A/N : Thanx to; demonica mills, ness345, funkydevil206, EMBER91, Mony19, LiLi, Brunettepet, Moluvsnumber17, and maigain, for the reviews. Of course Buffy should have just told Spike she loved him and that the kids were his, but as Brunettepet so rightly said 'where would the drama be without misunderstandings and miscommunication?', and oh boy ther's some drama still to come! In the meantime, here's the next chapter...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 9

"Illyria?" Spike called as came into the room. He found her pacing up and down, glancing once in a while out of the window.

"You were gone quite some time" she said when she finally stopped and looked at him, "I assume you have spoken to your Buffy Summers about my visions"

"Oh bugger" Spike complained, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed, "Never even entered my head" he admitted and he knew that wouldn't go own too well with the woman behind him.

"You spoke nothing of the danger she might face?" Illyria asked quite angrily and she stalked around the bed and stood in front of him, "Are you out of your senses!" she demanded to know. Spike spoke through gritted teeth to save from fighting with his companion.

"I had other things on my mind" he ground out, glancing up at her angry and bemused expression, "Really, pet, you weren't kidding when you said you have no idea about love... Seeing Buffy was like, I can't even tell you" he sighed, anger disapating at the thought of his Slayer and tears welling up behind his eyes instead. His reunion with her and Dawn had been everything to him, to see them looking so well and being so happy, and yet it hurt him greatly to know they'd moved on with their lives.

"She's got kids, Lyri" he forced out, staring at a blank spot across the room, "She's got some git she's gonna marry and a pair of kids by him... and here I am again about to screw up everything for her" he cursed himself as he got up and kicked the wall with some force, cracking the plaster. Illyria grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he did anymore damage.

"If her welfare concerned you so, you would have mentioned to her the danger she might face" the ex-god snapped, "Those children of which you hold feelings of jealously may be snatched away from Buffy Summers, and it is us she will blame for not forewarning her of the event"

"S'not like she can't fight back" Spike shrugged her hand from his arm, "Slayer's quite capable of kicking the ass of anything that comes near her family. Believe me, luv, I should know"

"My visions are not wrong" she said narrowing her eyes at the back of his head as he stood by the window and looked out, "This you know as well as I myself know it"

"Yeah, I know" Spike conceded at length, expelling all the air from his body in one long sigh, "Just wish I knew what to do for the best"

"I believe we must begin with a warning to Miss Summers over the safety of her children" his friend told him, "After any danger has been averted, then you will discuss your romantic feelings for one another" she reasoned.

"Got an answer for everything, don't you, pet?" he smirked as he turned to find her at his side.

"For most things" she agreed with a slight smile, "Yes, I believe I do"

"Question for you then" Spike said turning back to the view, "You think Buffy still loves me like she says she did before?"

When Illyria did not answer he looked back at her as she tilted her head.

"This is something that no-one but your Slayer herself may answer" she told him, "I believe you have beaten me, William" she smirked slightly before walking back across the room and out the door, leaving Spike alone by the window.

The mid-afternoon sun shone high in the sky, the same sun he'd seen in America and the same one Buffy had no doubt watched rise and set many a time here in Italy this past year and more. Wherever they were in the world they watched the same sun and moon, rise and fall as they seemed to do. Him, and Buffy, and all the Scoobies scattered round the globe.

It was so strange to think of days gone by in Sunnydale, living in basements and crypts, sarcastic remarks shared with Harris and watching the little witches grin across the table at each other, whilst ex-demon girl counted her cash and Rupert polished his glasses almost to sand. Then there was Buffy and Dawn, more like family to him than anyone ever could be.

It was such a familiar day-dream that Spike became lost in, as wonderful as it was now to be alive and know that Buffy had loved him then even if not now, sometimes he longed to go back to those days in good old Sunnyhell. Not all the memories were good, but little scenes, bits and pieces of days and nights, research sessions, feeling like part of their team. He'd been grateful for any attention Buffy would give him, and proud to be one of those chosen as a trusted protector for Dawn.

Spike closed his eyes and pushed the memories away. Things were very different now, but one thing remained the same. He loved Buffy more than anything else in the world, and come hell or high water he was determined not to let her down again. Even if she said she didn't love him anymore, and chose to stay with her fiancé, the supposed father of her children, he would make sure they were safe and well when he left Rome. He couldn't live in a world where he knew his Slayer was in pain, that fact hadn't changed in more than five years.

When David arrived home he found a message on his machine from Buffy, asking him to come over as soon as he could because she needed to talk to him. He played the message many times, trying to figure out from her tone of voice and use of words whether the result of this talk would be good or bad.

Knowing Spike was alive and in the very same town did not exactly fill Davy with confidence, but at least he was up against a man now, flesh and bone. Fighting the perfect memory of a dead man was an impossible task for anyone, at least now he had something real to compete with but the same fact could be an argument for badness too. Spike was Buffy's dream guy, in a very literal sense Davy knew, as he'd often caught her mumbling about him in her sleep. It killed him to hear her words of affection for her former-love, and yet he couldn't blame her, couldn't even blame Spike since he no longer existed and his time with Buffy had not over-lapped his own at all. Now the vampire was back, only not that demon he once was but human.

All Davy could hope was that Spike was over Buffy or that perhaps she would find the ex-vampire to be much more flawed than she remembered. It was perfectly possibly to build up a picture in your mind, a fantasy version of a person that was beyond the realms of reality. The pictures in Buffy's mind of her beloved Spike may well be just like this, over-beautified, over-rated. Nobody was perfect after all.

After more than an hour of to-ing and fro-ing, Davy finally left the apartment and headed over to Buffy's, hoping against hope that she would tell him Spike was gone and wouldn't be coming back, that it was still him she loved and him she wanted to marry. He hoped, but he didn't truly believe it was possible.

"Davy" she greeted him as she opened the door and hugged him. He held her tightly to him, wondering how many more times he would be allowed to get this close.

A moment later that were sitting on the couch and she looked down at her hands that twitched nervously in her lap.

"Buffy" he said softly, putting his hand on hers to still their movement, "You wanted to talk, and yet you're silent" he pointed out.

"I'm sorry" she sniffed, tears coming to her eyes that she fought to keep back. She was apologising for so many things, so many thoughts she felt guilty for having, the two mind-blowing kisses she'd shared with Spike, and a whole heap of other things she couldn't begin to explain.

"I'm certain you have nothing to be sorry for" her fiancé told her kindly, only making it harder for her to be strong. Buffy swallowed hard and began to say what she needed to.

"Davy, things are more complicated now" she said glancing up to meet his eyes just briefly before she had to look away again, "I love you, you know I do but... but I can't ignore what I still feel for Spike"

"You still love him" it was a statement not a question when David spoke. He knew the story of the Slayers love affair with the vampire too well to doubt her affection.

"I do" she admitted, "and I know it hurts you to hear that but, I can't help it... and I think it's better that you know the truth"

"So, you and me" Davy said huskily, "We are over, yes?" he almost choked on the words and Buffy felt just terrible about the whole situation.

A small part of her wished Spike had never come back, at least that way she'd never have had to hurt this wonderful man who sat beside her now, who'd been nothing but good to her from day one. The larger part of Buffy knew though that Spike coming back into her life was the best thing ever and that she wouldn't change this situation for all the world.

"I don't..." she began, only to stop again and re-think her sentence several times, "Davy, I... I don't know where we go from here, I only wish I did" she told him, "I know that I care about you so much, I love you I really do, but I also love Spike. I have to think of the kids in all this too..."

"Don't you realise I'm thinking of them too?" David said almost angry that she would think he was being selfish in this matter, "I love you Buffy but I love Ellie and Chloe almost just as much. I've treated them like my own for so long now..."

"But they're not yours" Buffy reminded him tearfully, "I used to wish they were sometimes but they're not and maybe that's for the best, I don't know"

"I don't know either, Buffy" Davy sighed, "I don't know how long I can wait around for you to make a decision between me and Spike and what you want to do with your life"

"I understand" she nodded with a quiver in her voice and a single tear creeping down her cheek, "I guess you want this back?" she said softly, taking hold of the ring on her left hand with the fingers of her right. Davy stopped her as she made to pull the large diamond from her finger.

"No, no" he told her, "Not yet, not until..." he stopped and sighed before continuing, "Make your decision, and then we see about the ring" he told her.

"Thank you" Buffy whispered, leaning into him, "For everything, for being so understanding, and not hating me for being confused"

"Buffy, my darling" he sighed, his hand cupping her cheek, "I could never find it in me to hate you, I love you too much"

He put his lips to hers then in one bitter-sweet moment, knowing his chances of anything more than a couple of stolen kisses was remote from here. Even this was interrupted by a rapping on the door and Buffy wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed to have their moment interrupted. She stood and moved to the door quickly, before any further noise was made and woke the kids that slept soundly in the next room.

"Hello Buffy" said the man on the other side as soon as the Slayer opened her door.

"Giles" she cried, throwing herself into his arms and finding such comfort in his embrace. He was as good as Daddy to her, and she so needed him right now. Everything in her life was becoming so confused and she could always rely on him for good council. Sure, they'd had their disagreements, especially where Spike was concerned, but right now she just needed to know she wasn't alone in all this.

"I'm so glad you're here" she mumbled against his jacket, "I so need a real friend right now" she admitted.

"How about two friends?" asked a voice that Buffy could hardly believe she was hearing, put as she pulled away from her Watcher she saw it was true.

"Xander?" she gasped, hardly able to take in that he was really here as he stepped out from behind Giles and opened his arms to her.

"Got a hug for the Xand-man, Little Miss Slay-Mom?" he smiled as she went into his embrace. He'd clearly gone to visit Giles and it seemed he'd filled him in about the kids. Buffy wanted very much to know why her father-figure would break her confidence in this way, but she knew he had to have a good reason for such an act. In any case, right now it was just so great to have two of her favourite guys in the whole world standing on her doorstep. It took her mind off two others, her feelings for whom were confusing her to no end.

To Be Continued...