Chapter 12. Give Me This Dance.

Xander caresses her cheek and she leans in on it to feel the warmth of his hand. He then gets up from the chair.

"How are you going to get away?" asks Xander.

"I'll think of something," says Buffy. "I'm getting a little sleepy. Must be the meds."

"Get some rest. You'll need it." Xander heads out of the room and closes the door.

"Oh, excuse me," says the doctor. "Are you a family member of Buffy…?"

"Um…well"

"Well, there is something we neglected to tell you about some of the lab results. She's pregnant, which was the actual cause of her exhaustion."

"She's what?"

"Yes." Xander scratches his head and looks at Buffy's door. He then takes a deep breath and looks at the doctor.

"Thanks for telling me." The doctor nods his head and leaves. Xander starts to walk back and forth in front of Buffy's door. Then Joyce and Giles walk over to him. Xander turns around and faces them. He stops and gulps.

"So, you're my daughter's boyfriend," says Joyce looking him up and down. Xander doesn't like how she's looking at him and neither did Giles. "Have you had…"

"Joyce, what kind of question is that?" says Giles stopping her. "I think that our daughter would tell us that or not."

"She didn't tell us about this." Joyce turns to Giles like if scolding him.
"I'm sure she had her reasons."

"There is no reason whatsoever for our daughter to keep this from us, especially when she knows what we've gone through before."

"I'm extremely sorry about this." Xander nods his head and Joyce glares at Giles.

"It's alright," says Xander. "I'm sorry about what happened. Goodnight." Xander heads over to the exit. Riley and Dawn walk by him and head over to their parents.

"Mom, what did you say to him?" asks Riley.

"I didn't…" says Joyce.

"He's a good guy, mom," says Riley. "I can't believe you chased him away."

"Your mother did no such thing," says Giles. "He left on his own accord, but the question your mother asked was not appropriate." Giles walks off down the hallway. Riley nods his head and walks off. Dawn follows him, leaving Joyce alone.

The next day, Xander heads over to the studio where they used to practice. He turns on the lights and starts to walk over to the stereo. He didn't notice that Willow had come in behind him.

"What's up?" asks Willow. Xander looks at her.

"Nothing," replies Xander.

"Then it must be something. Spill." Xander grabs two chairs next to the radio and sits down in one of them. Willow walks over and sits on the other one.

"I'm not going to the competition tonight."

"What! Why not? You two have been practicing so hard and the judges love you. You can't not go."

"Buffy's in the hospital."

"Why didn't you tell me from the beginning? What's wrong? Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine, but her parents are against her dancing. They blame her exhaustion with her dancing and it's partly true, she was working too hard, but there's always things like that happening."

"I'm so sorry, Xander. Did you get to talk to her?"

"I did when her parents went for a walk. She still wants to go against her parents rules."

"She's a strong girl, just right for you." Xander smiles at that.

"I want to agree with her, but I don't want her to get hurt."

"Let's go have a talk with the doctor and see if she's up to it."

"Her parents are going to be there."

"Then I'll go. They don't know me. I'll say I'm a friend she runs with down at the beach." Willow stands up. "Come on." She pulls his hand and the two head to the hospital.

When the two get there they meet up with Dawn. Xander calls her over. She tells her parents that she is going to get a soda and walks down the hallway to where Xander is.

"Hi," says Dawn.

"Hi, this is my friend Willow," says Xander.

"You have another girlfriend?"

"No, I'm married with someone else," says Willow.

"Oh, I'm Dawn."

"Look, Dawn, we are going to need your help," says Xander. "Are you up to it?"

"Sure," replies Dawn. The two tell her their plan and then Dawn and Willow head over to Joyce and Giles, who are waiting for the doctor to talk to them. They have not entered Buffy's room because she is still sleeping.

"Dawn, who is that with you?" asks Joyce.

"Oh, I'm one of Buffy's friends," says Willow.

"I don't recognize you."

"We jog together down the beach."

"Oh."

"Riley told me about what happened. I wanted to see how she was."

"That's very kind of you to come down here," says Giles and Willow smiles. As Willow had the attention of Buffy's parents, Dawn gives Xander the signal to search for Buffy's doctor.

"Doctor…"

"Yes," replies the doctor when he sees him running over to him.

"I'm glad I caught you. I wanted to ask you something. You said the exhaustion was caused by her pregnancy, then if she needed to do some strenuous activities tonight could she do it?"

"Um, yes. She's well rested and should continue her regular routine, but to be cautious."

"Okay, thanks." Xander is about to go, but turns around.

"You haven't talked to her parents, have you?"

"No, I do need to."

"Look, I don't think that it's wise to tell them that she's pregnant right now."

"They are her parents and they have to know. I would have thought that you told them."

"I don't think that it's my place to tell, me being her brother and all. You should tell Buffy and let her tell her parents."

"Alright."

"Thanks." Xander leaves and heads back to the front. He meets up with Riley and Tara, who just entered the hospital.

"Hey, Xander," says Riley. "Are you scared to face my parents?"

"Sort of," replies Xander. "Buffy still wants to go to the competition. What do you think?"

"I say go for it. How can we help?"