Title: Chapter 11 Come ti chiami?
Disclaimer: Again I'll say the Buffy characters aren't mine.
Notes: Sorry for the delay but I was at home with the dodgiest internet connection ever (it dials S. Pacific!). Lani – pronounced Larnee (just in case there's some confusion). Okay this was meant to be a short chapter… Diana Gabaldon syndrome I think.
Asara opened her eyes to see Spike asleep next to her, one arm wrapped around the box containing the pups and his other hand holding hers. She smiled and yawned, still tired beyond belief but something had woken her and knowing it was important she had followed the summons. Spike has the high side of the box pressed against his chest so the cut down side faced Asara and she examined her pups more carefully now she was rested.
The eldest two were wrapped around the youngest as if they knew already that they needed protection. The black fur framed the brown and blonde fur, ruffled as the pups moved in their sleep but, as if aware of their mother's eyes, the pups awoke and for the first time Asara came under the scrutiny of four pair eyes. Asara immediately recognised herself in the eldest girl and Spike in the youngest boy but couldn't place the middle two. Her parents had the same colouring as she did so that didn't explain their colouring which meant that they had to have Spike's family genes. The eldest suddenly mewed and Asara recognised it as a hungry noise, a noise that every mother would recognise but she was surprised when the small noise woke Spike. She knew in that instance, despite any insecurities he had, that he would be a terrific father.
He started awake, unsure of what had woken him and his eyes swung round the room, checking for danger but as soon as his gaze met Asara's he calmed. Spike's hand reached out and cupped her cheek.
"You're alright," he said roughly.
Asara smiled but before she spoke another pup mewed hungrily, drawing their gazes.
"That's what it was," Spike guessed.
It was as if the dam had broken because all the pups started then and began crawling towards Asara. She reached out, picked up two and put them next to her milk swollen breasts. Spike caught on and placed the other two down with their siblings and instinct unerringly guided four mouths to the source of food. Asara frowned slightly at the sensations before relaxing and glancing at Spike whose gaze was firmly fixed on the suckling pups.
Spike looked up at Asara to see a deep smile creasing her face and he grinned in return before leaning across and kissing her gently, careful not to squash the children.
"We have to find names now," Asara began.
They had waited until the children had been born because both had agreed some names wouldn't suit them and they had wanted to match names to faces.
"Yeah," Spike looked down again, fingers stroking the pups backs. "Looks like we get a boy and girl each then."
Asara smiled,
"You get these two."
She stroked the middle two, a black and the brown prior to moving her fingers to the eldest and youngest.
"And I get these two. Would you mind if I called the little boy Will?"
Spike glanced up sharply,
"Why?"
"He reminds me of you so much but I don't like the whole Junior thing Americans are so fond of," Asara explained.
Spike looked down at the blonde fur of his smallest child and wondered if he wanted reminding of his human years. He had been a sap but life hadn't been too bad back then, whilst he was a child.
"No I don't mind but I have a similar question for you. Would you mind if I named the brown Drusilla?"
"She reminds you of your Sire?" Asara asked.
"Something 'bout her. I swear she smiled at me the same way Dru used to," Spike admitted.
"I like the name, especially Dru," Asara agreed.
"So that leaves us these with the other two then," Spike rubbed he black bodies.
"Well one if you like the name Sasha," Asara looked hopefully at him.
"Sasha… Sounds good to me," Spike nodded. "Why Sasha?"
"I like the name," Asara shrugged.
"Leaves me with a boy's name to find then."
"Does he remind you of someone?" Asara questioned.
"Well yeah but I am not naming him after the sodding poof," Spike shook his vehemently.
Asara laughed,
"He reminds you of Angel?"
"Same bloody colouring, same soulful eyes. It's weird," Spike muttered.
"'Specially since Dru reminds you of your Sire and he reminds you of your grand Sire. Makes me wonder whether your demons are actually related and you pass on family genes," Asara pondered.
Spike's eyes widened as he thought about this,
"Lets not go there."
"So name?" Asara raised an eyebrow.
Spike frowned thoughtfully as he moved through his history, trying to find someone he admired, someone's name he liked until he hit on it.
"It's not exactly a normal name," Spike started.
"And everyone we know has a normal name?" Asara snorted.
"Point," Spike agreed. "Knew a bloke once, good fighter and we were friends of sorts, saved each others arses in tight spots so I'd like to name the last boy after him."
"Sounds like a good idea," Asara nodded. "What's the name?"
"Lani," Spike told her.
Asara looked down at the boy suckling at her breast,
"Lani. It suits him."
The pair lapsed into silence as they watched the pups enjoy their first meal. Asara dozed, lulled into sleep by the sensations, glad the pups didn't have teeth because that would hurt. Spike watched his small family, enjoying the feelings swirling around him, love, pride, joy but above all he was content and he was gradually becoming aware of the number of people milling around outside the door. He ignored them for now and waited until the pups had finished, were back in the box and they and Asara were asleep again. Leaving her curled around the box Spike slid out of the bed, changed into clean clothes and went to the door. Stepping out he held up his hands to forestall the questions and led them away, from the sleeping mother and babies, downstairs. As soon as they were in the lounge he was bombard by questions.
"One at a bloody time people!" he ordered.
Juidon went first,
"How is Asara? Tell me about the first feed. How did the pups take to it?"
"Asara is fine, tired and will be very hungry when she wakes up. The pups are all asleep, well fed and they took just fine," Spike answered.
"What do they look like?" Esster'd asked.
"The eldest is a girl who looks exactly like Asara. The next is a boy with black fur, brown-black eyes. The youngest girl has brown fur and brown eyes and the youngest is a boy with blonde fur and blue eyes," Spike told them.
"Do they have names yet?" Casve piped up.
"Yes, just. Sasha, Lani, Drusilla and Will," Spike ticked off the names.
"I like those names," Casve smiled happily.
"When can we see them?" Yimila questioned.
"When Asara's back on her feet. She wants to do the intro properly," Spike remembered Asara being very firm about this.
Some more questions were asked and Spike answered them all before hassling the pack out the way to pick up Asara's food and get his own meal. He hadn't eaten in nearly twenty four hours and was grateful that Asara had insisted on keeping fresh packs of blood in the fridge for him. Heating up his blood in a mug that said 'Vampires are hunters. Humans are rabbits' Spike loaded up a tray for Asara, picking out her favourite food. The microwave beeped at him and Spike drained the mug before setting off back upstairs. He set the tray down within reach of the bed and wrapped himself around Asara, propped up on his elbow so he could still she the pups.
-
"Food?" Spike greeted Asara when she woke.
"Do you know how much I love you?" Asara worshipped.
"Maybe," Spike grinned and passed her the tray.
"Remind me to show you later," Asara said around a sandwich.
"Somehow I don't think you'll need reminding," Spike's grinned widened.
Asara grunted, attention on the food and less than five minutes all of it was gone. Spike cleared the tray away and Asara fell back asleep for another five hours until the pups woke her up, demanding to be fed again. Asara obliged them before hauling herself out of bed to shower. The pack swarmed her when she got out the door but left her alone when they reassured themselves she was alright. Spike stayed with the pups even though he had clearly wanted to help his weaken mate and it touched Asara that his loyalties were already so strong.
When she got back from the shower she fell asleep again and only woke to feed her rumbling stomach. Another four hours past and then the pups wanted feeding again. Asara had laughed when Spike had commented that the pups had their mothers appetite but this time when they were finished Asara didn't go back to sleep. She was rested enough that she wanted to introduce the new arrivals to the pack so she got up and dressed. Asara asked Juidon to gather the pack in the lounge and Spike picked up the box of sleeping pups to follow Asara downstairs.
The pack watched their Alphas enter the room and were instantly hit by two things: the four new, baby smells coming from the box and the unconscious protective stances Asara and Spike had fallen into. The parents sat on the sofa, box between them and the pack could see four bundles of fluff within it. Following the strict pack protocol Yimila, as Beta, approached first. She reached them and greeted them in a traditional manner; nose to one of their hands before throat was bared in submission. Alphas responded by touching their noses to the offered throats.
Yimila sat down in front of the box to find the pups had woken up and were watching the proceedings with interest. She introduced herself by name and rank before offering her hand for the pups to smell. They greeted her in chronological order, their ranks already worked out and Asara said their names as they licked the offered hand.
Each pack member went through exactly the same process until the pups knew every person by name, rank, smell and sight. When they were done the pups fell asleep almost immediately. They were only just over twenty-four hours and they tired easily. Asara was not much better off and after Juidon checked her and the pups over for problems they were all ordered back to bed, where they went willingly. Spike wasn't tired but he wasn't leaving either so he went back upstairs with Asara and the pups.
-
Within a week the children grew milk teeth and Asara toughed the skin on her nipples to stop them gnawing holes in her.
Within two weeks the pups were developing what Juidon called 'milk claws', blunt claws that gave them purchase to crawl quicker. Spike had wanted to know why they had bothered and got told normal litters in normal packs were very vicious. The claws were used on siblings.
Within three weeks they were walking unsteadily, causing everyone endless amounts of trouble as the pups would go anywhere. Down the stairs, through tiny spaces and at one point under the fridge.
At one month they were making more noises and communicating their feelings to everyone, just short of actual words.
At five weeks they were talking and scaring Spike who was astonished at their rate of growth.
At six weeks they could handle the stairs without sliding headlong down them and were sure and steady on their feet.
At seven weeks they were getting people to show them shifting but were strictly forbidden from trying it. On of the main deaths of young shifters was changes going disastrously wrong because they had attempted it too early.
At the two month mark the began to grow their proper sharp adult teeth and claws and Asara immediately began weaning them. No matter what she did they bit her now and drew blood which was great for them but Asara had to watch that they didn't get too carried away. It also turned Spike on no end which she didn't mind but the children always asked annoying 'two year old' questions as Spike put it. 'Why is Daddy biting you?', 'What are you doing?', 'If you can bite Mummy why can't we?' until Spike had exploded and told them that Mummy and Daddy were trying to have sex. Asara had dissolved into laughter which hadn't helped Spike's mood but the questions stopped until Juidon asked them why she'd had to explain mating to two month old children. That had set Asara off into peals of laughter again and Spike had, somewhat guilty, admitted what he had said.
When the pups were four months old Asara was willingly to let them try a change, but only a partial one. An argument then ensued as what exactly they would be shifting until Dru had asked whether they could do what Daddy did. Spike vamped out to show them again what it looked like as well as explaining what it felt like to get there. Asara had frowned and tried it herself, producing a pretty good effect and the children had all tried it. Sasha and Will failed to get any results but Lani and Dru got some changes. Dru produced her fathers yellow eyes, elongated canines and more pronounced forehead, still in her natural form. Lani got the bumps and fangs but his eyes bled completely black instead including the irises and whites. Asara and Spike had been shocked but praised the efforts. Keeping quiet Asara was sure she recognised the completely black image her eldest son produced but where from eluded her.
Next they tried claws. Lani and Dru had five shorter claws compared with Sasha and Will's longer three claws. Asara demonstrated retracting the claws in and out, effectively making a hidden dagger that popped out when needed. Every pup managed it, though Sasha and Will could pull it off faster than the other two could.
Over the weeks they tried gradual changes of hands and faces but Asara left off full body changes until Juidon had given them detailed internal biology lessons. The internal organs stayed the same during the shift. It just involved some shuffling round but the bones cause explanation difficulties. Every shifter approached changes differently, suiting the process to themselves and so the pups would have to experiment but they had to wait until they were six months old before Asara would let them try it.
-
The door bell rang and Juidon opened the door to reveal Xander and Buffy. She looked angry and he shuffled on his feet, hiding a guilty expression.
"Hi can I help?" Juidon glanced backwards and forwards between the two.
"I'm looking for that pathetic excuse for a vampire," Buffy snapped.
"If you hold on one moment I'll…" Juidon was interrupted by Buffy.
"You were lucky I didn't kick the door down so no I am not waiting," and with that she pushed past and into the house.
"Sorry 'bout that," Xander apologised.
"She hasn't been told has she?" Juidon asked, gesturing for Xander to come in.
"You seen her recently? No way am I going to tell her there are Spike juniors running around," Xander shook his head.
"Good point," Juidon grinned before heading for a door Buffy hadn't opened in her search for Spike.
She opened it and Asara yelled,
"No Juidon don't!"
Sasha shot through the opening and into the hall.
"Get back here madam!" Spike shouted, drawing Buffy's attention.
Sasha darted up to Xander's feet, sniffed his boot and set off again.
"Hello to you too," Xander sighed as the pup, who was now the size of a small dog, headed for another door.
The door that Buffy was coming through. Sasha skidded to a halt and froze at the Slayer's feet. Buffy reacted without thinking and Sasha was hauled roughly off the floor to be held at arms length.
"What is this?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy you don't want to do that," Xander began, just before the first door burst open.
Asara came out with Will cradled on one arm and Spike had Dru and Lani in his arms. Sasha whimpered, sensing the power in Buffy and Asara reacted quicker than anyone could follow. With her free hand she smacked Buffy's wrists together hard so her grip faltered before Asara snatched Sasha free. Once safe Sasha buried herself into Asara's neck, seeking comfort, and Asara crooned softly whilst glaring at Buffy. Will crawled up to Sasha in a reassuring gesture and Buffy watched all this with wide, puzzled eyes.
"She ok?" Spike asked.
Asara nodded slightly, stepping back from Buffy and disappearing into the room that she had come from, knowing that Sasha was scared of the Slayer. Dru and Lani struggled to be released so Spike set them down and they scampered off to Asara, jumping up onto the sofa where she sat, Sasha buried in her lap. Spike went over to rub Sasha behind the ears to let her know he was here before turning back to Buffy and Xander.
"What the hell do you want Slayer?" he snapped.
"What is going on?" Buffy's temper flared back into life.
"Apart from you scaring one of my children?" Spike shot back, control long gone.
"Children? You… Wait this is you messing with my mind again. You're a vampire, sorry neutered vampire, so you can't have any children," Buffy narrowed her eyes.
"You might want to take that back Slayer," Spike warned.
"Which bit?" Buffy asked, squaring off against him.
"All of it," Spike growled.
"No you are pathetic, useless and dead!" Buffy's fingers crept to her stake.
Spike punched her hard enough to knock her back a few steps and as her hand went to her nose he grinned.
"The chip…" Buffy said faintly.
"Long gone girl," Spike answered.
"How long?" Xander asked.
"Eight months now," Spike was still smiling.
"You back to your old ways?" Xander frowned.
"Course he's killing again Xander. How can you ask?" Buffy spun on her friend.
"Actually I haven't killed any humans 'cept a couple that pissed me off trying it on with Asara," Spike answered, drawing a couple of incredulous stares.
"You saying you don't hunt now?" Buffy clearly didn't believe him.
"I didn't say that Slayer. I just don't kill 'em anymore. Don't bother if I don't need to," Spike shrugged.
"I don't believe you Spike," Buffy pulled her stake out. "You are a vicious killer again and I should have done this years ago."
Buffy suddenly found herself flattened against the floor with a snarling Asara on top of he, hands and face lost in the transformation. Claws dug into her shoulders and teeth were scant inches from her face despite the fact that the stake was digging into her chest. Buffy pushed against her but found even her strength couldn't knock her off and trying just made Asara dig her claws in deeper.
"You do not touch him ever again," Asara growled. "Got it?"
Buffy didn't answer.
Asara made a rumbling warning noise in her chest in warning.
"Slayer you're breaking the rules," Spike crouched down beside them.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy didn't take her eyes off Asara.
"She sees you as an equal to her but at the moment she has the upper hand over you. Asara wants your promise or your death," Spike explained.
"You saying Buffy has to promise never to stake you or she dies?" Xander beat Buffy to it.
"Let me tell you something," Juidon suddenly spoke up. "Asara is a good guy and doesn't want the Slayer dead but her mate is more important to her. To all of us."
"I… we would like to have both Mummy and Daddy for as long as possible please," a small voice said and everyone looked at Will.
Buffy eyed the small, blonde, furry thing sitting next to Spike and she just had to ask,
"Mummy and Daddy?"
"Mummy has you pinned because you threatened Daddy," Will explained patiently.
"Spike is your Dad?" Buffy still didn't… couldn't believe it.
"Buff," Xander knelt down next to Spike. "This is hard and I didn't believe it to start with but there is no other explanation."
"I… Hold on! You saying you knew this before now?" Buffy twisted her head to look at Xander. "And you didn't tell me?"
"And that have done what exactly? Put you in the same bloody place you silly bint," Spike shook his head.
Buffy scowled at him but grudgingly admitted that she couldn't think of any alternative either.
"So you gonna let me up or what now?" Buffy glared at Asara.
"I haven't had your promise yet," Asara growled.
"And you're not going to get it 'cause you see despite your blind attraction to the idiot not everyone feels the same," Buffy told her. "I'm not going to promise to not stake Spike in case I have to one day and that would mean breaking my promise."
Asara was silent as she thought before saying,
"Fine you don't kill him. You bring him to me and I'll deal with the problem."
Spike eyed her warily, wondering what she was on about until it clicked and he grinned. He loved Asara's methods of dealing with 'problems'. Her punishments were right up his street.
Buffy frowned. She didn't want to have to promise Asara anything regarding Spike but it would get her out of here.
"Alright," Buffy sighed. "Now get off me!"
Asara flashed teeth slightly at her tone but climbed off her. Buffy sat up, scooted clear and stood, arms folded as she tried to look imposing. Asara transformed back and stood as well, neatly facing off from Buffy without threatening her. Spike and Xander glanced at each other before standing as well.
"So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Spike asked.
"What were you doing two nights ago?" Buffy questioned.
Spike glanced at Xander, eyebrow raised. Xander coughed slightly, shuffled his feet and mumbled something incomprehensible. Everyone looked at him.
"What?" he asked.
"Would you care to explain or shall I?" Spike grinned.
"Xander what's going on?" Buffy frowned.
"I… er… was with Spike that evening so he couldn't have done it Buffy," Xander admitted.
"And you didn't tell me this earlier because…?" Buffy spread her hands.
"That would lead to questions," Xander answered before wincing, instantly regretting it.
"What exactly were you doing?" Buffy looked slightly concerned.
"Nothing!" Xander exclaimed. "Nothing like that!"
"Like what?" Buffy wondered where Xander's mind was going.
"Slayer look at it like this. The boy has no male friends and hanging out with women twenty-four-seven can do a bloke's head in so we had a guy's night in," Spike explained.
"A guy's night in?" Buffy glanced between the two but neither answered. "Doesn't that usually involve naked women and beer?"
"Big time," Asara grinned. "And mustn't forget the pizza and sex afterwards."
"Eeewww! Too much information," Buffy pulled a face. "Wait hold on sex?"
"No!" Xander shrieked. "Not with Spike! With women… with Anya and Asara… but not together… separately… in two completely different houses not together!"
Everyone stared at Xander after his outburst before Spike began laughing.
"Oh the look on your face was priceless!" he snickered.
"Spike honey what me to add to the torment?" Asara asked sweetly.
"Go for it ducks," Spike missed the implication.
"Do you remember what Xander had to wear when you broke me out of the auction?" Asara smiled.
"You noticed?" Xander was surprised.
"Hell yes!" Asara nodded. "Well the reason behind that…" Spike grabbed Asara to shut her up. "Was that Spike…"
"Shut up!" Spike clamped his hand over her mouth.
Asara's eyes sparkled merrily at him.
"I would really like to know what's going on," Buffy prodded Spike.
"Me too. I have always wanted to know why I ended up wearing that," Xander prodded Spike as well.
"You're just going to have to wait in bloody suspense then," Spike snapped.
Asara pried Spike's hand off her mouth,
"Spike has this thing…"
Spike wrestled his other hand back onto her mouth.
"I could tell you," Juidon piped up.
"Don't you dare!" Spike looked at her in horror. He didn't have enough hands to cover everyone's mouths.
"Though Esster'd would love to tell that story. She has the best spin on it," Juidon mused.
"Anything but that!" Spike exclaimed. "Xander you do not want to hear this! Trust me!"
"Trust you?" Xander cocked his head. "Since when have I done that?"
Spike groaned before looking at him,
"Will you if you decide this is a bad thing to hear afterwards?"
"Maybe," Xander shrugged and turned to Juidon. "So spill."
Juidon grinned before sauntering over to Xander, going up onto tiptoe and whispering in his ear. Spike slumped, wondering what Xander would do. He wasn't scared of the boy but, as he had said, a bloke needed male friends and in this house the men were outnumbered six to ten. Three of those guys were kids and the rest kept deferring to him because he was their Alpha so Spike wanted a friend outside of the pack and thus Xander fitted the bill perfectly.
"I had heard that about vampires," Xander commented.
"You're not running for the next state," Spike stated, surprised.
"Spike anything you do has long since stopped shocking me," Xander smirked.
"You saying I becoming predictable?" Spike scowled.
"Predictable as a not so magic 8-ball," Xander nodded.
"What is going on!" Buffy almost yelled.
"Just teasing the vampire… which thinking about it is such a good idea," Xander eyed said vampire, who flipped him off. "Ah there's the evil undead guy we all know and hate."
"So Slayer what big bad is going down?" Spike asked.
"Just another apocalypse," Buffy shrugged.
"Which you thought I had a hand in," Spike grinned.
Buffy glared at him.
"That's so sweet!" Juidon cooed, earning two glares and two smiles. "You think Spike could pull of an apocalypse in the midst of child raising?"
"Oi!"
"As if! He's a man. No multi-tasking on that front," Juidon shook her head.
"Hey!"
"That's what horses eat sweetie," Asara patted his arm.
"Bloody women! I swear you plan this!" Spike glared at the pair.
"Well I didn't know anything about that but it looks likes you're off the hook," Buffy said before turning and leaving.
"Looks like I'm going to say goodbye," Xander nodded at them and followed Buffy out the door.
"Was that the Slayer Daddy?" Drusilla looked up from Spike's feet.
"Yes luv. That was the Slayer in all her blonde, stuck-up bitchiness," Spike picked up his youngest daughter.
"Spike," Asara warned him.
"Yeah, yeah. No crassing," Spike rolled his eyes.
"No not that," Asara walked to the door. "Remember I'm blonde too."
"Not a natural," Spike grinned.
"You saying the Slayer is?" Asara raised an eyebrow.
"Hell no. Seen her roots lately?" Spike tutted.
"No," Asara glanced back over her shoulder. "Seen mine?"
"Children… show Jui your new trick," Spike dumped Dru in Juidon's arms and disappeared off after Asara.
"Just like horny teenagers," Juidon shook her head.
"What are horny teenagers?" Dru questioned.
"Less trouble than your parents."