The Nearness Of You

Hello beautiful readers! I was talking on the phone when it struck me, wouldn't it be funny if Spike and Buffy had another baby? This should be interesting for me to write.

I love reviews! And hey, I've got 95 reviews, that is more then I honestly thought I would ever get. Thank you so much!

----- Ice Cream -----

"Darmian, you asked to meet with me?" Buffy asked taking a seat at the café.

It was morning and Spike and Emma were sleeping at the house, when Buffy received the call from him. It was normal back in New England for the two to meet for coffee and she was secretly grateful to have him here in Sunnydale. Buffy knew that she and Spike couldn't be with Emma all the time, but Darmian made Emma's welfare his whole life.

"How is the baby?" Darmian asked leaning back completely relaxed.

"Emma is fine," Buffy said smiling at her companion.

"That is not the babe I was referring to," clarified Darmian. He was wearing all black as usual, but he made black look so good.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy replied looking down at the table. She tried to think of how to deny the truth about being pregnant.

"We both know you are pregnant. Lets skip the games this time around," Darmian said softly. He reached out and held her hand looking at the slayer's green eyes.

"How did you know?" asked the blonde slayer with wonder on her face.

"I just know," was the only explanation Darmian offered, "She's going to have a world of trouble when she's born," Darmian said. He looked off into the crowd and then back at Buffy, "Emma is going to be a warrior with slayer-like qualities, but your second daughter she will possess powers unlike the world has ever seen. The second child will be a combination of both her parents strengths," the angelic man said.

"That means she will be the bigger target," Buffy sighed in annoyance.

"Emma is more like you, but your second daughter will have more traits of the father," Darmian said. Buffy watched him and was quickly becoming disturbed by the grim look on his face.

"Darmian, what aren't you telling me?" Buffy demanded from the man that sat before her.

"Surely you must be wondering how it's possible that a vampire could create not one, but two children. It's Spike's bloodline; they were a very powerful group in their day. This has happened before, with another slayer named Ami. She and the vampire had many children together, but with each babe they become less and less human. By the time they had their fifth child it came out a vampire. There are no records on those events and it is so old that I am probably the only source of this knowledge," said Darmian his voice thick with shame.

"You were there," said Buffy looking at him accusingly.

"I'm a bit older then I look, lovely slayer. You are the first slayer I have talked to since Ami. I was Ami's watcher. That was when watchers did more then watch. I loved her so much, but she only thought of me as her friend. Ami and her whole family were slaughtered to hide the truth of what their union had created. That is why I have taken Emma as my charge to protect her from the world and if you'll let me, I would like your next daughter to be my charge as well," pleaded Darmian.

"There is no one I would trust my daughters' more with, well except Spike," Buffy replied leaning back and studying Darmian. He was so caring and tender, but he kept his distance. She knew Spike would be jealous of Darmian, but their girls needed him. Girls?

"How do I know it's a girl?" Darmian asked expectantly.

"Yeah," Buffy confirmed. It freaked her out when he asked her questions as she thought them.

"Ami only had daughters and I assume the same will apply to you," casually replied Darmian.

"Buffy!" exclaimed Xander excitedly walking over to their table and taking a seat. "Finally ditch the loser and find a more human substitute?" Xander inquired sizing up the stranger sitting with his best friend.

"I do not recall inviting you to sit with us, please leave," Darmian said annoyed by the boy's rude behavior.

Buffy was completely amused and tried not to show it. Darmian was a stoic, polite man who believed that ordinary humans needed protection, but were otherwise inferior. Xander being an obnoxious person and referring to Darmian as human, she wasn't entirely sure Darmian wouldn't kill him.

"Xander, this is Darmian. He's a friend," Buffy said with a smile.

"You tolerate this human?" Damian said in disgust.

"Wait, he isn't human either? You can't keep your hands off demons," Xander spat out. Before any other seething remarks could be made, Darmian had the boy by his throat.

"Apologize to the slayer," Darmian demanded shaking the boy by his neck, "she is a higher being who graces you with her presence."

"Darmian it's fine," Buffy said placing a hand on Darmian's shoulder to reassure him.

"What is it with you and your wacko boyfriends?" Xander said accusingly.

"Shut up Xander," Buffy snapped, "Darmian is a guardian. We were just meeting for coffee, if you like I'll walk back to the Magic Box with you," Buffy offered.

"Don't bother," Xander stomped off.

"I'll kill him for you," Darmian said with a smile sitting down again.

"Great as that sounds, he's my friend. Can't go around killing the few friends I have," Buffy sighed rubbing her temples.

"You should go to the doctors soon," Darmian pointed out.

"I will, but its hard booking appointments at night," Buffy said tensely. She knew that Spike would want to be there for all the tests that the doctors would run. Plus she wanted him to be there for the birth of his other daughter.

"Your mate hates me," Darmian said after a moment of silence.

"Spike is threatened by you. You took care of Emma and me before he was around and he feels like hell because of it," explained the slayer.

"As long as I can do my duty and he does not interfere," said Darmian. Buffy did not doubt for one second that Darmian would kill Spike to protect her daughters.

"Don't even worry about that," assured Buffy.

"You should get back to your house, tonight is a big night for Emma," Darmian said standing.

"How did you-? You know what, never mind," Buffy said standing and walking off.

o8o8o8o

"Where were you today slayer?" Spike asked as Buffy crawled into bed beside him.

"Talked with Darmian about Emma until Xander interrupted," Buffy said cuddling up with him. His hair was all ruffled with sleep and he was gorgeous.

"What did you two talk about?" Spike asked brushing the hair away from her face.

"He already knew about our little surprise baby. Don't ask me how; Darmian always seems to know things. He just wanted to make sure things were cool," Buffy said playing with her fingers nervously.

"And?" Spike asked expectantly.

"This baby thing has happened before. It was with a slayer named Ami and some vampire. You are part of their bloodline and Darmian thinks that's why we can have children. You don't hate Darmian do you?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know the man, but he seems to genuinely care for Emma. I'm sure we are going to need him as Emma gets older or when we can't be with her," Spike sighed. He begrudgingly admitted that they may need Darmian's help, but that didn't mean he had to be nice to the wanker.

"He hates Xander. Darmian offered to kill him for me," Buffy added with a giggle.

"Darmian is becoming more likable every second," Spike chuckled.

o8o8o8o

The insistent knocking at the door finally roused Emma from her sleep. She peeked into her parents' room to see that they were still asleep. Curious, the girl walked to the front door and peeked out a window that was next to it. She kept herself hidden incase it was a stranger, but became more bold when she saw Darmian standing on the other side of the door with a wrapped box and a giant blue bow on top.

"Is that for me?" Emma asked as she pulled the door open.

"Indeed it is," Darmian replied placing the box before the girl. Emma tore it open and squealed in delight at her gift.

"A teddy bear," Emma exclaimed hugging it to her small frame.

"Are your parents here?" asked Darmian.

"They are still sleeping," Emma said hugging Darmian.

"So what would you like to do for the day?" Darmian asked.

"I want ice cream," replied Emma.

"Let's go check the freezer," Darmian said moving toward the kitchen.

"No, I want to go out for ice cream," Emma pleaded.

Darmian knew Emma probably hadn't left this house since their arrival in Sunnydale. He wanted to take Emma out and was sure no one would relate her to the slayer, but Buffy may break his legs if he did take out Emma. How much did he value his life? But then there were those adorable pleading eyes and he was helpless.

"Lets go," Darmian said after a minute of debate. He quickly wrote out a note, in case Buffy woke before he returned.

o8o8o8o

"What a darling little girl," the waitress said making sure to show ample bosom to Darmian. "Where is your wife?" the woman asked snapping her gum obnoxiously.

"I'm not married," Darmian said dismissively, but the tacky girl didn't take the hint.

"Raising a daughter on your own! That is so sensitive," she exclaimed loudly.

"As you can see, I am spending time with my little lady. Leave," Darmian snapped at the pestering female.

"Dumb broad," Emma said glaring at the waitress.

"What?" Darmian laughed out. He had never heard Emma say anything like that before.

"That's what daddy calls them," Emma said happily eating her bubblegum ice cream.

"At least he is honest with you," Darmian said after a moment's reflection.

"Did your daddy tell you the truth about stuff?" Emma asked watching him.

"I guess he did. I don't really remember my father anymore Emma," Darmian replied.

"Why?" She asked. Her focus was completely on him, as ice cream dripped down her hand.

"My parents died a really long time ago, honey. I grew up in Athens, Greece around 800 BC. Athens was the cross roads of the world back then, if there was a different idea Athens had it. I have lived longer then most vampires, but I envy them. Vampires know that they were created to drink blood. I just stopped ageing and never died. It wouldn't be till 500 AD that I would even be given a purpose," Darmian sighed. He smiled a little when he felt the small sticky hand of Emma comforting him.

"What happened next?" Emma pushed.

"I met this wonderful girl named Ami. She was a slayer like your mother and I fell in love with Ami. We were very close, but she chose another man over me. And they had a family together," Darmian hesitated unsure whether he wanted to let Emma know the rest of the story.

"Did they die?" Emma asked bluntly.

"Bad men murdered them," Darmian confirmed.

"Do you love me?" Emma asked.

"More then you could ever imagine," Darmian sighed grateful for the subject change.

"Wow! Did you know that you are 2,800 years older than me! You are old," Emma said in amazement.

"Can't put anything past you. Did you do that math in you head?" Darmian asked.

"Yep, just like you taught me," Emma beamed.

"You are the smartest little girl I know," Darmian replied hugging Emma, "and the stickiest," Darmian said pulling Emma's sticky arms off his coat.

Darmian took her into the men's restroom and washed her arms. Then the two strolled back to Spike's house before nightfall hit. He knew Buffy wanted Emma to meet with all of her friends and he was going to be watching. But he didn't intend on meeting the group himself so he would find a discreet place to hide.

o8o8o8o

"Darmian," Buffy said her voice showed obvious signs of stress.

"I knew I shouldn't have taken her, but Emma really wanted to get ice cream," Darmian sighed his defense was lame.

He was almost three thousand years old, yet when a particular little four-year-old named Emma pouted he was putty in her fingers. Darmian mused over whether that might be part of her powers.

"At least she's back, now I have to take her to meet the gang," Buffy said looking entirely unhappy about the whole thing.

"I'll be watching," Darmian said before disappearing.

"He's worse then a vampire, with that whole disappearing act. C'mon Spike we're leaving," Buffy called out to him. Spike was at her side after a minute. He picked up Emma and they were ready to be off.

o8o8o8o

Buffy walked into the Magic Box again dreading what she was about to tell them. She wondered if they would eventually lock her out, because it seemed every time she went there she had some dramatic, life-altering announcement to make. Buffy received warm greetings from most of the group with the exception of Xander, who was obviously still miffed about Darmian this morning.

"Is there something wrong?" Giles asked eyeing his slayer suspiciously. He knew Buffy well enough to know when she was about to make an unpleasant announcement. British stuffiness demanded that he clean his glasses while absorbing any bad news that Buffy had to offer.

"Um, yeah. There is something I've been keeping from you all. Shortly after I left five years ago I gave birth to a daughter and that's why I didn't come back," Buffy rushed the sentence out. Buffy was sure if she stopped she may never tell them about Emma.

"What are you saying Buffy? Are you a mom?" Willow asked squeezing Tara's hand for support.

"Yeah I am. You can bring her in," Buffy called to the door. In walked Spike carrying Emma.

"Buffy why didn't you say something sooner?" Angel asked feeling hurt that Buffy had this whole life without him.

"I wasn't sure if you guys would accept her. Allow me to introduce you all to Emma Summers. Spike is her father," Buffy said holding onto Spike's hand.

"What the hell! First she screws dead boy and he goes all homicidal on us, then she screws dead boy jr. and gets knocked up, and then runs away to have their little hell spawn! There is something really wrong with you," Xander yelled in a fury.

Buffy just looked at the accusing looks around the room and burst into tears. She fell to hear knees with harsh sobs. The stress was finally getting to her, she hadn't even told the group about the child on the way.

"Xander," Willow scolded kneeling beside Buffy trying to comfort her.

"Bloody pillock," Spike growled grabbing Xander by his throat.

"Let him go vamp," Faith said shoving Spike away.

"Spike how could you?" Angel asked accusingly while cradling Connor in his arms. Spike was too busy deflecting Faith's powerful hits to answer Angel.

"Xander, I will have to agree with Spike sentiments. You are a bloody moron," Giles said watching the fighting and chaos that filled the small shop.

Everybody was yelling, crying, or fighting with the exception of Tara who hid in a corner and Emma who just watched the chaos unfold.

"STOP!" screamed Emma. The voice was booming and shook the room; it was not a normal child's voice. Everyone turned and stared at Emma who looked around at her parents. "Are you ok mummy?" Emma asked.

Sniffling a little Buffy tried to compose herself, "I'm fine sweetie," Buffy said hugging Emma for comfort.

"So you have a daughter, congratulations," Willow said after a moment's pause.