Chapter 13: Old Faces

Buffy opened her eyes. She turned her head and saw Spike sleeping next to her. How had this happened again? She had tried to be firm and make him sleep down stairs on the couch but somehow between the couch and her bedroom her resolve had faltered. She hated that someone that she hated was such a big part of her life and had such control over her. She had always thought that she had the upper hand in what ever it was that she and Spike had together but lately it seemed like things were going more Spike's way. She was carrying his child, he was living in her house, and he was sleeping in her bed for crying out loud! How had things gotten so turned around?

She carefully slid out of Spike's arms and sat up, immediately realizing that that had been a mistake. The moment she sat up her stomach started spinning out of control. She tried to take deep breaths, like she'd done before to control the nausea but this time it didn't work.

She barely made it to the bathroom in time. She just grabbed onto the toilet and held on as she vomited over and over into the bowl. She vaguely felt Spike's arms go around her and hold her until she was done.

"You okay?" Spike asked, wiping her face off with a cool washcloth.

"I..I think so," Buffy gasped but no sooner had she said that then she felt the bile rise in her throat and she had to lean over the toilet again. Finally there was nothing left in her stomach to bring up and she leaned against Spike, grateful for once that he was a vampire and his skin was nice and cool.

"Here," Spike said, handing her a glass of water. She quickly rinsed out her mouth and leaned back against Spike. He picked her up and carried her back to bed. "You stay here. I'll get the Nibblet off to school." Buffy nodded, too tired and sick to argue with him. She just shut her eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

Spike went downstairs. He heard Dawn showering in her bathroom and Willow moving around in her bedroom. They were going to be down stairs soon and wanting breakfast. He looked around in the fridge and cupboards, trying to find something he could make. He finally found a box of pancake mix. That looked simple enough.

He was just figuring out how to turn the pancakes when Dawn walked into the kitchen. She saw Spike flipping pancakes and burst out laughing. Spike glared at her but she couldn't stop laughing. She sat down on a stool and watched him, giggling.

"You think this is funny?" Spike asked, pointing a turner at her.

Dawn nodded, "William the Bloody turned chef, it's perfect."

Spike handed her a plate with a pancake on it, "It was either I feed you or you starve, take your pick."

"I don't know," Dawn said, studying her pancake. "How safe is this?"

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "It's safe." He turned away from her and got his own breakfast ready.

"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, keeping her eyes away from Spike's bowl of blood and Wheetabix.

"She wasn't feeling well," Spike said.

"Too much activity last night?" Dawn asked.

Spike choked on his breakfast and gasped, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on," Dawn said. "Who do you think closed Buffy's door last night? You guys really need to keep that closed, especially when you're…"

"Bloody hell," Spike swore under his breath. Buffy was going to have a fit when found out that Dawn had seen them.

"So," Dawn asked, gathering her book into her backpack. "Did you check on them last night?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, nothing yet."

"Not yet?" Dawn said disappointed. "I thought something would have happened by now."

Spike nodded, "I thought so too."

"What can we do to hurry things along?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not sure," Spike said. "But I'll think of something."

"What are you going to think about?" Willow asked coming into the kitchen.

"Nothing," Spike said. "Want a pancake?"

"Did you cook them?" Willow asked warily.

"They're safe," Dawn assured her, gesturing to her empty plate.

Willow carefully tasted her pancakes and then said, in surprise, "Wow, these are good." She glanced at her watch and said, "Come on Dawnie, we're going to be late." She and Dawn grabbed their backpacks and hurried out the door.

Spike cleaned up the kitchen, and brought a tray of tea and toast up to Buffy's room. She was asleep so Spike left the tray on her bedside table. He was downstairs and sitting at the computer when he realized something. He was becoming something he had sworn that he would never become. He was becoming domesticated. He was living with three women that he wasn't even tempted to bite and one of them was carrying his child, something that wouldn't have happened in the first place if it hadn't been for little magic. He was cooking, cleaning and even working. He was becoming what he had died to avoid. This wasn't happening. He had to get out of here to clear his head.

He had just grabbed his duster and was about to head out the door and down to his crypt when suddenly a figure appeared in front of him. It was Anya's vengeance demon friend, Halfrek.

"What are you doing here?" Spike said angrily. He was already in a foul mood. He didn't want to have to deal with unpleasant memories.

"William," She said, softly. "We have to talk."

"No, we don't," Spike said. "You've said all there bloody well is to say."

"That was years ago, William," Hallie said.

"I have a long memory," Spike said, turning around and stalking into the living room, Hallie at his heels.

"William…." Hallie pleaded.

"What?" Spike snapped. "What do you want me to say? Thank you?"

"Just let me explain," Hallie pleaded.

"No," Spike said. "There is nothing to say."

"William…" Hallie tried again.

Spike whirled around, his game face coming out, "Don't call me that ever again. It's Spike. William died a long time ago."

"I'm so sorry," Hallie said. "I never meant for this to happen to either one of us."

Spike shrugged, his face returning to normal, "I don't have any regrets. Becoming a vampire was the best thing that ever happened to me. Found people who appreciated me, you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"I'm sorry," Hallie said again. "I've regretted what I said that night for years."

"Don't waste your guilt," Spike said coldly. "I told you. I've had a grand old time, cutting a swathe across continents, killing people, and hot, passionate nights with beautiful women, all thanks to you. I guess I should thank you for rejecting me that night Cecily. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. So thank you, thank you for everything, now get out."

Halfrek looked at him for a moment, then looked up the stairs to where Buffy was standing. "You're very lucky," Hallie told Buffy. "Luckier than you know. Don't make the same mistake I did." She looked at Spike, "You were right. You were a bad poet but you were a good man. I can still see traces of William. I just have to look closer." Then she vanished.

"What was that all about?" Buffy asked coming down the stairs.

"Nothing," Spike said, shaking his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Buffy said. "Thanks for the tea and toast." Spike nodded curtly, still staring at where Hallie had vanished. "Um did Dawn get to school okay?"

"Yeah," Spike told her. "Red took her." Spike headed into the kitchen. He wanted to get out of here and be alone to think. He hadn't thought of Cecily since that night he'd told Buffy about how he'd been turned.

Buffy followed him into the kitchen, "Spike, what just happened in here? What was that vengeance demon doing here?"

"She just wanted to discuss something but she was wasting her bloody time."

"Why?" Buffy pressed. "What happened between the two of you? Why did she call you William?"

"It's not important," Spike said impatiently. "We knew each other when we were human, that's it."

"You did?" Buffy said surprised. "How did you know each other?"

"Drop it," Spike ordered. "Just forget it. I have work to do." Then he stormed down to the basement, slamming the door behind him.

Buffy watched him leave then she hurried out the door. If she couldn't get answers from Spike then she'd get answers from someone else.