Chapter Eleven: Requests
"Wow," Buffy said, curling up against Spike. They had just finished making…no, making love wasn't the word for it but it was more than just the wild sex that they had been having before. "That was…wow."
"Yeah," Spike said. "I guess it's true what they say about pregnant women. Always wondered if it was, never had the chance to find out." They were alone in the house; Willow and Dawn were at school so they had been enjoying a leisurely morning alone. Spike shifted position, being careful not to disturb Buffy. "This is a nice bed, much more comfortable than my crypt. We should have spent more nights here."
"Don't get too comfortable," Buffy warned. "You are not sleeping in here. There is a perfectly nice couch downstairs or you can have the basement."
Spike looked down at her and said, "And why am I being thrown out of your bed at this late date? Seems like you're locking the door after the bloody horse has been stolen."
"I have an impressionable younger sister living here," Buffy said.
"Wrong answer, luv," Spike said. "Dawn knows how kiddies are made so I think it's not a secret that we've been sleeping together. I doubt she'll be traumatized, just as long as you stop that bloody screaming you do."
"You're a pig," Buffy snapped.
"Oh come on," Spike grinned. "You like me this way."
"No, I don't," Buffy said seriously. "Nothing's changed except that we're having a baby. That's it."
"Well you're going to have to learn to at least like me," Spike snapped. "Especially since we're going to be raising a child together."
"Children do not make people love each other," Buffy told him. "Look at my parents, having me and Dawn didn't keep them together and what about your parents? Did they love each other?"
Spike was quiet for a long time, so long that Buffy began to get nervous. Finally he said, "Yes, they did, very much. Mother totally worshipped and depended on my father and he adored her until the day he died."
Buffy looked at Spike curiously. She knew next to nothing about his human existence. He never talked about it and to be honest she had never cared, "What were your parents like?" She asked quietly.
"Why do you want to know?" Spike asked suspiciously.
"I want to know what kind of family my child's going to have," Buffy snapped. "Because all I know is your undead family."
Spike grinned, "I can't wait to see the look on Peaches' face when he finds out that he has a great-grandchild."
"You are not telling Angel anything," Buffy warned. "Unless you want him to kill you."
Spike didn't argue. He knew that Buffy was right. Angel would stake him just for sleeping with Buffy, once he found out that he had gotten her pregnant…."Fine, we won't tell him, for now."
"Anyway," Buffy continued, satisfied that Angel wasn't going to find out about her baby, at least not right away. "Tell me about your family."
"No," Spike said, getting up and pulling on his jeans.
"Why?" Buffy asked, sitting up.
"Because it is none of your bloody business," Spike snapped. "It was over a hundred years ago. They're all dead so what does it matter?"
"Did you kill them?" Buffy asked, suspiciously. She knew what Angel had done to his family, maybe Spike had done the same thing.
Spike stared at her for a long time. She had never seen him so angry. She'd seen him tear a room or a person apart but she had never seen him look so intense before, even at their most intimate moments. Finally he said quietly, "No, I did not kill my family. My father died when I was ten and my mother died shortly after I was turned. My little brother died when I was 15 and I don't know what happened to my little sister. I just know her husband died about 15 years after I was turned." Spike opened the door, looked at Buffy and said, "I did killed him, though." Buffy watched as he stalked out the door, slamming it as he left.
Buffy got up, showered and dressed. When she went downstairs there was no trace of Spike but the basement door was ajar so he was probably down there. She decided it would probably be best not to disturb him right now. She grabbed an apple and walked out the door.
"Hey guys," Buffy said, walking into the Magic shop. Anya, Xander, and Tara were all there.
"Buffy, hi," Tara said, not quite looking at Buffy. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Buffy said. "Still pregnant."
"And where's the culprit?" Xander asked. "Did you bring him too?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's at home."
Anya looked at Xander and said, "Good, here's your chance. Now go ask him."
"No," Xander said. "Spike is not going to be in our wedding."
"It is either him or a chaos demon," Anya reminded him. "And I want Spike," She looked around. "In the non-sexual way of course."
"I don't want him in the wedding," Xander said. "Who are we going to pair him with?"
"I was thinking Dawn but then I thought maybe Hallie, you know a vampire and a vengeance demon. I also thought about Buffy, since you know they're together."
"We are not together," Buffy said. "Spike and I are not a couple. We just happened to have sex once and a while and he somehow got me pregnant."
"That sounds like half the marriages I've seen over the years," Anya said. "You have sex sometimes and one of those time causes a baby and," She continued. "Xander won't have any sex with me unless he asks Spike to be the wedding."
"You're bluffing," Xander said. "You can't last a day without sex." He looked at Tara and Buffy who were staring at him in shock. "And I can't believe I just said that."
"I'm not joking," Anya said. "We need Spike to make sure we have an equal number of bridesmaids and ushers. So go and ask him, now." They glared at each other for a minute and Xander turned and stormed out the door.
"So who's Spike going to be paired with?" Buffy asked nervously. She was not going to walk down an aisle with Spike. It was bad enough that she was carrying his child.
"Hallie," Anya decided. "She noticed him at your birthday party and she wants me to introduce them. I guess I'll have to tell her that he's already taken, though."
"Spike is not 'taken'," Buffy said. "We're not a couple. Now excuse me, I'm going to train for a little while."
"Is that a good idea?" Tara asked cautiously. "I mean, you don't want to do anything too strenuous?"
Buffy sighed, irritated, "I'm fine. I'm pregnant, not porcelain." Then she stormed into the training room, slamming the door behind her.
Xander opened the door to the Summers' house, and called out, "Spike? You there?" He quickly looked around and said, "Okay, if you're not here then I'll leave."
"Can I help you?" Spike said, coming down the stairs.
"Uh yeah," Xander said, walking into the living room, Spike behind him. "I need to talk to you."
"If this is about Buffy or the baby then forget it," Spike snapped. "It's none of your business what she and I do."
"I've seen what the two of you do," Xander retorted. "And it's going to take months of therapy to undo the damage."
"It's going to take more than that to figure you out," Spike said, sitting down on the couch. "Now what do you want?"
"It's ah about the wedding," Xander stammered. "I need to ask you something."
"Sorry mate," Spike said. "My heart already belongs to another."
Xander ignored him and continued, "Anya and I were wondering if you would…"
"What?" Spike asked impatiently.
"Be an usher in the wedding," Xander spit out.
"Sure," Spike said.
Xander looked at him, surprised, "You will?"
"Sure, why not," Spike said. "Might be fun. Just don't make me wear one of those bloody monkey suits."
"I wear one, you wear one," Xander said. "Or you'll be replaced by a chaos demon, again."
Spike was on his feet; "I'd watch what you say next."
"What are you going to do?" Xander said. "You can't hurt me."
"No, but I can make your life miserable," Spike said. "In ways your feeble little mind can't even imagine."
"I'd like to see you try," Xander said. They were standing right in each other's faces when the door opened and Dawn ran in.
"Spike, I found…" She stopped at the sight of Xander. "Hi."
"What do you have Dawn looking for?" Xander asked suspiciously.
"Spike asked me to pick these up for Buffy," Dawn said, holding up a bag. "It's just some prenatal vitamins."
Xander looked at them both and then said, "Fine, I have to go." He glanced at Spike; "I'll get your measurements later." Then he stormed out the door.
"You got them?" Spike asked Dawn once Xander had gone.
"Yeah," Dawn said proudly. "They're at your crypt."
"Okay," Spike said. "I'll check on them after it gets dark."
"I still don't see why Buffy can't find out about this," Dawn said. "It's completely harmless."
"She won't think so," Spike said. "So you're going to help me out with this, right?"
"Sure," Dawn agreed. "But why don't we keep them in the basement instead of your crypt? It will be easier to keep an eye on them."
"It'll also be easier to get caught," Spike pointed out. "And then we'd have a lot of explaining to do."
Dawn sighed. She knew that he was right. It just didn't make sense, though. Why was Spike making such an effort to hide what he was doing from Buffy? They shouldn't be keeping secrets like that from each other. They were having a baby, for heaven's sake.
"I have homework," Dawn said, sitting at the dining room table.
"Okay," Spike said, heading into the kitchen. "Let me know if you need any help." He opened the fridge and looked inside. He wasn't much of a cook, since he mainly lived on blood but there were some leftovers in the fridge. Maybe some of those would make a good meal. He could put something together, after all. How hard could it be?
"Wow," Buffy said, curling up against Spike. They had just finished making…no, making love wasn't the word for it but it was more than just the wild sex that they had been having before. "That was…wow."
"Yeah," Spike said. "I guess it's true what they say about pregnant women. Always wondered if it was, never had the chance to find out." They were alone in the house; Willow and Dawn were at school so they had been enjoying a leisurely morning alone. Spike shifted position, being careful not to disturb Buffy. "This is a nice bed, much more comfortable than my crypt. We should have spent more nights here."
"Don't get too comfortable," Buffy warned. "You are not sleeping in here. There is a perfectly nice couch downstairs or you can have the basement."
Spike looked down at her and said, "And why am I being thrown out of your bed at this late date? Seems like you're locking the door after the bloody horse has been stolen."
"I have an impressionable younger sister living here," Buffy said.
"Wrong answer, luv," Spike said. "Dawn knows how kiddies are made so I think it's not a secret that we've been sleeping together. I doubt she'll be traumatized, just as long as you stop that bloody screaming you do."
"You're a pig," Buffy snapped.
"Oh come on," Spike grinned. "You like me this way."
"No, I don't," Buffy said seriously. "Nothing's changed except that we're having a baby. That's it."
"Well you're going to have to learn to at least like me," Spike snapped. "Especially since we're going to be raising a child together."
"Children do not make people love each other," Buffy told him. "Look at my parents, having me and Dawn didn't keep them together and what about your parents? Did they love each other?"
Spike was quiet for a long time, so long that Buffy began to get nervous. Finally he said, "Yes, they did, very much. Mother totally worshipped and depended on my father and he adored her until the day he died."
Buffy looked at Spike curiously. She knew next to nothing about his human existence. He never talked about it and to be honest she had never cared, "What were your parents like?" She asked quietly.
"Why do you want to know?" Spike asked suspiciously.
"I want to know what kind of family my child's going to have," Buffy snapped. "Because all I know is your undead family."
Spike grinned, "I can't wait to see the look on Peaches' face when he finds out that he has a great-grandchild."
"You are not telling Angel anything," Buffy warned. "Unless you want him to kill you."
Spike didn't argue. He knew that Buffy was right. Angel would stake him just for sleeping with Buffy, once he found out that he had gotten her pregnant…."Fine, we won't tell him, for now."
"Anyway," Buffy continued, satisfied that Angel wasn't going to find out about her baby, at least not right away. "Tell me about your family."
"No," Spike said, getting up and pulling on his jeans.
"Why?" Buffy asked, sitting up.
"Because it is none of your bloody business," Spike snapped. "It was over a hundred years ago. They're all dead so what does it matter?"
"Did you kill them?" Buffy asked, suspiciously. She knew what Angel had done to his family, maybe Spike had done the same thing.
Spike stared at her for a long time. She had never seen him so angry. She'd seen him tear a room or a person apart but she had never seen him look so intense before, even at their most intimate moments. Finally he said quietly, "No, I did not kill my family. My father died when I was ten and my mother died shortly after I was turned. My little brother died when I was 15 and I don't know what happened to my little sister. I just know her husband died about 15 years after I was turned." Spike opened the door, looked at Buffy and said, "I did killed him, though." Buffy watched as he stalked out the door, slamming it as he left.
Buffy got up, showered and dressed. When she went downstairs there was no trace of Spike but the basement door was ajar so he was probably down there. She decided it would probably be best not to disturb him right now. She grabbed an apple and walked out the door.
"Hey guys," Buffy said, walking into the Magic shop. Anya, Xander, and Tara were all there.
"Buffy, hi," Tara said, not quite looking at Buffy. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Buffy said. "Still pregnant."
"And where's the culprit?" Xander asked. "Did you bring him too?"
"No," Buffy said. "He's at home."
Anya looked at Xander and said, "Good, here's your chance. Now go ask him."
"No," Xander said. "Spike is not going to be in our wedding."
"It is either him or a chaos demon," Anya reminded him. "And I want Spike," She looked around. "In the non-sexual way of course."
"I don't want him in the wedding," Xander said. "Who are we going to pair him with?"
"I was thinking Dawn but then I thought maybe Hallie, you know a vampire and a vengeance demon. I also thought about Buffy, since you know they're together."
"We are not together," Buffy said. "Spike and I are not a couple. We just happened to have sex once and a while and he somehow got me pregnant."
"That sounds like half the marriages I've seen over the years," Anya said. "You have sex sometimes and one of those time causes a baby and," She continued. "Xander won't have any sex with me unless he asks Spike to be the wedding."
"You're bluffing," Xander said. "You can't last a day without sex." He looked at Tara and Buffy who were staring at him in shock. "And I can't believe I just said that."
"I'm not joking," Anya said. "We need Spike to make sure we have an equal number of bridesmaids and ushers. So go and ask him, now." They glared at each other for a minute and Xander turned and stormed out the door.
"So who's Spike going to be paired with?" Buffy asked nervously. She was not going to walk down an aisle with Spike. It was bad enough that she was carrying his child.
"Hallie," Anya decided. "She noticed him at your birthday party and she wants me to introduce them. I guess I'll have to tell her that he's already taken, though."
"Spike is not 'taken'," Buffy said. "We're not a couple. Now excuse me, I'm going to train for a little while."
"Is that a good idea?" Tara asked cautiously. "I mean, you don't want to do anything too strenuous?"
Buffy sighed, irritated, "I'm fine. I'm pregnant, not porcelain." Then she stormed into the training room, slamming the door behind her.
Xander opened the door to the Summers' house, and called out, "Spike? You there?" He quickly looked around and said, "Okay, if you're not here then I'll leave."
"Can I help you?" Spike said, coming down the stairs.
"Uh yeah," Xander said, walking into the living room, Spike behind him. "I need to talk to you."
"If this is about Buffy or the baby then forget it," Spike snapped. "It's none of your business what she and I do."
"I've seen what the two of you do," Xander retorted. "And it's going to take months of therapy to undo the damage."
"It's going to take more than that to figure you out," Spike said, sitting down on the couch. "Now what do you want?"
"It's ah about the wedding," Xander stammered. "I need to ask you something."
"Sorry mate," Spike said. "My heart already belongs to another."
Xander ignored him and continued, "Anya and I were wondering if you would…"
"What?" Spike asked impatiently.
"Be an usher in the wedding," Xander spit out.
"Sure," Spike said.
Xander looked at him, surprised, "You will?"
"Sure, why not," Spike said. "Might be fun. Just don't make me wear one of those bloody monkey suits."
"I wear one, you wear one," Xander said. "Or you'll be replaced by a chaos demon, again."
Spike was on his feet; "I'd watch what you say next."
"What are you going to do?" Xander said. "You can't hurt me."
"No, but I can make your life miserable," Spike said. "In ways your feeble little mind can't even imagine."
"I'd like to see you try," Xander said. They were standing right in each other's faces when the door opened and Dawn ran in.
"Spike, I found…" She stopped at the sight of Xander. "Hi."
"What do you have Dawn looking for?" Xander asked suspiciously.
"Spike asked me to pick these up for Buffy," Dawn said, holding up a bag. "It's just some prenatal vitamins."
Xander looked at them both and then said, "Fine, I have to go." He glanced at Spike; "I'll get your measurements later." Then he stormed out the door.
"You got them?" Spike asked Dawn once Xander had gone.
"Yeah," Dawn said proudly. "They're at your crypt."
"Okay," Spike said. "I'll check on them after it gets dark."
"I still don't see why Buffy can't find out about this," Dawn said. "It's completely harmless."
"She won't think so," Spike said. "So you're going to help me out with this, right?"
"Sure," Dawn agreed. "But why don't we keep them in the basement instead of your crypt? It will be easier to keep an eye on them."
"It'll also be easier to get caught," Spike pointed out. "And then we'd have a lot of explaining to do."
Dawn sighed. She knew that he was right. It just didn't make sense, though. Why was Spike making such an effort to hide what he was doing from Buffy? They shouldn't be keeping secrets like that from each other. They were having a baby, for heaven's sake.
"I have homework," Dawn said, sitting at the dining room table.
"Okay," Spike said, heading into the kitchen. "Let me know if you need any help." He opened the fridge and looked inside. He wasn't much of a cook, since he mainly lived on blood but there were some leftovers in the fridge. Maybe some of those would make a good meal. He could put something together, after all. How hard could it be?