second.

"I love you so much, William" she whispered, as both their minds sped back sixteen years...

- - - - - - -

"I love you so much, William" Buffy whispered in his ear as he laid on top of her on their bed, his lips travelling down her neck and across her shoulder.

"I know" he replied softly, between kisses "and I love you too Buffy, you'll never know how much"

She encouraged him to continue as his hands slid inside her clothing, but despite his desire to be with her this way, he managed to over-ride it with common sense.

"We have to stop, luv" he said regretfully pulling away from her. She shook her head in protest, pulling him back to her.

"Make love to me, please" she begged of him, and it took everything he had to move away from her. He climbed off the bed completely and stood to the side, watching her breathe unevenly as he tried to calm himself down.

"It's only four weeks since Rebecca was born" he reminded her, as if she could forget, "and I know practical is not my strong point but...I won't hurt you, luv, I just can't do it" he told her solemnly.

"Do you really think I'd ask you to..." she paused awkwardly before continuing, "if I thought it was dangerous" she smiled as she climbed off the bed and walked towards him, stopping with just a fraction of an inch between her body and his, "I went to see the doctor early, cos y'know with Slayer healing and everything I figured I'd be fine by now"

"And?" he prompted her to continue, wondering how he was still concentrating on words as her fingers played with the top buttons of his shirt.

"And he told me what I already knew" she told him, "It's safe, I'm fine" she assured him, "or I would be if you'd just do what I ask...you do still want me, right?" she checked, looking so innocent and afraid he might not.

Spike leaned down and kissed her, leaving no doubt in her mind that he still wanted her very much.

"I love you, you silly bint" he said good-naturedly as he hugged her close, "I'll always love you, and I'll always want you"

Buffy pulled away from him slightly and looked up into his eyes.

"Then show me, Spike" she said, walking backwards toward the bed and taking him with her, "Show me how much you love me"

- - - - - - -

Though Spike had fallen asleep almost half an hour ago, Buffy was still very much awake. The house was silent, as it should be at midnight when the only two people in it were her and her sleeping man. She was still far too busy reminiscing to fall asleep.

Though her actual first time with Spike had been under Willow's Will be Done Spell (actually that was the first two times, but that wasn't the point) Buffy always counted that day, four weeks after their daughter was born, as their first time of making love.

It was so real and intense and full of pure love that afterwards she'd cried a she fell asleep in his arms. He'd called her a 'soppy bint' and she hadn't argued since she didn't really know what he meant. She didn't understand herself why that time was so special, she hadn't felt so moved after her one time with Angel and definitely not with Parker. Buffy surmised she just hadn't been as in love with them as she was with Spike, though when she awoke the next morning, she'd felt like crying again, for a much less pleasant reason...

- - - - - - -

As Buffy opened her eyes to a new morning she realised with some sadness that she had awoken to it alone. The bed beside her where Spike had lay, his arms firmly around her, was empty, a blank space and an empty room was all that faced her. The night before had been without doubt the most beautiful she'd ever known, but now it had happened was her happiness over?

Though she knew it was wrong to draw comparisons, the tears that filled her eyes were only there because of events that came before. Her first and only night with Angel she'd woken up to find him gone, only to realise later that he had lost his soul as he insulted her and made her feel wretched and worthless.

Then there was Parker who had convinced her that sleeping with him would be some sort of statement about living life or some other such crap, and when she woke up in his bed it was alone, again to have him tell her later that it was fun but it was over.

Other than that there had only been her magic-induced time with Spike and that wasn't even a night they spent together, just a bit of a fumble in Giles bedroom whilst the Watcher was asleep. As nice as it had been it was nothing like last night, but now it was over, and it was looking very much like Spike had left just like the rest.

As one lone tear trickled down Buffy's cheek, the bedroom door swung open and she was slightly surprised but also thrilled to see Spike there, wearing only his jeans, and carrying their baby in his arms.

"There now" he said as he rocked Rebecca gently, "Didn't I tell you we'd find Mummy in here?" he smiled, bringing the child over to the bed and sitting down on the edge, near Buffy.

"I wondered where you were" she said, almost accusingly and Spike didn't realise at first as his eyes remained on his daughter who was finally going back to sleep it seemed.

"Heard the little bit getting all restless, went to see what was up before she screamed the house down, that's all" he smiled, looking over at Buffy. The smiled dropped off his face when he saw her wipe away a tear.

"Hey, what's that about?" he asked with a slight frown, but Buffy shook her head.

As it seemed now that Rebecca was sleeping again, Spike took the opportunity to leave the room. He needed to get her back in her crib before she woke up again and then it seemed like he and Buffy needed to talk, though he wasn't sure why. She'd promised him before they went to sleep last night that he hadn't hurt her. She'd told him quite the contrary, that he'd made her feel like a goddess. What Spike was at a loss to understand therefore, was why she was crying now.

When he came back into the bedroom she was lying down again, her back facing the door, as she feigned sleep. There was no way in hell she was out that fast, Spike knew that as he removed his jeans and climbed into bed, pressing himself to her back and wrapping his arms around her. Though a part of her wanted to scramble away and stick to being hurt, mostly Buffy just loved to be close to him like this and couldn't bring herself to move away from his touch.

"What's the matter, baby?" he asked as he kissed her shoulder. With a sigh she turned over in his embrace to face him.

"You weren't there" she admitted quietly, "When I woke up, I was alone again..." she wondered if it sounded ridiculous to him. All the girls he'd slept with, she doubted very much that any of them were to eager to be out of his bed fast, but this mattered to her, she needed reminding that he wasn't like the rest.

Spike was micro-seconds away from saying he didn't understand when his brain engaged, memory kicking in like a smack in the face and he caught on to why she was so upset.

"Buffy" he sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, "You seriously think after last night I'd have got up and left you?" he asked with some disbelief.

She gave a half-hearted shrug, knowing she'd been a little ridiculous about it, but just so afraid someone was going to take away her happiness again.

"Sweetheart, I'm in this for the long haul" he reminded her, "It's what this means" he told her, bringing her hand out from under the duvet and showing her his ring that she wore, "it's what last night meant, and it's what that baby in the next room represents" he said firmly, "I love you, Buffy, and there are no conditions on that, no ulterior motives attached to it. It is what it is, and it's just about the only thing in this world that I'm certain about" he told her solemnly, "My love for you, and our child. It's all I need"

"I'm sorry" Buffy sniffed as another tear escaped down her cheek and she moved to hug him close.

"Nothin' to be sorry for, pet" he assured her, hugging her back, "I understand the whole rejection thing" he told her, knowing that was true enough. Buffy pulled back to look at him then and smiled.

"Not anymore you don't" she said with a shake of her head, "because I love you so much"

She kissed him then and he was happy to go along with her plans. Despite the fact that dawn had passed and the day was beginning, Spike and Buffy were too busy with each other to bother getting up right now.

- - - - - - -

Buffy sighed in a dreamy state as beautiful memories danced around in her head. she looked over at Spike's sleeping form and smiled as she leant over to kiss his lips. He looked so peaceful and beautiful, and since the house was empty no-one was going to mind if she used her old method for waking him up that always made him smile!

Just as she was considering it, there was a loud bang downstairs and the vampires eyes sprang open.

"What the bloody hell...?" was as far as he got as Buffy leapt out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown as she pounded towards the door. They ran down the stairs only to find her daughter in the hallway, red-faced and crying.

"Becky, what happened?" she asked worriedly, reaching for the stake that she kept in the drawer under the hall table.

"It's Ryan" she choked out, as she went into her mother's arms, tears cascading down her cheeks.

Spike appeared on the stairs, having managed to wake himself up enough to co-ordinate his body into a pair of black jeans and a T-shirt, and get himself down to where his two girls were. He looked to Buffy for explanation and she mouthed 'Ryan' to him. His eyes flashed with flecks of gold as he came to stand beside them.

"What did that git do to you, luv?" he asked as calmly as he could and Rebecca moved to his arms instead of he mothers.

"Daddy, I thought he was nice" she complained as she sobbed into his shoulder, "but he was a nasty bugger just like all the rest" she howled, his own turn of phrase escaping her lips.

Spike shared a worried look with Buffy before taking his little girl by the upper arms and pushing her away enough that he could see her face.

"Sweetheart, I know you don't wanna talk about it, but you have to tell us if he did something to you" he told her, fighting the urge to slip into his vamp face. Buffy could see how hard he was trying and she was so proud of him and the way he'd learnt to control his demon side over the years.

"It's okay" Rebecca nodded bravely, tears finally subsiding, "He tried to...touch me" she said, looking away both embarrassed and ashamed though she had no reason to be, "I told him not to and when he didn't stop I...he was unconscious when I walked away" she said with fear in her eyes. She hadn't meant to do any major damage to him, but Ryan had made her so upset and angry she just laid him out like she would take down a vampire.

"You did the right thing, honey" Buffy told her tearful daughter, a hand on her arm "Nobody has the right to force you when you say no"

Rebecca nodded gratefully to her mother. She knew she was right but she did feel bad for hurting Ryan so badly. Yes, he'd done wrong, but she was fairly certain her right hook had broken his jaw, and there was no telling what damage she'd done when her knee hit other places...

"Gave him a couple of choice bruises did you, luv?" Spike couldn't help the smirk that settled on his face as he imagined it.

"In places you wouldn't wanna know about" she managed a smile, as she wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"That's my girl" her father grinned as he hugged her and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Our girl" she corrected him for the second time that night as she joined in the hugging, "and thank God we taught her well"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : Readers opinions always needed, so hit that little button and send a review please! :-)

Replies to Reviews on Chapter 2

Freezyboncoolipants - issue of possible powers for Rebecca coming up in the next chapter.

katie - yep, seems like there's two of you! Buffy was 19 by the end of Season 4 when Rebecca was born. With Becky about to be 16 that means that, yes, Buffy is 35. The issue of Spike not ageing while Buffy does will be dealt with in a later chapter.

rubi-elektra & MaidenRo - the Scoobies are accepting Spike like they accepted Angel because they sort of had to if they wanted to stay friend with Buffy. They've missed her while she's been away and they see that Spike took care of her and that they're in love. Also, just because they act like they're okay with it, away from Buffy's house they probably aren't so much. In the same way, the Buffy-accepting-Faith thing is not as simple as it seems. She's grateful to her for all she's done for her friends and that makes up for some of the badness, but just because Buffy acted totally comfortable around her sister-Slayer doesn't mean that she has fully forgiven her on the inside.

tattereds - I like my fluffy Spuffy! lol. I figured I made the fans suffer so much by taking such a long time to get Spike and Buffy together in the prequel, they deserve some fluff now.

Lady Savage - I see what you're saying, but for now I think I'm gonna stick with my original style. Thanx for the opinion though.

velja - dealing with that ageing issue soon, I promise.