Last chapter for this week. The final two will come after the weekend.

Chapter 38

Kara stayed at the hospital for a total of three days, mainly because Lillian was being kept for observation for lingering congestion. She only weighed 5 lbs., 8 oz, compared to her sister, who was 6 lbs, 2 oz when she left the hospital. Both girls were 18 inches long

Their friends were at the house when the new family came home, for a welcome back party.

"We all made food for you two for two weeks, and it's in the freezer," Joyce declared, after hugging them both.

"Thanks, Mum. I'm sure it's delicious."

"Which one are you holding?" Willow asked Buffy.

"I don't know. Isn't she perfect, though? And so tiny. I mean, I knew babies were little, but…"

"I know what you mean. Look at these little fingers! Kara, which one is which again?"

"The one with the darker hair is Anastasia. She also weighs more. You're holding Lillian, Willow. Just keep her tilted a bit upright. She's still getting rid of that cough."

"What do the doctors say about it?" Giles asked.

"They deemed her perfectly healthy, otherwise, and said just to keep an eye on it, especially how she sleeps."

"Switch?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Sure." They were both sitting on the sofa, and carefully passed the babies to each other.

Lillian took one look at Buffy, and wailed.

"What? What did I do?" Buffy asked, panicked. Spike rushed over to pick up his daughter, who quieted immediately at the sound of her daddy's voice, and his scent.

"Yep, that's Spike's kid, alright," Xander quipped.

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed, slapping his arm.

"What? Did you actually expect both of Spike's kids to like Buffy? They've never gotten along. Just makes sense that it'd be passed genetically."

"I'm sure it's not you, Buffy," Kara hastened to say. "She's probably just feeling overwhelmed by all the people. She fussed when the nursery was crowded, too."

Spike had carried Lillian into the empty kitchen, gently rocking her in his arms.

"There, there, princess. No reason to fuss, hmm? Daddy will always protect you." She gurgled happily. "That's right. If you don't want to be near the nasty Slayer, then you don't have to be," he cooed.

Spike loved both his daughters equally, fiercely, but he felt a bond with Lillian that he couldn't explain, that was different than with Anastasia. Maybe he recognized a kindred spirit. Maybe she somehow shared more of his DNA. He didn't know. What he did know, is that she owned him, body and non-existent soul – almost as much as Kara did. Lillian gripped his finger, and Spike felt a touch, a whisper, to his mind. He cocked his head, startled, and studied her critically. Experimenting, he brushed his fingers against her cheek, and felt her be soothed and loved at his touch.

Bloody hell – she's an empath. He decided to share this revelation with Kara later when they were alone, and see if she had felt the same thing.

"Hey."

"Hey, luv."

"It's time to nurse, if she feels like eating. My boobs feel like they're going to burst."

"I don't mind helping out," he leered.

"Oh, I know, but I think your daughters will get more out of my milk than you will." He passed Lillian over to Kara. "I'll be upstairs. Go be social."

"Yes, kitten."

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"This is your room, baby girl. Would you like the crib on the left, or the right?" Lillian just bumped her nose against Kara's breast, focused on her hunger. "One track mind, then. You get that from your father," Kara teased.

She unbuttoned her blouse, then the flap on her nursing bra. Lillian greedily latched on as Kara sat in the rocking chair. They were alone for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door.

"Kara?"

"Come in, Tara."

"Hey. I just wanted to let you know that most everyone is taking off. We don't want to crowd you on your first night home."

"That's alright. I'm touched that you guys thought to give us a party. And the food will be a BIG help."

"We're all here to support you. I'll come over this weekend, if you don't mind the company?"

"That'll be great. Have a seat. You don't need to go right away."

Tara sat down in the adjacent rocking chair. "She seems pretty hungry tonight."

"Yeah…it's a relief, actually, since she didn't have much of an appetite in the hospital. I got the feeling she didn't like it there, though it seems odd that she'd have an opinion so soon," Kara stated.

"Well, they're always saying on TV that babies are born geniuses. Don't know how accurate that really is, but they do make decisions based on how they feel very early. They sense vibes from people, like pets do, knowing instinctively who to trust. She might be more sensitive to that then your average human."

"Huh…maybe. Who knows what powers Anastasia and Lillian will develop? Or when? If they were 100 Ossirian, I'd have some clue, but Spike being a vampire throws a curve ball into the mix. We don't know if any of his demon can be passed along. They might have only received William's DNA. When Anastasia came from the future, all she said was that she shared some of my abilities, and that we had trained her how to use them right away."

"So, you remember all of that day now, huh?"

"Yep. Your spell worked as intended, and I can't thank you enough for the peace of mind you gave me at the time. My life with Spike is more than I ever could have imagined. Hmm…looks like someone's asleep. Can you set her in the crib, so I can put myself back together?"

"Of course. Which one?"

"Doesn't matter."

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"Mmm, my own bed. How I've missed thee. Is the baby monitor on?"

"Yes, luv. I checked it twice." He slid into bed next to her. "Besides, we can both hear them as well as if they were lying right between us."

"I know…it's just…this is Lillian's first night without constant supervision. What if she stops breathing in her sleep?"

"If that happens, we'll know, okay? One of us will sense it. Haven't you said for months that you can sense them, as under your protection?"

"Yeah, but that was while they were still inside me. They're not connected to my body anymore."

"Will you feel better if I bring her in here?"

"Yes…I know it's silly…"

Spike lifted her chin to see her eyes. "No, it's not. I can't imagine how it feels for you, luv, to not have them within you anymore, but I understand the need to have them close, and protect them. You never have to apologize for that."

He was back in a minute, wheeling the crib into the room, both twins inside. Spike stopped it on Kara's side of the bed and locked the wheels. He slid back under the sheets and pulled Kara close, after turning off the lamp.

"Thank you."

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The following days began to show the girls' personalities. Anastasia was a bubbly and happy soul, though also very loud when she wanted something. Lillian was naturally more subdued, never fussing for long when she required a change or feeding. Spike's theory that she was empathic was further proven by her reactions to the Scooby group. She was fine being held by anyone her father liked, but either squirmed or cried when she was with someone he wasn't comfortable with. She screamed for Buffy, scowled at Giles, and didn't know how to be with Xander. Which made sense, since Spike and Xander were no longer hostile towards one another, but not what you would call friends, either. And Kara was really wondering what was up.

"Spike?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is it that Lillian only likes people that you like?"

"Good taste?"

"Very funny. I know you haven't been surprised by her reactions, so spill. What gives, and how are you doing it?"

"You don't feel her, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm holding her, or touching her, I can feel her reaction to it, in my head. She doesn't do that with you?"

"No! And now I'm jealous. So…she's tapping into how you feel about people?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense, pet. She's an empath. Maybe telepathic, too, when she gets older."

"Why you?" Kara pouted. Spike pulled her down onto his lap.

"Oh, sweets, don't look like that. I don't know why she chose me. All I can say is that I've always felt some sort of bond with her. Maybe she carries more of me than 'Stasia does. Vampires don't normally have kids, pet. This is uncharted territory for all of us."

"I know…but I'm her mom. I want her to feel close to me, too." Kara snuggled her head under his neck. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to compete with you. It's not like we don't have special moments." She sighed. "I'll be glad when my hormones are back to normal. I'm such a sap right now."

"On the upside, your stomach is back where it used to be. 'S good to be immortal, isn't it?"

"There are definite benefits."

He nipped at her scar. "When will it be safe again?" he murmured.

"I see Dr. Lee on the 17th. She'll be checking out everything…stop that…"

"Why? You enjoy it."

"We could get carried away," she protested.

"Kara, I haven't touched you in over a week. We've never gone more than two and a half days before! Please, luv. You smell so good."

"I'm still kinda…yucky," she replied, wrinkling her nose.

"Not to me, sweetheart. You're a ripe, nummy treat. Always will be…"

"Waaaaaaahhh!"

"Coming, Ana," Kara called, pushing herself off Spike's lap. He swatted her rear before she got out of reach. "Hey!"

(We'll be continuing this later, luv. Count on it.)

(You are such a perv! Don't be sending me naughty thoughts while I'm feeding your daughters. That's just…eew.)

She heard his laughter from upstairs.

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February 17th, 2003…

"Wow, Kara. You've really snapped back. The rest of my patients would hate you right now," Dr. Lee joked.

"I'm a fast healer, I guess."

"Must be. Let's check out the girls first, and then I'll do your exam. How are they doing? Any issues you've noticed?"

"Nope. Lillian's cough cleared in a couple days. They both have healthy appetites. Anastasia's louder about everything, but they're both good babies. I've gotten as much sleep as you can really expect, I guess."

"I'm glad to hear it. Have you chosen your primary pediatrician?"

"Is Dr. Bodner still around? He was my doctor until I was 17."

"I think so. Just look in the directory. Hop up on the table so we can do your pelvic exam."

"My husband's hoping we can get back to having sex again," Kara relayed, rolling her eyes. "Men, huh?"

"Well, you've healed amazingly well. It's hard to tell you squeezed out twins two weeks ago. If you're comfortable with it, I'd say you'd be okay with manual stimulation at this point. I usually tell new moms that it's okay to wait a month, or two, after having a baby before you are fully intimate again. There's a lot to adjust to, with the new schedule, and your hormones, and the natural recuperation process. Just go with what feels comfortable, and don't let yourself feel pressured. Oh, and use condoms when you start having sex again. I don't want to see you back in a couple months saying you're pregnant again," Dr. Lee said.

"Okay. I doubt that will be a worry. We weren't supposed to be able to reproduce together, in the first place. Oh, is it normal for my breasts to grow this much with nursing? None of my tops even come close to fitting right now."

"It's not uncommon to gain 3 cup sizes. You're producing enough to keep up with the twins?"

"Doc, I could probably feed at least one more kid than I do now. I had to go buy triple-D nursing bras the day after I went home."

"What were you before?"

"A comfortable C. You can imagine they kind of hurt now."

"Sorry about that. All I can recommend is to pump the excess until your body adjusts. You have an advantage in that you don't work. Feed the girls whenever they like. If you feel it's a major problem in a few months, I can give you some medication, but it will stop your milk flow altogether. Have you considered how long you want to breast feed?"

"At least 6 months. I want my girls to have the best start possible."

"Good. Well, you're all done here. And don't hesitate to call if you feel any excessive mood swings or depression. It's normal to feel off-balance as your hormones return to normal, and we can treat any problems."

"Thanks. I'll send you some pictures."

"Bye, Kara."

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(So, what'd she say?) Kara heard, as she was driving home.

(Geez, you're impatient.)

(Kara!)

(We talked about how the girls are doing, my nursing habits, hormones…)

(Luv, I miss you…miss the connection…I can barely get to kissing you before one of the girls starts cryin'.)

(All new parents go through this, baby. You just have to be patient.)

(Let's get a babysitter for Friday. I'll take you out…some place really nice. Please, luv?)

(Sounds good, honey. I'm pulling into the garage now.)

Spike was there to open the car door when she shut off the engine. Kara was pulled out of the drivers seat and kissed before she had a chance to say 'hello'. She quickly responded.

"What about…the girls?" she gasped, gulping in air.

"Fed, changed, and asleep."

"Oh, good."

"Want you, baby. So much. Can you feel it, kitten?"

"Mmm…"

Spike slung his mate over his shoulder and rushed for the bedroom, tossing her on the bed before pouncing on her lips again. Kara's sweatshirt was yanked over her head and tossed to the floor. The bra quickly followed.

"'ve been dyin' to taste these," he murmured, laving one peak with his cool tongue. Kara hissed at the sudden pleasure. He gently caressed the other mound at the same time. "Don't worry, kitten. Spike's going to take very good care of you." He lightly sucked on the rosy bud, Kara feeling the pull straight down to her womb.

"Oh, gah…missed you, too." His mouth trailed from her breasts down to the waistband of her jeans, where he dipped his tongue into her belly button, making her squirm.

"Lift your hips, kitten," Spike requested, sliding the jeans off. The heady aroma of her arousal hit him full force, making his mouth water. Her panties hit the floor next, and he gave a gentle lick to her center.

"Mmm…Spike," she pleaded.

"Shhh, luv. I know what you need." He started off with lights licks and nibbles, getting her hot and needy before applying further pressure.

Kara squirmed on the bed, wanting more, but he just kept teasing. She was about to demand he pick up the pace, when she felt a finger enter her and curl up along the bundle of nerves that drove her crazy. He was still avoiding her clit, though, and she needed more.

"Spike…!" she whimpered.

"Taste so good, pet. I could feast off of you for eternity. Would you like that, Kara? Never leave this room and pleasure you 'til the stars burn out? Love the sounds you make, especially when I do this…"

"Oh!" she shrieked. His sudden assault on her nub sent a mini ripple through her womb. So close…

"Yeah, that one," he grinned smugly.

'Fingers and tongue everywhere, and…oh, god…she was gonna…' Kara screamed as her orgasm hit with a powerful force, making her ears ring and vision blurry. She came to cradled in Spike's arms.

"Hey, gorgeous. Worth two weeks of waiting?"

"Mmm-hmm. Wow," she replied, with a silly grin. She felt drunk, and giggled.

"No sore spots?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Uh-unh. Just jellowy."

"I don't think that's a word, luv," he teased.

"Sure it is, I just made it up. What about you?"

"I can wait."

Kara grazed her hand along the bulge in his jeans. "Oh, really?" she purred.

"Kara…" Spike moaned, pushing into her hand. She pushed him to his back and pulled the zipper down on his pants. "Don't stop…"

"I have no intention to."

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Friday nights were firmly set as date night. With so many good friends in their circle, there was always somebody who didn't mind giving the couple a few hours to themselves. The first night out, Kara had called Tara and Willow to check on the twins every 20 minutes, until Spike took the phone away and locked it in the car.

Lillian had caught up to her sister, a few ounces the only difference in size. Her hair and eye color were still lighter than Anastasia's, and her skin was slightly paler, too. They discovered when she was three months old that she was sensitive to sunlight, too, becoming fussy and irritable outside if she wasn't in the shade. Her little eyes would squint in the bright light, her hands shielding her face. Kara had always been diligent in protecting them from sunburns, so they had yet to find out if she was more sensitive in that aspect, also.

Anastasia was very active for an infant, already trying to roll over and scoot along the floor as the twins approached four months of age. She had a grip like a vise, too. Ana loved anything that made noise – rattles, chimes, pots. She seemed to be in a hurry to learn to do everything. Her favorite time with her parents was when they sang to her.

The twins were also close with each other. Their bond was immediate, and they would cry if they couldn't see each other, after a few minutes. Kara and Spike suspected they could communicate through Lillian's empathic ability, but it was difficult to determine to what level.

Kara's 30th birthday came on June 1st. Joyce's gift was to take the twins overnight so Spike and Kara could have alone time completely uninterrupted. There was a small party the day before, complete with black balloons and cards teasing her about getting old. Lorne and the L.A. group sent a gift, as well. Upon learning from Lorne that Kara had delivered twins, Cordelia had packed up some of Connor's old toys from infancy and shipped them to the house, along with a gift certificate to a salon for Kara. It was very sweet, considering that they had never met.

Kara and Wesley had been keeping in touch by e-mail for over a year now, since he had shown up with Connor for protection. She had asked him to keep his ears open since her dealings with Wolfram and Hart. Kara didn't trust them not to try to find a loophole to get what they wanted from her, whatever that had been. Wes kept her up-to-date on Connor growing up, and the cases A.I. faced. She'd grown to appreciate the ex-Watcher's subtle humor and intelligence, and trusted him with her secrets as much as Lorne.

When the twins were around six months old, Kara figured it was time to start socializing them with other children, as well as adults. She invited Cordelia and Fred to bring Connor over for a play date. It was August, and he was almost two. It's an interesting day when you put three kids with super powers together.