Chapter Thirty Seven: The World I Have Known Is Lost In Shambles
"Spike's waking up?" Buffy repeated.
"Yeah," Dawn said. "I think he is."
Buffy hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room. Spike was still lying on the couch, Clem was standing near by in case he was needed. Buffy sat down at the edge of the couch, "Spike," She said. "Can you hear me?" She looked at Dawn and Clem, "Has he said anything?"
"Nothing that made any sense," Dawn said. "We really couldn't hear what he said. He was just muttering."
"Spike rarely makes sense," Xander said to Angel. Buffy glared at him and he shut up.
"Spike?" Buffy asked again, hoping for a reaction. She was rewarded by Spike slowly opening his eyes.
"Slayer?" He said. He started to sit up but then fell back again with a groan, "Bloody hell, what did you do to me this time?"
"I gave you what you needed," Buffy said. "A good kick in the head. You're just lucky that I wasn't wearing heels."
Spike looked around, "Where am I?"
"My living room," Buffy said. "And don't even think about trying to run away again. Now you have a choice, you can let us help you up to my room. You'll be chained up again but you'll be comfortable or if you put up a fight we'll chain you up in the basement."
"How about you just let me go," Spike suggested. "Why am I even here?" He looked over at Angel, "You starting a collection of live vampires or something." Then he noticed Connor in Angel's arms, "Who's the kid? Eating babies again, Angelus? Thought that you were finished with that."
Angel's arms tightened around his son, "He's not a snack," Angel said. "He's my son."
Spike stared at Angel for a minute and then burst out laughing, "Good one Peaches, your kid, that's so ridiculous it's funny."
"It's the truth," Angel said.
"Right," Spike said, still looking amused. "And who's his mum, the Slayer over there. Looks like she still hasn't gotten her figure back." Then his amused expression changed to one of confusion, "If you and the Slayer managed to have a kid then how long was I out? Cause she was a little twig last time we saw each other. And how were you able to knock up the Slayer in the first place. If I remember right you were the person who told me that vamps don't reproduce the old fashioned way."
"Buffy isn't Connor's mother," Angel said.
"Connor, you couldn't even give the kid a proper name," Spike said. "Man, he's going to hate you when he gets older."
Angel looked amused for the first time since he'd arrived, "And what would you have picked? The vampire who named himself Spike."
"Remind me to buy Spike a book of baby names," Dawn whispered to Tara. "Who knows what he'll pick on his own." Tara hid a smile as she agreed.
"So who is the kid's mum?" Spike asked. "Who'd you cheat on the Slayer with?"
"I did not cheat on Buffy," Angel said. "We weren't even together when Connor was conceived and since you're asking. Connor's mother was…."
"Angel," Buffy interrupted. "Why don't you and Spike get caught up later." She shot Angel a look that told him to shut up.
"Fine," Angel said.
"No," Spike said, sitting up with an effort. Xander and Clem both stepped closer in case they were needed to restrain Spike. "No, I want to know a few things. Like how long was I out?" He gestured to Angel and then to Buffy, who was sitting next to him. "Last I remember you two couldn't keep your bloody hands off each other. Now you're saying that you two were apart long enough for the great Poof over there to miraculously knock up some whore and for the kid to be born. Stuff like that doesn't happen overnight. Now how long have I been here?"
Everyone exchanged looks not sure what to tell him. Finally Buffy said, "Uh guys can you give us a minute?"
"No," Xander said. "We're not leaving you alone with him."
Buffy glared at him, "That wasn't a request."
"No one's leaving you alone with him," Xander repeated. "Not unless you chain him up." He changed his tone, trying to reason with her, "Look if you got into a fight with him you could really get hurt and so could…"
"Fine," Buffy snapped, knowing that he was right and hating it. She turned to Spike and said, "I'll answer all your questions but only if you let us chain you back up."
"Why?" Spike asked. "So you can stake me, no thanks."
"No one will get hurt," Buffy said. She and Spike stared at each other for a minute and then finally he nodded.
Leaving everyone downstairs, Spike and Buffy went upstairs. There Buffy chained Spike to her bed, "And don't even think about trying to escape," Buffy warned. "Because I will just track you down again and bring you right back."
"Why do you want me around so much," Spike asked. "I thought we had that hate/hate relationship going?"
"It's sort of evolved," Buffy said. "Now I promised that I'd tell you everything that you want to know. So ask way."
"Fine," Spike snapped. "What the bloody hell am I doing here and how long have I been here?"
"I didn't want to tell you any of this," Buffy said. "I was hoping things would resolve themselves on their own but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Spike, the last thing you remember was leaving that church was Drusilla, right?" Spike nodded. "Well that was five years ago."
Spike stared at her for a minute, "You're trying to tell me that I was out for five years like Rip van bloody Winkle?"
"No," Buffy said. "You weren't unconscious for five years. You've forgotten five years."
"How?" Spike asked. "You hit me in the head again or something?"
"No," Buffy said. "You were poisoned and the antidote that saved you erased part of your memory."
"Who poisoned me?" Spike asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"It wasn't me," Buffy said. "I wouldn't poison you and then cure you right away. It was Drusilla. She tied you up, tortured you and then poured that poison down your throat."
Spike was stunned but then quickly recovered his speech, "No, Dru wouldn't do something like that, not to me. We're…." He couldn't even describe exactly what Drusilla was to him.
"Not anymore," Buffy said gently. "You two have been apart for about four years. The two of you left town and then a few months later you came back after she dumped you for a chaos demon."
Spike stared at her for a minute and then started laughing, "Right, Dru left me for a chaos demon. That's a good one Slayer. First you tell me that Dru tried to kill me, then you say that she left me for a chaos demon, what's next? She and Peaches got back together?" Buffy didn't answer. She just looked at Spike, with a sympathetic look on her face. "What?" Spike continued, seeing the look on her face, "No, no this is some sodding trick!"
"No," Buffy said, sadly. "This isn't a trick. It's what happened. You and Drusilla broke up." She reached over to touch him but he pulled away. "And yes, she and Angel were involved while the two of you were living here."
"No," Spike repeated. "No, I'd never give her up without a fight. Angelus would never touch Dru, not while I was around."
"You couldn't have fought him," Buffy said. "That organ that I dropped on you smashed your legs and you couldn't walk. Angel used that time to get involved with Drusilla again."
"And where were you?" Spike asked angrily. "Last thing I remember is you and Peaches making sheep's eyes at each other but you still let him cheat on you with Dru?"
"He wasn't Angel then," Buffy said. "He was turned back into Angelus."
"How?" Spike wondered. "Thought that soul thing was undoable."
Buffy shook her head, "That's not important. The point is the you and Dru aren't together anymore and I still have to fill you in on what's happened in the past five years." Spike looked away from her. "Look," Buffy said, trying to reach him. "I know that this is hard but you got over it once before and moved on."
Spike looked back at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "What do you know, huh?" He asked, angrily. "You don't know anything about me and Dru. She…."
"Was the face of your salvation, you're nothing without her, yeah, I know all this," Buffy said. "I know. I've heard this all before." She sighed. "I know it hurts but you did move on and fall into your strange version of love again."
"Right," Spike said. "And who's this person?"
Buffy wished that she hadn't said that. She wasn't ready to tell Spike about how involved they were and about their baby. He wasn't ready either. In his mind he was still in love with Drusilla. Finding out that he was living with her and that they were expecting a child might make an already bad situation worse. "That's not important. What's important now is that we figure out a way to get your memory back."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Spike asked. "Obviously, hitting me in the head isn't going to work."
"Willow and Tara are working on finding a spell that can restore your memory," Buffy explained.
"Do they know what they're doing?" Spike said.
"Yes," Buffy said. "They're both talented witches and they've done some pretty powerful spells already."
"Like what?" Spike asked, suspiciously. "If they're going to be performing mojo on me than I want to know what they can do."
"Well," Buffy said, thoughtfully. "Willow's raised the dead and Tara arranged for a vampire to become human long enough for him to get someone pregnant." Then she gasped, realizing what she had just said.
"So that's how Angel managed to knock someone up. Your friend did some mojo and made him all mortal again."
"No," Buffy said. "That's not how Connor was conceived. Connor is the child of two vampires."
Spike stared at her, horrified, "Who is that kid's mum? Tell me," He ordered. He couldn't even say what he was thinking. It was too terrible to even think of.
"It doesn't matter," Buffy said, not seeing the look on Spike's face.
"It does," Spike said. "Tell me now." He shut, his eyes, hoping that his worst fears hadn't come true.
"Fine," Buffy said. "It was Darla. Darla was Connor's mother."
"What?" Spike said. "You expect me to believe that. Darla's dead, remember? Angel staked her." His voice turned thoughtful, "I never understood how he could do that. They were together for centuries and he still killed her. He chose you over her…" He shook his head, in disbelief.
Buffy smiled weakly, "There came a time when you understood what Angel did and why. And Darla was Connor's mother. Darla was brought back from the dead and she and Angel made Connor."
"How did that happen and where's my ole great-grandsire?" Spike asked. "She dump the kid on Angelus or something?"
"No," Buffy said. "She staked herself so that Connor could live. As for how… you'll have to ask Angel. I don't know the details."
Spike shook his head, "Angel and Darla have a kid. If that doesn't give you nightmares, nothing will." Then he remembered something Buffy had said. "Who was the vamp who knocked up some mortal? Anyone I know?"
"Yes," Buffy said with a touch of sarcasm. "You know these people intimately."
Spike looked puzzled. The only person he was really close with was Drusilla and if what the Slayer said was true then he and Drusilla had been apart for years. He really couldn't think of anyone else that he could be close to. It had been the two of them for over a century. There had been Darla and Angelus but that had been a century ago. After Angelus had gained his soul and Darla had left, he and his princess had been alone, just the two of them except for a few minions that they kept around. But Drusilla was gone now so who could it be that he was close too, especially if one was human. He was a vampire. He ate humans, he didn't make friends with them, unless he decided to play with his food a little. "Who?" Spike asked.
"Huh?" Buffy asked, jerking awake. While Spike had been thinking Buffy had fallen asleep sitting up. "What?"
Spike sighed, irritated. "Who are the vamp and his human? You said that I know them, well who the bloody hell are they?"
Buffy stood up, rubbing her aching back as she did so, "Let's talk about this later, okay."
"No," Spike said. "I want to know."
"Spike, I've told you enough for tonight. I have to get some sleep." Buffy said, trying to stifle a yawn.
Spike and Buffy glared at each other, daring the other to break. Buffy knew that she could just walk out but she didn't want to lose this fight. Suddenly the angry look on Spike's face changed to one of confusion. He heard something but it didn't sound right and he couldn't place it. "What's that?" He asked.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, annoyed.
"That sound, you don't hear it?" Spike told her. "That thumping noise, sounds like a really fast heartbeat."
Buffy stared at him in horror, her hands automatically going to her stomach in a protective gesture. Spike had only been able to hear the baby's heartbeat before when his head was pressed next to her stomach but now the baby had grown and his heartbeat must have gotten louder. Spike must have been able to hear it now from a distance. What was she going to do?
"Spike's waking up?" Buffy repeated.
"Yeah," Dawn said. "I think he is."
Buffy hurried out of the kitchen and into the living room. Spike was still lying on the couch, Clem was standing near by in case he was needed. Buffy sat down at the edge of the couch, "Spike," She said. "Can you hear me?" She looked at Dawn and Clem, "Has he said anything?"
"Nothing that made any sense," Dawn said. "We really couldn't hear what he said. He was just muttering."
"Spike rarely makes sense," Xander said to Angel. Buffy glared at him and he shut up.
"Spike?" Buffy asked again, hoping for a reaction. She was rewarded by Spike slowly opening his eyes.
"Slayer?" He said. He started to sit up but then fell back again with a groan, "Bloody hell, what did you do to me this time?"
"I gave you what you needed," Buffy said. "A good kick in the head. You're just lucky that I wasn't wearing heels."
Spike looked around, "Where am I?"
"My living room," Buffy said. "And don't even think about trying to run away again. Now you have a choice, you can let us help you up to my room. You'll be chained up again but you'll be comfortable or if you put up a fight we'll chain you up in the basement."
"How about you just let me go," Spike suggested. "Why am I even here?" He looked over at Angel, "You starting a collection of live vampires or something." Then he noticed Connor in Angel's arms, "Who's the kid? Eating babies again, Angelus? Thought that you were finished with that."
Angel's arms tightened around his son, "He's not a snack," Angel said. "He's my son."
Spike stared at Angel for a minute and then burst out laughing, "Good one Peaches, your kid, that's so ridiculous it's funny."
"It's the truth," Angel said.
"Right," Spike said, still looking amused. "And who's his mum, the Slayer over there. Looks like she still hasn't gotten her figure back." Then his amused expression changed to one of confusion, "If you and the Slayer managed to have a kid then how long was I out? Cause she was a little twig last time we saw each other. And how were you able to knock up the Slayer in the first place. If I remember right you were the person who told me that vamps don't reproduce the old fashioned way."
"Buffy isn't Connor's mother," Angel said.
"Connor, you couldn't even give the kid a proper name," Spike said. "Man, he's going to hate you when he gets older."
Angel looked amused for the first time since he'd arrived, "And what would you have picked? The vampire who named himself Spike."
"Remind me to buy Spike a book of baby names," Dawn whispered to Tara. "Who knows what he'll pick on his own." Tara hid a smile as she agreed.
"So who is the kid's mum?" Spike asked. "Who'd you cheat on the Slayer with?"
"I did not cheat on Buffy," Angel said. "We weren't even together when Connor was conceived and since you're asking. Connor's mother was…."
"Angel," Buffy interrupted. "Why don't you and Spike get caught up later." She shot Angel a look that told him to shut up.
"Fine," Angel said.
"No," Spike said, sitting up with an effort. Xander and Clem both stepped closer in case they were needed to restrain Spike. "No, I want to know a few things. Like how long was I out?" He gestured to Angel and then to Buffy, who was sitting next to him. "Last I remember you two couldn't keep your bloody hands off each other. Now you're saying that you two were apart long enough for the great Poof over there to miraculously knock up some whore and for the kid to be born. Stuff like that doesn't happen overnight. Now how long have I been here?"
Everyone exchanged looks not sure what to tell him. Finally Buffy said, "Uh guys can you give us a minute?"
"No," Xander said. "We're not leaving you alone with him."
Buffy glared at him, "That wasn't a request."
"No one's leaving you alone with him," Xander repeated. "Not unless you chain him up." He changed his tone, trying to reason with her, "Look if you got into a fight with him you could really get hurt and so could…"
"Fine," Buffy snapped, knowing that he was right and hating it. She turned to Spike and said, "I'll answer all your questions but only if you let us chain you back up."
"Why?" Spike asked. "So you can stake me, no thanks."
"No one will get hurt," Buffy said. She and Spike stared at each other for a minute and then finally he nodded.
Leaving everyone downstairs, Spike and Buffy went upstairs. There Buffy chained Spike to her bed, "And don't even think about trying to escape," Buffy warned. "Because I will just track you down again and bring you right back."
"Why do you want me around so much," Spike asked. "I thought we had that hate/hate relationship going?"
"It's sort of evolved," Buffy said. "Now I promised that I'd tell you everything that you want to know. So ask way."
"Fine," Spike snapped. "What the bloody hell am I doing here and how long have I been here?"
"I didn't want to tell you any of this," Buffy said. "I was hoping things would resolve themselves on their own but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Spike, the last thing you remember was leaving that church was Drusilla, right?" Spike nodded. "Well that was five years ago."
Spike stared at her for a minute, "You're trying to tell me that I was out for five years like Rip van bloody Winkle?"
"No," Buffy said. "You weren't unconscious for five years. You've forgotten five years."
"How?" Spike asked. "You hit me in the head again or something?"
"No," Buffy said. "You were poisoned and the antidote that saved you erased part of your memory."
"Who poisoned me?" Spike asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"It wasn't me," Buffy said. "I wouldn't poison you and then cure you right away. It was Drusilla. She tied you up, tortured you and then poured that poison down your throat."
Spike was stunned but then quickly recovered his speech, "No, Dru wouldn't do something like that, not to me. We're…." He couldn't even describe exactly what Drusilla was to him.
"Not anymore," Buffy said gently. "You two have been apart for about four years. The two of you left town and then a few months later you came back after she dumped you for a chaos demon."
Spike stared at her for a minute and then started laughing, "Right, Dru left me for a chaos demon. That's a good one Slayer. First you tell me that Dru tried to kill me, then you say that she left me for a chaos demon, what's next? She and Peaches got back together?" Buffy didn't answer. She just looked at Spike, with a sympathetic look on her face. "What?" Spike continued, seeing the look on her face, "No, no this is some sodding trick!"
"No," Buffy said, sadly. "This isn't a trick. It's what happened. You and Drusilla broke up." She reached over to touch him but he pulled away. "And yes, she and Angel were involved while the two of you were living here."
"No," Spike repeated. "No, I'd never give her up without a fight. Angelus would never touch Dru, not while I was around."
"You couldn't have fought him," Buffy said. "That organ that I dropped on you smashed your legs and you couldn't walk. Angel used that time to get involved with Drusilla again."
"And where were you?" Spike asked angrily. "Last thing I remember is you and Peaches making sheep's eyes at each other but you still let him cheat on you with Dru?"
"He wasn't Angel then," Buffy said. "He was turned back into Angelus."
"How?" Spike wondered. "Thought that soul thing was undoable."
Buffy shook her head, "That's not important. The point is the you and Dru aren't together anymore and I still have to fill you in on what's happened in the past five years." Spike looked away from her. "Look," Buffy said, trying to reach him. "I know that this is hard but you got over it once before and moved on."
Spike looked back at her, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "What do you know, huh?" He asked, angrily. "You don't know anything about me and Dru. She…."
"Was the face of your salvation, you're nothing without her, yeah, I know all this," Buffy said. "I know. I've heard this all before." She sighed. "I know it hurts but you did move on and fall into your strange version of love again."
"Right," Spike said. "And who's this person?"
Buffy wished that she hadn't said that. She wasn't ready to tell Spike about how involved they were and about their baby. He wasn't ready either. In his mind he was still in love with Drusilla. Finding out that he was living with her and that they were expecting a child might make an already bad situation worse. "That's not important. What's important now is that we figure out a way to get your memory back."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Spike asked. "Obviously, hitting me in the head isn't going to work."
"Willow and Tara are working on finding a spell that can restore your memory," Buffy explained.
"Do they know what they're doing?" Spike said.
"Yes," Buffy said. "They're both talented witches and they've done some pretty powerful spells already."
"Like what?" Spike asked, suspiciously. "If they're going to be performing mojo on me than I want to know what they can do."
"Well," Buffy said, thoughtfully. "Willow's raised the dead and Tara arranged for a vampire to become human long enough for him to get someone pregnant." Then she gasped, realizing what she had just said.
"So that's how Angel managed to knock someone up. Your friend did some mojo and made him all mortal again."
"No," Buffy said. "That's not how Connor was conceived. Connor is the child of two vampires."
Spike stared at her, horrified, "Who is that kid's mum? Tell me," He ordered. He couldn't even say what he was thinking. It was too terrible to even think of.
"It doesn't matter," Buffy said, not seeing the look on Spike's face.
"It does," Spike said. "Tell me now." He shut, his eyes, hoping that his worst fears hadn't come true.
"Fine," Buffy said. "It was Darla. Darla was Connor's mother."
"What?" Spike said. "You expect me to believe that. Darla's dead, remember? Angel staked her." His voice turned thoughtful, "I never understood how he could do that. They were together for centuries and he still killed her. He chose you over her…" He shook his head, in disbelief.
Buffy smiled weakly, "There came a time when you understood what Angel did and why. And Darla was Connor's mother. Darla was brought back from the dead and she and Angel made Connor."
"How did that happen and where's my ole great-grandsire?" Spike asked. "She dump the kid on Angelus or something?"
"No," Buffy said. "She staked herself so that Connor could live. As for how… you'll have to ask Angel. I don't know the details."
Spike shook his head, "Angel and Darla have a kid. If that doesn't give you nightmares, nothing will." Then he remembered something Buffy had said. "Who was the vamp who knocked up some mortal? Anyone I know?"
"Yes," Buffy said with a touch of sarcasm. "You know these people intimately."
Spike looked puzzled. The only person he was really close with was Drusilla and if what the Slayer said was true then he and Drusilla had been apart for years. He really couldn't think of anyone else that he could be close to. It had been the two of them for over a century. There had been Darla and Angelus but that had been a century ago. After Angelus had gained his soul and Darla had left, he and his princess had been alone, just the two of them except for a few minions that they kept around. But Drusilla was gone now so who could it be that he was close too, especially if one was human. He was a vampire. He ate humans, he didn't make friends with them, unless he decided to play with his food a little. "Who?" Spike asked.
"Huh?" Buffy asked, jerking awake. While Spike had been thinking Buffy had fallen asleep sitting up. "What?"
Spike sighed, irritated. "Who are the vamp and his human? You said that I know them, well who the bloody hell are they?"
Buffy stood up, rubbing her aching back as she did so, "Let's talk about this later, okay."
"No," Spike said. "I want to know."
"Spike, I've told you enough for tonight. I have to get some sleep." Buffy said, trying to stifle a yawn.
Spike and Buffy glared at each other, daring the other to break. Buffy knew that she could just walk out but she didn't want to lose this fight. Suddenly the angry look on Spike's face changed to one of confusion. He heard something but it didn't sound right and he couldn't place it. "What's that?" He asked.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, annoyed.
"That sound, you don't hear it?" Spike told her. "That thumping noise, sounds like a really fast heartbeat."
Buffy stared at him in horror, her hands automatically going to her stomach in a protective gesture. Spike had only been able to hear the baby's heartbeat before when his head was pressed next to her stomach but now the baby had grown and his heartbeat must have gotten louder. Spike must have been able to hear it now from a distance. What was she going to do?