A/N : Thanx to funkydevil206, Moluvsnumber17, Moonjava, Mony19, Demonica Mills, Hellmouth2, EMBER91, and Brunettepet. You all rock for taking the time to review and say nice things about my story.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 7

Location : Rome, Italy
Time : 25th October 2005, 07:45

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Davy asked his fiancee as they walked down the street together, him pushing the stroller with Ellie and Chloe in it.

"Sure, I'm fine" Buffy told him with a forced smile. He didn't look entirely convinced, since she barely looked at him when she said it and her eyes kept glazing over as she drifted off into a daydream.

They reached the cafe where Buffy worked, though not until the afternoon today. They sat at one of the tables outside, and the Slayer pulled the stroller up next to her to keep a close eye on her children.

"Don't take this the wrong way but, it's like you're only half here" Davy said gently, not wanting to upset her, "Is there somewhere else you'd rather be?" he asked, hoping she said no.

"Of course not" she said, looking so sincere that he actually believed that lie.

She loved being with Davy, of course she did. He was going to make a wonderful husband and a great step-father for her kids, but he could never be what she wanted. There was only ever going to be one William 'Spike' Dashwood, and he was gone forever.

Buffy's friend and fellow waitress Sophia came to take their order for breakfast and it was nice to enjoy good food in such pleasant surroundings, with her little girls there with her and a man she loved. She did love him, but as hard as she tried to be in love with him she never felt like she'd quite fallen all the way. Something held her back, and she knew what that something was, just as Dawn knew and probably Andrew too. It didn't help when she looked down at her daughters and straight into two pairs of bright blue eyes that were so familiar.

"We should go" her fiance's voice cut through another hazy daydream and the slightly annoyed look on his face made Buffy feel terribly guilty, "I have to be at work in half an hour" he realised as he checked his watch.

"I should call in at the store on the way home" Buffy told him as she pulled her jacket back on and checked she'd got everything that she'd left home with. Davy put some money on the table and they were about to leave when Sophia came hurrying out of the cafe and called to them.

"Buffy, mia amica buona" she said as she reached them, "the machine for the coffee, it is 'ow you say, in need of the kicking" she told her friend, making Buffy smile at her phrasing. The coffee machine at the cafe was a huge old fashioned thing that once in a while would give up the ghost and require a few sharp hits in the right places to get it going again. The manager had saved a fortune on repairmen since Buffy had started work there.

"Oh, Davy, I should just..." she started and he nodded, knowing what she was going to say.

"You go help them fix it" he told her, "I'll take the kids to the store and meet you there afterwards, okay?"

"Thankyou" she smiled, kissing him briefly before hurrying after Sophia into the cafe. Davy sighed as he watched her go and looked over the back of the stroller at the kids.

"Your mother is an incredible woman" he told the little girls who of course had no real idea of what he was saying to them, "I only wish that your father had been a less incredible man" he added sadly. How is anyone supposed to compete with a dead man?

"I find I am hungry" Illyria commented as she and Spike got ready to go out, "Perhaps we might find somewhere to eat before we resume our search for both the mother and children from my vision, and your Buffy Summers"

"You always do that" Spike complained, "Always call her 'my' Buffy. You forgetting what you saw in those pictures from the Powers" he asked with a tilt of his head, "She's got a bleedin' engagement ring! May have skipped your mind but it sure as hell hasn't skipped mine" he said, almost angrily as he slammed the drawer of the dresser closed with a thump.

"Your anger in unnecessary" Illyria calmly pointed out to him, "If the Powers That Be have given me a vision of Buffy and her engagement ring, this surely means she is in danger from it. You can have no fear that she has found someone to replace you"

"Nothin' to replace, pet" Spike shook his head sadly, "I was never...that last night before I burned in Sunnyhell, she said she loved me but...I can't let myself believe it"

"It is fruitless talking any further to me of love and associated feelings" his companion told him too sharply as she zipped up her boots, "I cannot give comments or opinions on things I do not understand"

"Doesn't usually stop you" Spike smirked at his own joke, and she gave him a look, desperately trying not to smile as they headed for the door.

When they got down to the street they decided to look for a place where they could eat first and then it was back to asking questions and keeping their eyes open til they found what they were looking for. Rome wasn't exactly a small place and the chance of just running into the people they were looking for was a little remote, still it was always advisable to pay attention to ones surroundings.

They passed by a cafe, though Illyria wanted to stop for food, Spike told her it looked like a pricey place and they weren't exactly flash with the cash of late. She didn't look happy and her stomach growled almost angrily in protest.

"Look, there's a convenience store just up here" her companion gestured up ahead, "We'll go in there and see what they've got on sale, alright?"

"This will do" Illyria nodded once as they continued walking.

As they entered the store, they headed straight for the most identifiable products, and picked out the things with the lowest prices. Spike was standing by the shelving, counting coins into his hand in an attempt to work out how much he dared to spend, whilst Illyria leaned half way into a freezer unit, reaching for heaven only knows what. A man coming the other way was also paying more attention to what he was buying than where he was going and stopped the stroller he was pushing too close to Spike. One of the children playfully kicked her leg, her foot hitting the side of the ex-vampire's leg.

"Hey" he said, turning to yell at what ever was attacking him, only to find two cute little kids giggling at his expression, "Well, not quite what I was expecting" he half-smiled at the kids, one of which was clapping like a crazy thing by now, "You two should learn, s'not nice to go attacking folk like that" he smiled, before he realised something, "Bloody hell" he said under his breath as he took in the picture. Two little blonde girls and some shifty looking bloke pushing their stroller. He didn't look anything like them, not even a little bit. Alarm bells went off in Spike's head just as Illyria pulled herself up from the freezer and glanced over at the children.

"The babies from my vision" she said, confirming her companions thoughts. Without a moments hesitation, Spike stepped forward, grabbed the other man's arm to spin him around and clocked him right across the chin. The children shrieked at the sound of violence and Buffy looked shocked as she appeared in the doorway and saw her fiancé fall.

"Davy!" she yelled, hurrying over to him. She knelt on the floor and was relieved to see he was awake, just a little stunned by the hit.

"What kind of psychopath are you!" she yelled, scrambling to her feet and facing the attacker. When she did so, she felt as if her legs would no longer hold her and she backed up against the nearest shelving unit to hold herself steady.

"Buffy" Spike breathed, almost unable to believe that he was actually her in this moment, standing opposite the woman he had loved for such a long time now. She hadn't changed all that much, maybe slightly more tanned than she once was but other than that it was so obviously still her. Same hair, same eyes, same body, he noted as his eyes travelled down and then up again.

"No" was the first word out of her mouth, "No, no, it's not you, it can't be" she rambled, a frown forming on her face.

"It is me, luv" Spike told her gently, "I know you thought I was dead but, I'm back...again"

Sunlight trickling in from the window illuminated him in a strange glow and tears poured from Buffy's eyes as she launched herself into his arms, hugging him so tight he couldn't breathe, but he didn't care. He held her just as tight, breathing in the scent of her hair, loving the feeling of her in his arms once again. It'd been too long.

Buffy was thinking the same thing as she revelled in the feeling of being held close by the man she loved, but she was forced to pull away slightly when she realised something.

"Your heart..." she said almost whispering as she put her hand to his chest and felt beating beneath her palm. Spike could only nod in response, before Buffy flung herself back into his embrace.

"I believe the dark-haired one is confused" Illyria told them, though neither Spike nor Buffy appeared to hear her. Rolling her eyes, she walked around them and helped Davy up from the floor.

"What...?" he said absently as he allowed Illyria to get him to his feet and he took in the sight of Buffy in another man's arms, the man who'd just hit him!

"Spike hit you" the woman with the blue-streaked hair told him matter-of-factly, "We believed you to be evil of some kind, and we apologise if we were wrong"

"Spike?" he echoed as he watched the scene before him unfold, at the same time feeling his heart break a little.

"God, I've missed you" the bleached blond told the woman in his arms as she pulled back a little to look at him.

"I missed you too" she told him, blinking back further tears, as her fingers reached up and traced every detail of his face, the face she thought she'd never see again outside her dreams, "but, how are you here...and alive?" she frowned suddenly, "You sent me that letter, you were gone..."

"'S a long story, pet" he told her, pushing loose strands of hair from her face and tucking them behind her ear, "but if you've got time I'll tell you it all"

"I do not wish to interrupt" Illyria said loudly to ensure she got their attention, "but there is the small matter of this man and these children to be rectified"

"Davy" Buffy said suddenly, pulling out of Spike's arms and going to her fiancé, as if she'd just remembered he was there.

"I'm okay" he assured her as she winced at the sight of blood on his face, "Seems Spike has a good right swing"

"You hit my fiancé?" she frowned, spinning back to look at the ex-vampire, "Why?"

"This is...your fiancé?" was the only words Spike really took in and Illyria rolled her eyes, realising she was just about the only one here who seemed capable of focusing on anything important.

"Miss Summers" she turned to Buffy, "Do these children belong to you?" she asked and the Slayer glanced between the girl, Spike, and Davy, before her eyes landed on Ellie and Chloe, the latter of which was seconds away from crying.

"Oh, my babies" she said, kneeling down to their level and assuring them that the yelling and the punching was over and everything was okay.

"Er, guess that'd be a yes then" Spike frowned. Seemed Illyria's second vision had been linked to her first. The kids she'd seen, the mother she'd channelled, it'd all been about...

"Buffy" he said aloud, almost exactly at the same time as Davy did.

The two men looked at each other and both felt nauseous. Spike hated to think of his love having moved on in life with this bloke that had presumably blessed her with the twins, whilst Davy knew he could never compete against the supposed love of Buffy's life and the father of her children.

"Er, we should really talk" the Slayer realised, standing up and keeping a firm hold on the handle of the stroller when she felt a little woozy. Nobody was really sure who she was talking to.

"I should be at work" Davy realised suddenly checking his watch. Buffy opened her mouth to say something but he was already gone, despite the fact she called his name behind him right before the door slammed shut.

"I didn't mean to..." Spike gestured vaguely at his own chin, indicating the area in which he'd struck the other man, "We thought he was evil"

"No" Buffy shook her head a smile playing on her lips, "This time I actually picked a guy that is normal, and in no way evil in either the past or present sense"

"That's...good, I s'pose" Spike said awkwardly looking mostly at his boots. Illyria was stunned at how ridiculous he could be, so much the weak little boy. She hadn't realised she was smirking til he accused her of it.

"S'pose you think this is bloody funny!" he shouted, waving an arm at her, "You don't understand love so of course it's bleedin' hilarious that I..." he stopped when he realised Buffy was still looking at him.

"I do not find your suffering amusing, William" Illyria ground out, "Nor do I find the attention of the whole store at all gratifying" she pointed out to him just how many patrons of the shop were now watching him, "I suggest you and your Buffy Summers go elsewhere and continue to discuss whatever matters you feel the need to" she said, turning on her heal and leaving before either Spike or Buffy could say anything else, though both had noticed how the Slayer was again referred to as belonging to her ex-lover.

Ellie decided she wanted some attention now, and Chloe soon followed suit, both of them slamming their feet around and yelling nonsense words.

"I should get them home" Buffy realised, shaking her head as if to come out of a daze, but soon going straight back into said daze when she caught Spike's eyes.

"You probably should" he answered absently, wondering what she'd do if he grabbed her and kissed her now.

"Come with me?" she asked with a smile, "Dawnie and Andrew are back at the apartment. They're gonna go crazy when they see you're back...you're back" she repeated the last phrase as if it was all just sinking in, that Spike was actually back in the world and better than that he was a real live human.

As Spike stepped forward to walk with her, she put a hand to his arm, pulled him closer and put her lips to his. At first he was to startled to respond, but as soon as his brain caught up with the situation, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as he fully participated in one brief moment of passion. Both of them were breathing unevenly when they parted, but smiling anyway.

"I'm sorry" Buffy said, looking at her feet, "That wasn't fair, I mean, I have Davy and you have...well, the girl with the blue hair"

"There's nothing like that between me and Illyria" he almost laughed at the suggestion, as he lifted her chin with his finger and made her look at him, "and anyway, you don't ever have to apologise for...that" he smirked.

Next to them the kids were giggling and clapping again and Buffy suddenly came back down to reality with a thump.

"We really should get out of here" she realised, stepping out of Spike's embrace and getting hold of the stroller to turn it around.

Spike followed her out the door, only to have her stop in the street and turn back to face him.

"Tell me again why you hit my fiancé" she frowned.

"Long story, pet" he told her, "but I'll tell you the whole lot if you want to hear"

"Really do" she nodded as they headed for her home.

To Be Continued...