Chapter Twenty Five: It's Not What It Seems
Buffy opened her eyes and looked around. She sighed, grateful to be home. One night in the hospital had been one night too long. She was glad that she had decided to have her baby at home instead of a hospital.
"Finally awake, are you?" said a voice next to her.
"Hi," Buffy said sleepily.
"And before you ask," Spike said. "I got the Nibblet off to school and your ex-Watcher made his plane."
Buffy sighed, "I wish I could have seen him off."
"He understood," Spike said.
Buffy and Giles had said their good-byes the night before after she'd come home and gotten settled into bed. He had wanted to stay longer but he had had to get back to England. He had promised to come back for a visit when the baby was born, though.
"Here," Spike said, handing Buffy a postcard. "This came this morning from the newlyweds."
Hi All:
Our cruise has been a lot of fun. We've spent all our time in our cabin having wild sex. Being married is a lot of fun. You guys should all get married. Take care of the shop while I'm gone and all my money better be there when we get back.
Love Anya
"Lovely," Buffy said, putting the card down.
"Doesn't sound too bad," Spike said. "At least they're having fun before they settle down to the predictability of marriage."
"Look who's talking," Buffy said. "You were in a committed relationship for over a hundred years. If that's not married then I don't know what is."
"That was different," Spike said. "Dru and I might have been together for a long time but we weren't in what you would call a marriage. Marriage usually involved fidelity and that was one thing Dru and I didn't have."
"You and Dru were with other people when you were together?" Buffy asked, surprised.
He nodded, "Yeah, sometimes Angel and I would trade. He'd take Dru and I'd take Darla. Then sometimes I'd have a little fun before I killed," He grinned. "Then I'd get a lecture from Angel about playing with my food."
"That's disgusting," Buffy said.
"Wait until you have to change nappies," Spike said. "Then you'll find new meaning to the word disgusting."
"And you know this because…."
"I hung around the nursery a lot when Charles and Charlotte were babies. It didn't take me long to figure out that I should make myself scarce when Nanny changed their nappies."
"Well don't think you'll get out of it this time around," Buffy warned. "You're going to have to do your share with this baby."
"I plan to," Spike assured her, although he was already trying to figure out how he could get Dawn or someone else to change diapers for him. "So what do you want for breakfast?"
Buffy hesitated. She wasn't feeling as sick as she had before but she still didn't feel like eating, "Just some tea and toast," Buffy said. "That's about all I can handle right now."
"Okay," Spike said. "Sarah stopped by while you were sleeping and she dropped off some more of those herbal teas for you."
"I should call her," Buffy said. "She probably should give me a checkup to make sure everything's okay."
"Yeah," Spike agreed. "She was really concerned when I told her that you had been in the hospital."
"I like her," Buffy said. "I'm glad that we decided to use her instead of a hospital. She really seems to know what she's doing and she really seems to care."
Spike nodded. He agreed with Buffy. Sarah seemed to be just the kind of person they needed. She was discrete, even though she didn't know that he was a vampire and the baby had been conceived through magic. "I'll go down and get you some breakfast." He went downstairs, made her some dry toast and brewed one of the teas they'd gotten from Sarah. She had said that this one would make Buffy feel better and give her some energy.
He carried the tray upstairs and set it down next to her, saying, "Here you go."
"Thanks," Buffy said, taking a sip of her tea and nibbling on a corner of her toast.
"I'll let you get ready," Spike said. He went downstairs and sat down at the computer. He needed to do some research for his and Dawn's project. Nothing had happened yet and he was about ready to try magic to get something going. He was in the middle of downloading a spell when his vampire hearing picked up a now familiar sound coming from upstairs.
He hurried upstairs and into Buffy's bathroom. She was kneeling by the toilet, just out of the shower and wrapped in a towel and vomiting. Spike hurried over, held her hair back with one hand and held a wet cloth to her face with another. Once her stomach was empty he picked her up, carried her into her room and laid her down on her bed.
"I feel awful," Buffy moaned.
"I know," Spike said.
"No, you don't," Buffy said. You're a man or at least you were. You don't have a clue about what I'm feeling."
Spike started to say something but then the phone rang. He leaned over and kissed Buffy on the forehead, "I'd better get that."
"If it's for me then tell them I died," Buffy ordered.
Spike headed to answer the phone, muttering, "The problem is that they'd believe me." He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Hello, I'm calling for Buffy Summers."
"She can't come to the phone right now," Spike said. Buffy had made him be polite on the phone in case it was social services calling. "May I take a message?"
"This is the hospital," The voice said. "I have the results of Ms. Summers's blood work."
"What are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"I found a substance in Ms. Summers's blood stream that I couldn't identify so I ran some tests on it and I found what it is."
"What?" Spike asked, his non-beating heart in his mouth. If anything happened to Buffy or the baby.. "What's wrong?"
"We found small traces of a chemical in her blood. We tested it and this reaction is caused by injesting a combination of herbs. What has Ms. Summer's been eating or drinking that's unusual lately?"
"She hasn't been eating anything," Spike said. "That's why she was in the hospital." He thought for a minute and said, "Wait a second. She's been drinking these herbal teas. Her midwife said that it would help with the morning sickness."
"Don't give her anymore of those teas," The voice ordered. "I'll send someone over to get those herbs and we'll run a test on what it's in them."
"Could it have harmed the baby?" Spike asked.
"Bring your…." The doctor hadn't been sure of Spike and Buffy's relationship. "Ms. Summers in and we'll run some tests but I think we caught it soon enough that the baby should be fine."
"I'll bring her in tomorrow," Spike promised. He put the phone down and went upstairs. Buffy was sleeping, her face pale and drawn. Spike looked down at her. He couldn't believe that someone would want to harm her and the baby. He couldn't wait until dark. He had a certain witch that he was going to pay a little visit to.
Buffy opened her eyes and looked around. She sighed, grateful to be home. One night in the hospital had been one night too long. She was glad that she had decided to have her baby at home instead of a hospital.
"Finally awake, are you?" said a voice next to her.
"Hi," Buffy said sleepily.
"And before you ask," Spike said. "I got the Nibblet off to school and your ex-Watcher made his plane."
Buffy sighed, "I wish I could have seen him off."
"He understood," Spike said.
Buffy and Giles had said their good-byes the night before after she'd come home and gotten settled into bed. He had wanted to stay longer but he had had to get back to England. He had promised to come back for a visit when the baby was born, though.
"Here," Spike said, handing Buffy a postcard. "This came this morning from the newlyweds."
Hi All:
Our cruise has been a lot of fun. We've spent all our time in our cabin having wild sex. Being married is a lot of fun. You guys should all get married. Take care of the shop while I'm gone and all my money better be there when we get back.
Love Anya
"Lovely," Buffy said, putting the card down.
"Doesn't sound too bad," Spike said. "At least they're having fun before they settle down to the predictability of marriage."
"Look who's talking," Buffy said. "You were in a committed relationship for over a hundred years. If that's not married then I don't know what is."
"That was different," Spike said. "Dru and I might have been together for a long time but we weren't in what you would call a marriage. Marriage usually involved fidelity and that was one thing Dru and I didn't have."
"You and Dru were with other people when you were together?" Buffy asked, surprised.
He nodded, "Yeah, sometimes Angel and I would trade. He'd take Dru and I'd take Darla. Then sometimes I'd have a little fun before I killed," He grinned. "Then I'd get a lecture from Angel about playing with my food."
"That's disgusting," Buffy said.
"Wait until you have to change nappies," Spike said. "Then you'll find new meaning to the word disgusting."
"And you know this because…."
"I hung around the nursery a lot when Charles and Charlotte were babies. It didn't take me long to figure out that I should make myself scarce when Nanny changed their nappies."
"Well don't think you'll get out of it this time around," Buffy warned. "You're going to have to do your share with this baby."
"I plan to," Spike assured her, although he was already trying to figure out how he could get Dawn or someone else to change diapers for him. "So what do you want for breakfast?"
Buffy hesitated. She wasn't feeling as sick as she had before but she still didn't feel like eating, "Just some tea and toast," Buffy said. "That's about all I can handle right now."
"Okay," Spike said. "Sarah stopped by while you were sleeping and she dropped off some more of those herbal teas for you."
"I should call her," Buffy said. "She probably should give me a checkup to make sure everything's okay."
"Yeah," Spike agreed. "She was really concerned when I told her that you had been in the hospital."
"I like her," Buffy said. "I'm glad that we decided to use her instead of a hospital. She really seems to know what she's doing and she really seems to care."
Spike nodded. He agreed with Buffy. Sarah seemed to be just the kind of person they needed. She was discrete, even though she didn't know that he was a vampire and the baby had been conceived through magic. "I'll go down and get you some breakfast." He went downstairs, made her some dry toast and brewed one of the teas they'd gotten from Sarah. She had said that this one would make Buffy feel better and give her some energy.
He carried the tray upstairs and set it down next to her, saying, "Here you go."
"Thanks," Buffy said, taking a sip of her tea and nibbling on a corner of her toast.
"I'll let you get ready," Spike said. He went downstairs and sat down at the computer. He needed to do some research for his and Dawn's project. Nothing had happened yet and he was about ready to try magic to get something going. He was in the middle of downloading a spell when his vampire hearing picked up a now familiar sound coming from upstairs.
He hurried upstairs and into Buffy's bathroom. She was kneeling by the toilet, just out of the shower and wrapped in a towel and vomiting. Spike hurried over, held her hair back with one hand and held a wet cloth to her face with another. Once her stomach was empty he picked her up, carried her into her room and laid her down on her bed.
"I feel awful," Buffy moaned.
"I know," Spike said.
"No, you don't," Buffy said. You're a man or at least you were. You don't have a clue about what I'm feeling."
Spike started to say something but then the phone rang. He leaned over and kissed Buffy on the forehead, "I'd better get that."
"If it's for me then tell them I died," Buffy ordered.
Spike headed to answer the phone, muttering, "The problem is that they'd believe me." He picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Hello, I'm calling for Buffy Summers."
"She can't come to the phone right now," Spike said. Buffy had made him be polite on the phone in case it was social services calling. "May I take a message?"
"This is the hospital," The voice said. "I have the results of Ms. Summers's blood work."
"What are you talking about?" Spike asked.
"I found a substance in Ms. Summers's blood stream that I couldn't identify so I ran some tests on it and I found what it is."
"What?" Spike asked, his non-beating heart in his mouth. If anything happened to Buffy or the baby.. "What's wrong?"
"We found small traces of a chemical in her blood. We tested it and this reaction is caused by injesting a combination of herbs. What has Ms. Summer's been eating or drinking that's unusual lately?"
"She hasn't been eating anything," Spike said. "That's why she was in the hospital." He thought for a minute and said, "Wait a second. She's been drinking these herbal teas. Her midwife said that it would help with the morning sickness."
"Don't give her anymore of those teas," The voice ordered. "I'll send someone over to get those herbs and we'll run a test on what it's in them."
"Could it have harmed the baby?" Spike asked.
"Bring your…." The doctor hadn't been sure of Spike and Buffy's relationship. "Ms. Summers in and we'll run some tests but I think we caught it soon enough that the baby should be fine."
"I'll bring her in tomorrow," Spike promised. He put the phone down and went upstairs. Buffy was sleeping, her face pale and drawn. Spike looked down at her. He couldn't believe that someone would want to harm her and the baby. He couldn't wait until dark. He had a certain witch that he was going to pay a little visit to.