Chapter Sixty-Four: So Dark, So Dark and Deep, the Secrets that You Keep
"I said go away," Anya repeated, not moving from the window.
"Fine," Spike said. He decided to forego the Weetabix and go back into the living room.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked.
"Leaving," Spike said. "It's what you wanted."
"That's not what you're supposed to do," Anya said, turning to face Spike. "You're supposed to stay, find out what's wrong and then comfort me."
"Fine," Spike said, annoyed. "What's wrong?"
"I hate my insensitive, inattentive husband," Anya said, wiping away her tears.
"Okay, you're mad at Xander." Spike said. "Well if you want to sit and bash the whelp, I'm all for it." He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a hidden bottle of whiskey. He poured some into his blood and handed the bottle to Anya.
"No," Anya said quickly, handing the bottle back to Spike. "I can't."
"Suit yourself," Spike said, hiding the bottle. "So what's the whelp done now?"
"It's what he won't do," Anya complained.
"What won't he do?" Spike asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. Then he remember the arguement that Anya and Xander had had earlier. "The kiddie arguement again?" Spike guessed.
"Yes," Anya said angrily. "He won't listen to me. No matter what I say. I tell him I want a baby and he says he's not ready and that I'm being selfish. But I'm not being selfish. He's the selfish one." She looked at Spike, "You're not saying anything."
"I will when I disagree with you," Spike said, taking a drink of his blood and whiskey.
Anya continued her rant, "And everytime we argue about having a baby everyone always takes his side, especially Willow. I think if it were up to her Xander and I would never have a baby. I mean it's okay for the Slayer and the vampire to have a child but for the married normal couple, forget it."
"You're hardly normal," Spike said, deciding to ignore Anya's comment about him and Buffy.
"Normal enough to get pregnant naturally," Anya snapped. "And more normal than you, you and Buffy needed a magic spell, all I needed was one night when we forgot to use a condom. And now..."
"Wait wait," Spike said, realizing what Anya had just said. "What? What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Anya said, annoyed. "Or did that chip affect your hearing too? I'm pregnant."
"You're lucky I know that it's just your bleeding hormones talking," Spike said, angrily. "Or I'd test this chip on your pretty little knocked-up head." Anya stared at him and then started to cry again. "Bloody hell," Spike said, exasperated. "Knock it off, I didn't mean it, okay maybe I did but you didn't need to take it so seriously."
"Why not," Anya said tearfully. "I mean everyone else is mean to me, my own husband, my so-called friends and now even the one person who I thought might understand."
"You got me confused with some other bloke," Spike said. "Someone who goes for all that sensitive stuff."
"You know what it's like to be the outsider in the Scoobies," Anya pointed out. "To have everyone only like you because you're with one of their own."
"Yeah well," Spike said, looking away. Anya's words had hit a little too close. "So," He said, changing the subject. "Xander managed to...." Spike grinned and shook his head.
"What's so funny?" Anya snapped.
"Nothing," Spike said. Anya could be difficult at the best of times but now with pregnancy hormones charging through her... it was going to be an interesting nine months and he didn't envy Xander the slightest. Buffy had had her moments but even at her worst she hadn't been this bad. "I take it the whelp doesn't know," Spike asked.
Anya shook her head, tears flowing, "No, and I don't know how to tell him. He keeps saying he doesn't want a baby and now..." She started to sob and threw herself into Spike's arms.
Spike just stood awkwardly as Anya sobbed into his shirt. Then he slowly put his arms around her and soothed her, "Don't cry," Spike said, as gently as he could. "Xander'll come around." He titled Anya's head so that he could look at her face. "If a vampire can handle having a child with a slayer then Xander can deal with having one with his wife."
"You sure?" Anya sniffed.
"Have I ever been wrong?" Spike asked. Anya looked at him skeptically so Spike added, "At least on the big things."
"No," Anya admitted.
"It'll be fine," Spike assured her. He desperatly wanted to get away. He was fond of Anya but this was getting a little too close for comfort.
"Don't tell anyone," Anya asked. "Not even Buffy."
"I won't tell Buffy," Spike promised.
"Won't tell me what?"
"Buffy," Spike said as he and Anya sprang apart. Anya spun around to hide her tear-stained face while Spike scrambled for an explanation as to why Anya had been in his arms.
"So," Buffy said. "What is it that you aren't going to tell me?
"Ah..." Spike tried to think of something that Buffy would believe.
"Let me guess," Buffy said. "Anya's mad at Xander so she threw herself at you, like she did that night at the Bronze.
"Something like that," Spike said.
Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Anya, who was still facing away from Buffy, "If you're done throwing yourself at my son's father, Xander's ready to leave."
Anya had composed herself enough to face Buffy, turned and walked out of the kitchen. As soon as she was gone Buffy looked at Spike, an annoyed expression on her face.
"Would you at least let a fellow defend himself before you stake him," Spike asked Buffy.
Buffy rolled her eyes again, "I'm not going to stake you, at least not until after we take out Drusilla and her gang."
"Nice to know," Spike said.
"What's going on with Anya?" Buffy asked. "That you promised not to tell me."
"Nothing," Spike said. Buffy looked at him skeptically so he continued, "Nothing for you to worry about, luv."
"Spike, what's going on?"
"Don't worry about it," Spike said. "Demon girl's just mad at the boy."
"And she told you because the two of you are such good friends," Buffy said suspiciouslly.
Spike shrugged, "Just a typical female rant, I was here and pretended to care."
"Okay," Buffy said, accepting Spike explanation. She was too tired to argue with him.
"You okay, luv?" Spike asked.
"Just tired," Buffy explained. "I'm going up to bed. Everyone's gone home, Giles is sleeping on the couch and Dawn's already in bed."
"Well then why don't we...." Spike said, picking up Buffy and carrying her upstairs. They quickly undressed and got into bed. Spike leaned over to kiss her but Buffy stopped him.
"Can we do this later?" Buffy asked. "I really am tired and we have alot to do if we're going to stop the end of the world."
"Well when you put it that way," Spike said. He shut his eyes but then opened them again when he heard Buffy speak.
"Willow's doing magic again," Buffy said, abruptly.
"What?" Spike said, sitting up. "Red's all with magiks again? Thought she quit that."
"She's started again," Buffy said. "She told me while you were in the kitchen with Anya. She's started doing spells again, but only with Tara to supervise her. But when we go after Drusilla's army Willow will be doing magic without anyone to watch her."
"She won't be alone," Spike pointed out, disturbed by what Buffy had revealed about Willow. "You, Nibblet, and Giles will be with her."
"We can't control her if she goes too far," Buffy said. "Only Tara's powerfull enough magically but we can't put them together because a witch has to be with each team."
"Red'll be fine," Spike said, not believing himself.
"I hope so," Buffy said. "She says that she's mainly using defensive spells, stunning spells, that kind of thing."
"Good," Spike said. "We'll need those to keep Dru from the hellmouth."
"I just hope she can control herself without Tara around," Buffy said.
"She will," Spike said. "You and Giles can keep her feet on the ground, literally."
Buffy nodded and they were quiet for a moment and then Spike said, "Any other deep dark secrets that went on while we were gone?"
Buffy shook her head, "No, just one other thing we need to talk about before we have to save the world again."
"What's that?" Spike asked.
"Names," Buffy said, resting her hands on her stomach. "We still haven't talked about what we want to name the baby."
"Can we talk about this later, pet?" Spike asked, tiredly. "I thought that you were tired."
"I am," Buffy said. "But I'm not going to sleep until we decide what we're going to name our son."
"Fine," Spike said. "What do you want to name him?"
"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "I thought about names while the government had me but nothing I thought of seemed to fit." She glanced at Spike, "Any ideas?"
"No," Spike said. He hadn't thought much about it.
"Well," Buffy said, trying to get him to make suggestions. "What was your father's name?"
"William," Spike said. "I was named after him. It was the family tradition."
"So you want to name our son William?" Buffy asked.
"No," Spike said adamantly. "I never respected my father and I thought even less of William, and I'm not naming my son after either one of them."
"Okay," Buffy said. She thought that Spike would have wanted to name their son after who he'd been in his former life but she'd obviously been wrong. She thought for awhile about other names that might work and finally she came up with one, "What about Charles, after your brother?"
Spike didn't answer so Buffy looked over at him. Spike was sound asleep. He hadn't heard a word that she had said about naming the baby after his brother. Buffy shook her head, curled up next to him with her head on his chest and soon they were both asleep.
"I said go away," Anya repeated, not moving from the window.
"Fine," Spike said. He decided to forego the Weetabix and go back into the living room.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked.
"Leaving," Spike said. "It's what you wanted."
"That's not what you're supposed to do," Anya said, turning to face Spike. "You're supposed to stay, find out what's wrong and then comfort me."
"Fine," Spike said, annoyed. "What's wrong?"
"I hate my insensitive, inattentive husband," Anya said, wiping away her tears.
"Okay, you're mad at Xander." Spike said. "Well if you want to sit and bash the whelp, I'm all for it." He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a hidden bottle of whiskey. He poured some into his blood and handed the bottle to Anya.
"No," Anya said quickly, handing the bottle back to Spike. "I can't."
"Suit yourself," Spike said, hiding the bottle. "So what's the whelp done now?"
"It's what he won't do," Anya complained.
"What won't he do?" Spike asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. Then he remember the arguement that Anya and Xander had had earlier. "The kiddie arguement again?" Spike guessed.
"Yes," Anya said angrily. "He won't listen to me. No matter what I say. I tell him I want a baby and he says he's not ready and that I'm being selfish. But I'm not being selfish. He's the selfish one." She looked at Spike, "You're not saying anything."
"I will when I disagree with you," Spike said, taking a drink of his blood and whiskey.
Anya continued her rant, "And everytime we argue about having a baby everyone always takes his side, especially Willow. I think if it were up to her Xander and I would never have a baby. I mean it's okay for the Slayer and the vampire to have a child but for the married normal couple, forget it."
"You're hardly normal," Spike said, deciding to ignore Anya's comment about him and Buffy.
"Normal enough to get pregnant naturally," Anya snapped. "And more normal than you, you and Buffy needed a magic spell, all I needed was one night when we forgot to use a condom. And now..."
"Wait wait," Spike said, realizing what Anya had just said. "What? What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Anya said, annoyed. "Or did that chip affect your hearing too? I'm pregnant."
"You're lucky I know that it's just your bleeding hormones talking," Spike said, angrily. "Or I'd test this chip on your pretty little knocked-up head." Anya stared at him and then started to cry again. "Bloody hell," Spike said, exasperated. "Knock it off, I didn't mean it, okay maybe I did but you didn't need to take it so seriously."
"Why not," Anya said tearfully. "I mean everyone else is mean to me, my own husband, my so-called friends and now even the one person who I thought might understand."
"You got me confused with some other bloke," Spike said. "Someone who goes for all that sensitive stuff."
"You know what it's like to be the outsider in the Scoobies," Anya pointed out. "To have everyone only like you because you're with one of their own."
"Yeah well," Spike said, looking away. Anya's words had hit a little too close. "So," He said, changing the subject. "Xander managed to...." Spike grinned and shook his head.
"What's so funny?" Anya snapped.
"Nothing," Spike said. Anya could be difficult at the best of times but now with pregnancy hormones charging through her... it was going to be an interesting nine months and he didn't envy Xander the slightest. Buffy had had her moments but even at her worst she hadn't been this bad. "I take it the whelp doesn't know," Spike asked.
Anya shook her head, tears flowing, "No, and I don't know how to tell him. He keeps saying he doesn't want a baby and now..." She started to sob and threw herself into Spike's arms.
Spike just stood awkwardly as Anya sobbed into his shirt. Then he slowly put his arms around her and soothed her, "Don't cry," Spike said, as gently as he could. "Xander'll come around." He titled Anya's head so that he could look at her face. "If a vampire can handle having a child with a slayer then Xander can deal with having one with his wife."
"You sure?" Anya sniffed.
"Have I ever been wrong?" Spike asked. Anya looked at him skeptically so Spike added, "At least on the big things."
"No," Anya admitted.
"It'll be fine," Spike assured her. He desperatly wanted to get away. He was fond of Anya but this was getting a little too close for comfort.
"Don't tell anyone," Anya asked. "Not even Buffy."
"I won't tell Buffy," Spike promised.
"Won't tell me what?"
"Buffy," Spike said as he and Anya sprang apart. Anya spun around to hide her tear-stained face while Spike scrambled for an explanation as to why Anya had been in his arms.
"So," Buffy said. "What is it that you aren't going to tell me?
"Ah..." Spike tried to think of something that Buffy would believe.
"Let me guess," Buffy said. "Anya's mad at Xander so she threw herself at you, like she did that night at the Bronze.
"Something like that," Spike said.
Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Anya, who was still facing away from Buffy, "If you're done throwing yourself at my son's father, Xander's ready to leave."
Anya had composed herself enough to face Buffy, turned and walked out of the kitchen. As soon as she was gone Buffy looked at Spike, an annoyed expression on her face.
"Would you at least let a fellow defend himself before you stake him," Spike asked Buffy.
Buffy rolled her eyes again, "I'm not going to stake you, at least not until after we take out Drusilla and her gang."
"Nice to know," Spike said.
"What's going on with Anya?" Buffy asked. "That you promised not to tell me."
"Nothing," Spike said. Buffy looked at him skeptically so he continued, "Nothing for you to worry about, luv."
"Spike, what's going on?"
"Don't worry about it," Spike said. "Demon girl's just mad at the boy."
"And she told you because the two of you are such good friends," Buffy said suspiciouslly.
Spike shrugged, "Just a typical female rant, I was here and pretended to care."
"Okay," Buffy said, accepting Spike explanation. She was too tired to argue with him.
"You okay, luv?" Spike asked.
"Just tired," Buffy explained. "I'm going up to bed. Everyone's gone home, Giles is sleeping on the couch and Dawn's already in bed."
"Well then why don't we...." Spike said, picking up Buffy and carrying her upstairs. They quickly undressed and got into bed. Spike leaned over to kiss her but Buffy stopped him.
"Can we do this later?" Buffy asked. "I really am tired and we have alot to do if we're going to stop the end of the world."
"Well when you put it that way," Spike said. He shut his eyes but then opened them again when he heard Buffy speak.
"Willow's doing magic again," Buffy said, abruptly.
"What?" Spike said, sitting up. "Red's all with magiks again? Thought she quit that."
"She's started again," Buffy said. "She told me while you were in the kitchen with Anya. She's started doing spells again, but only with Tara to supervise her. But when we go after Drusilla's army Willow will be doing magic without anyone to watch her."
"She won't be alone," Spike pointed out, disturbed by what Buffy had revealed about Willow. "You, Nibblet, and Giles will be with her."
"We can't control her if she goes too far," Buffy said. "Only Tara's powerfull enough magically but we can't put them together because a witch has to be with each team."
"Red'll be fine," Spike said, not believing himself.
"I hope so," Buffy said. "She says that she's mainly using defensive spells, stunning spells, that kind of thing."
"Good," Spike said. "We'll need those to keep Dru from the hellmouth."
"I just hope she can control herself without Tara around," Buffy said.
"She will," Spike said. "You and Giles can keep her feet on the ground, literally."
Buffy nodded and they were quiet for a moment and then Spike said, "Any other deep dark secrets that went on while we were gone?"
Buffy shook her head, "No, just one other thing we need to talk about before we have to save the world again."
"What's that?" Spike asked.
"Names," Buffy said, resting her hands on her stomach. "We still haven't talked about what we want to name the baby."
"Can we talk about this later, pet?" Spike asked, tiredly. "I thought that you were tired."
"I am," Buffy said. "But I'm not going to sleep until we decide what we're going to name our son."
"Fine," Spike said. "What do you want to name him?"
"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "I thought about names while the government had me but nothing I thought of seemed to fit." She glanced at Spike, "Any ideas?"
"No," Spike said. He hadn't thought much about it.
"Well," Buffy said, trying to get him to make suggestions. "What was your father's name?"
"William," Spike said. "I was named after him. It was the family tradition."
"So you want to name our son William?" Buffy asked.
"No," Spike said adamantly. "I never respected my father and I thought even less of William, and I'm not naming my son after either one of them."
"Okay," Buffy said. She thought that Spike would have wanted to name their son after who he'd been in his former life but she'd obviously been wrong. She thought for awhile about other names that might work and finally she came up with one, "What about Charles, after your brother?"
Spike didn't answer so Buffy looked over at him. Spike was sound asleep. He hadn't heard a word that she had said about naming the baby after his brother. Buffy shook her head, curled up next to him with her head on his chest and soon they were both asleep.