I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out. I've been very busy with school but now that finals are over I was able to finish the chapter.

Chapter Seventy-One: No Comfort, No Escape

Buffy opened her eyes and glanced around, not sure of where she was. She automatically reached down to touch her stomach, felt the flatness of it and it all came flooding back to her. She sat up quickly, wincing as she did so, and looked around for her baby.

She didn't have far to look, nearby sat Spike, holding the baby with one arm while dangling something shiny over him. Dawn was kneeling next the Spike and the baby, cooing to her new nephew. They both looked in her direction.

"You okay?" Spike asked.

Buffy nodded. She was sore and tired but nothing she couldn't handle. She glanced out the mouth of the cave and saw it was dark out. "How long have I been asleep?"

Spike shrugged, "Doesn't matter, none of us was going anywhere."

"Giles isn't back yet?" Buffy asked, surprised and concerned.

Spike shut his eyes, waited for something and then opened them when it didn't happen. Then he said carefully, "No, not yet. We figure he'll be back soon." He gave her a look that told her not to say anything else.

Buffy nodded, "Ok," She said. "How's my baby?"

"He has no appreciation for fine things," Spike said, grinning. He held up the object he'd been holding, his mother's necklace. "Showed him this and he went right to sleep."

Buffy smiled, reached over and picked up her son. She looked down and studied him. He was sleeping with his little fists around his head. His face was still red but his hair had dried and was now wisps of dark blond curls.

"What's his name?" Dawn asked.

Buffy glanced at Spike and then at Dawn, "We haven't picked one out yet."

"You should," Dawn said. "We can't just keep calling him 'Baby'."

"He'll have a name," Spike promised, stroking his son's head. "We'll think of something." He tossed his mother's necklace into the air and caught it.

"What are you doing with that?" Buffy asked. "I thought I left it in my dresser."

Spike grinned, "Luv, I've carried this around for over a hundred years. Do you think I'm going to face an apocalypse without my good luck charm?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and glanced around the cave, remembering that her friends were still here. Willow and Tara were standing at the mouth of the cave, keeping watch. Xander sat on the floor of the cave, also staring out the mouth of the cave, watching for anything that might be out there. Anya had moved from the back of the cave and was pacing around the cave, occasionally glaring at Willow.

"Any signs of Dante?" Buffy asked, her arms tightening around her son.

Willow glanced over at them and shook her head, "There's no sign of anything out there."

"And we're just sitting here!" Anya snapped. She stopped pacing and glared at Willow.

"Anya," Xander said, slowly. "We've been waiting because…"

Anya shook her head impatiently, "Buffy's awake now."

"But Giles isn't back yet," Xander pointed out. "So we don't have gas for the van and no other way to get anywhere."

"We have feet," Anya snapped. "We can walk to the nearest town."

"Right," Willow said, angrily. "We're supposed to walk four miles with a newborn baby."

"We'll carry him," Anya said. Then she added, "And Buffy too."

"It's too dangerous to take a newborn out there."

"No more dangerous than sitting around here, waiting for Dante to find us."

Buffy glanced over at Spike and whispered, "How long had this been going on?"

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "Too long, they're been doing this since you fell asleep."

Buffy shook her head, started to speak, then realized that everyone was staring at her, "What?" She asked.

"We were wondering what you thought," Willow said. "Should we stay here or should we try to walk to town?"

Buffy hesitated and looked down at the infant in her arms. She didn't know if taking him out into the night would be safe but she also didn't want to wait here for Dante to find them. If they could get to town then maybe they would be able to find a car and get to L.A. before Dante found them but there was also the risk to the baby…

"I don't know," She finally said.

Anya began to pace around the cave again, "We can't just stay here and do nothing," She insisted, glancing at Dawn, the baby, and only Spike saw her eyes flicker down to look at her stomach. "There are children we have to protect."

"Hey," Dawn protested at being called a child.

Buffy ignored Dawn and nodded, "I know, but what happens if we take him out into the night? We don't' know what's out there. At least here we can protect him."

"But if Dante finds us, then we're helpless," Anya said, tears coming to her eyes.

"That's what the shielding spells are for," Willow pointed out. "They're hiding us from him."

"For how long?" ANya asked. "We're talking about a demon so terrible that even the most evil beings in this dimension were afraid of him. Do you really think a shielding spell will stop him for long?"

No one said anything for a long time. Finally Willow said quietly and finally, "We're staying here until Giles gets back."

Anya looked at Spike, hoping for some support from him. Spike looked away. He understood that she was scared but he didn't know what to do either. He didn't like just sitting out waiting for the Watcher but he also wasn't too excited about taking his son out into the desert at night. There was no way that they would be able to protect Buffy, the baby and Anya all at the same time if a really nasty demon found them before Dante did. Most of their weapons had been left behind at the Magic Box in the rush to leave, Spike doubted there was a single stake amongst them. Plus he knew that the desert nights could get cold and it wasn't a good idea for a newborn to be taken out into a cold night. If it were just him and Buffy taking the risk he would barely hesitate but now….

Anya stared at Spike, realizing that he was not going to back her up. She glared at him and turned to Xander, "Let's go."

"What?" Xander said, standing up.

"You and me," Anya said. "Let's just go. We can make it to town and send someone to pick the others up."

"That's what Giles is doing, An," Xander pointed out.

"And he's been gone for hours," Anya snapped. "For all we know Dante's already gotten to him and…"

"Shut up," Willow yelled at Anya.

"For once in your life stay out of this," Anya yelled back. She turned away from Willow and to Xander. "Let's go, just the two of us. We can't just wait here to be found. If we leave we might have a chance…"

Xander shook his, "I can't go. I can't just abandon my friends. They're the only real family I've ever had.

"We're a family too," Anya pleaded, tears running down her cheeks. "You, me and...and…we're our own family. I'm your wife, your partner, the…." Anya stopped and then continued, "Please, I am begging you. For once in your life, pick me over your friends."

Xander was silent for a long time. The only sound in the cave was the noises the baby made as he slept. Everyone was watching, waiting to see what would happen. Finally he said, "I'm sorry An, but I have to stay."

Anya stared at him, then her face hardened and she said, "Fine, you can stay if you want but I'm getting out of here." She walked towards the mouth of the cave, "Let me out," She demanded.

"No," Willow said. "I can't lift the spell. If I do Dante might sense that we're here and he'd find us."

"It's only a few seconds," Anya protested. "And once I get to town I'll find Giles and send someone for you."

"A few seconds is too long so you're not going anywhere," Willow insisted. "You're not getting us all killed because of your selfishness."

"I'm trying to protect my.."

"What?" Willow asked, interrupting Anya. "Your own skin? You're going to abandon your husband and friends because all you care about is saving your own neck."

"Let me out now," Anya said, trying to ignore what Willow was saying. "I'm not going to stay here and wait."

"You're staying here, whether you like it or not."

Willow raised her hands. Spike realized what she was about to do and yelled for her to stop but he was too late, Willow was already shouting the incantation.

The stunning spell hit Anya full force. All that she was able to move were her eyes. They were flickering all over the cave, pleading for help as she realized what had happened.

"Let her go," Spike said, frantically.

"Not until she agrees to stay," Willow said.

"Willow," Tara said. "This isn't the way…" But Willow didn't listen. She just stared into Anya's eyes.

"Tell her to lift the spell," Spike yelled at Xander. "She might listen to you."

Xander didn't answer. He just stared back and forth between Anya and Willow.

"Are you staying?" Willow asked Anya in cool voice. "Blink once for yes, twice for no. I'll lift the spell only if you stay."

Anya slowly closed her eyes and as she opened them a single tear trickled down her cheek. Willow smiled triumphantly and lifted the spell. As soon as it was lifted Anya fell to the ground like a rag doll and lay motionless.

Willow looked surprised at Anya's collapse, "That's never happened before. I wander…"

What Willow was wondering they never found out. At that very moment the ground began to shake. Spike pulled one arm over Dawn and the other over Buffy and the baby as rocks began to fall around them.

"What's happening?" Dawn asked.

Spike lifted his head and saw it. Off in the distance was a green glow. It began moving closer and closer. Before Spike could even yell out a warning the light was at the mouth of the cave. There was a loud bang and half the cave was gone in an instant, throwing Willow, Tara and Xander back onto the floor of the cave, Anya remained where she had fallen. And only a few feet away from her, laughing triumphantly stood Dante.