A/N: Hey everyone! Really really sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story, and my other stories for that matter. I've actually been really caught up in another story I've started to write and it's kind of taken me away from the unfinished stories that I still have. I tend to do that a lot, every time I get a new idea I focus on that and forget all about my other unfinished stories and I hate myself for that 'cause I know you all look forward to timely updates. So I'm sorry about the whole taking forever to update thing.

Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

Planning an Escape

"I think we need to split up," Giles suggested. "Half of the group can distract them while the other half escapes with the babies that have already been born."

"No," Angel shot down. "We need to stick together. We're stronger together and we need to give these babies as much protection as possible."

"Giles has a point though," Wesley chimed in. "These people obviously want all of the children and they want them alive. If we take away the six, they might not focus so much on the two that have not yet been born."

"Yeah, they'll fallow the people with our kids instead," Faith responded with annoyance. "I've gotta agree with Angel on this one. We gotta stick together."

After Giles' experience with the people outside of their rooms, he had immediately gone into Willow and Tara's room informing them of what was going on. There was now no leaving the rooms without risking extreme danger which meant that they were all forced to stay separated in their four groups whether they liked it or not.

Luckily Willow and Tara were able to work a spell that would allow all sixteen of them to communicate freely with one another even though they were all in four separate rooms. The spell created three pictures that were almost like TV screens on clouds in each room. Each picture screen showed each of the other rooms along with all of the people in them. It was an extremely handy spell for their current situation.

"Wesley, what's the status on Cordy?" Buffy asked trying to get away from the current topic because of the constant disagreements. She could see the dark haired girl through the picture that Willow and Tara had created and she looked as if she was just about ready to burst.

Trying to listen to the conversation that was taking place and also tend to Cordelia was proving to be quite a challenge for the younger watcher, but he was doing a fairly good job. "I would say she has about five minutes before she's going to have to start pushing," the watcher responded. "This baby is going to be born within the next ten minutes or so."

"Oh geeeezzz," the others could hear Cordelia yell. "Wesley, get this thing out of me!"

"Yes, Wesley," Spike added, "Get this bloody thing out of her so she can stop squeezing on my bloody hand!" Since Wesley was delivering Cordelia's child and Fred was in labor on the bed next to her, Spike was enlisted with the job of being Cordelia's coach. Even though he was a vampire with the supernatural strength that came along with that, he was extremely surprised at how hard the brunette could squeeze his hand.

"I uh, I should really go," Wesley said to the others. Cordelia would be giving birth any minute now and Wesley was confident in his assumption that she wouldn't want all of the others to be watching on a mystical screen while it happened. "Could you cut the link from us Willow?"

"Sure, Wesley," the red head responded. "Good luck Cordy," she added just before cutting the link to their room which eliminated one mystical screen from each of the remaining three rooms. She knew that they all needed to converse and figure out what they were going to do, but Cordelia giving birth would have to come first. After everything was settled with her, Willow was sure that Wesley would contact her and ask her to open up the link once again.

"Ok, you all heard Wesley," Angel began, "Cordy's baby will be born within minutes, which means that Fred's will be born in about an hour. If we can all just hold out for another hour we can all get out of here together."

"I think Angel's right," Buffy agreed. "We all need to stick together. Whatever plan we decide on, it has to consist of all of us getting out of here at the same time, all together."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Xander also agreed.

The others also began to nod their heads in agreement, even Giles who had originally wanted to split up. "Alright then," the older watcher replied, "We stick together, get out of here as soon as Fred has given birth and is strong enough to leave."

"Well now that we have that part settled, we just need to figure out how we're going to leave," Willow reminded them.

"Good point," Xander responded. "And how exactly are we going to do that again?"

"Well, from what Giles told us about the people outside of our rooms, it seems that by the time the last child is born there will be a lot more of them and they are most likely going to attack us right away," Buffy informed.

"She's right," Giles responded. "I don't know how, but it seems that they know how many have already been born, and when each of the others will be born as well. I fear we will have very little time, if any, after Fred gives birth, before they attack."

"Yeah, and it seems like the only thing we really have going for us is that they want these babies alive," Gunn pointed out. "So they probably won't attack those of us who are holding the kids. My guess is that they'll have a few hold us down and then one try to pry the kids out of our hands."

"Gunn's right," Angel agreed. "They're not going to be as rough with whoever is holding the babies. But, if they get a hold of those of us who don't have the children in our hands, they might threaten their lives if we don't give up the babies."

"So then we gotta make sure that those of us who aren't holding the babies can fully take care of ourselves," Faith offered. "That way we don't give them the chance to threaten to kill any of us."

Giles nodded his head slightly in agreement. "It could work. We send out our strongest to fight, and keep them distracted, while the others sneak out with the children."

"That's not foolproof though," Connor interjected. "I mean Dawn is still weak from giving birth, and Cordelia, and especially Fred, are going to be even weaker. If Fred has a baby in her arms and they catch her, there isn't going to be much of anything she'll be able to do to stop them. She, Cordy, Dawn, and even Anya might not even be able to walk out of here on their own."

"Dog boy's got a point," Faith responded.

Everyone's heads seemed to drop in disappointment. It seemed hopeless. Not only did they need to protect the babies and get them out safely, they also had to make sure that they got the weakened mothers out safely as well. The number of people that needed to be protected fare outweighed the number of people that were able to protect.

For a few moments after Connor's revelation, no one spoke a word. All twelve of them sat in silence trying to come up with a plan that would result in the safest possible escape. No plan would be completely infallible, but they had to come up with something that would have the least possible margin of error.

Finally, after several minutes of silence had passed by, Buffy spoke. "I think I might have a plan."

XXXXXX

"Wow," Spike looked on in awe. Being with Cordelia as she gave birth and being one of the first people in the world to see the child for the first time was an incredible experience for him. As he watched the baby open his eyes for the first time, getting his first look at the world, he couldn't believe the feelings that were coursing through him. "He's incredible."

Cordelia smiled up at the blonde vampire with tear filled eyes and then looked back down at her new born son. "He really is isn't he?"

After delivering Cordelia's son, cleaning him up and making sure he was ok, Wesley had turned his attentions to his girlfriend who was currently in labor. This left Cordy on her bed with her son in her arms and Spike still standing right by her side.

Spike smiled, never taking his eyes off of the small child in Cordelia's arms. He watched as the child's chest slowly rose up and then fell down with the tiny breaths his sleeping form was taking. "What was it that you were going to name him again?" he asked Cordelia quietly so as not to wake the baby.

"Joshua," Cordelia responded in an equally soft ton. "I hadn't thought of a middle name for him before, but I think I know what it should be now."

"Oh yeah?" Spike asked, still never taking his eyes off of the baby. "What's that then?"

Cordelia nodded her head. "I think I'll call him Joshua William Chase."

Hearing this finally caused the blonde vampire to shift his gaze from the baby to Cordelia. When Cordy turned her gaze to look at Spike, she saw a mixture of emotions on his face. He looked confused as to why she would do something like that for him, but mostly he looked happy at the kind gesture.

"You've really proven to us how much you've changed Spike," Cordelia began to explain. "You sought out your soul and got it back, and since then you've helped us out a lot. You're even willing to risk incredible pain from that chip just to help us."

Spike tried to shrug off the compliments as if they were nothing. He wasn't very good with accepting praise. "It's nothing really. I'd do anything to protect you girls and the little ones. Anything," he added with great emphasis.

Cordelia smiled. "That's exactly why William is the perfect middle name for my son."

A small smile appeared on the vampire's face. "Thanks, pet."

"You're welcome."

XXXXXX

As Fred was getting closer to giving birth, the sixteen friends were going over the plan that Buffy had come up with.

"Alright, we're most likely going to have to put this plan into motion as soon as Fred gives birth," Buffy began to explain. "The amount of people outside our rooms has almost quadrupled and there's no telling how many of them they have in other areas of the hospital as backup, or by the exits, or outside even. If this is going to work like we want it to, we're going to have to make the first move."

"Which means almost as soon as Fred gives birth, we're going to have to make our move," Angel added.

"Fred?" Wesley asked softly as his girlfriend tried to breath through a contraction. "Are you sure you're going to be up for this?"

After the contraction passed, the brunette tried her hardest to sound sure of herself as she nodded her head. "I can do this," she answered. "Whatever pain I'm in, I'll bite it back and fight through it. I can do this," she tried to convince through heavy breaths.

"Cordy, Dawn, are the two of you going to be alright?" Giles asked.

Cordelia nodded her head. "My maternal instincts are already kicking in. I'm feeling stronger and stronger every minute."

"I'll also be fine," Dawn responded. "No one is getting anywhere near these kids as long as I'm still standing," she added with the exact same determination that her sister always possessed. It made the blonde slayer extremely proud to see her younger sister being so strong and so brave.

"Good," Angel responded. "Does everyone else know what their supposed to do? Are you all ready?"

As he looked through the three mystical screens he watched as every since face nodded their heads with determination. What they were about to do was extremely risky, and they needed everyone to know exactly what they were doing, and to be confident in doing it.

"Will, Tara, do you have everything you need all set up for your spells?" Buffy asked the two witches.

"We almost didn't have enough supplies left in our emergency bag after the room linking spell, but we'll manage," Willow answered. "We're all set up. As soon as we get the word from Wesley, we'll cast the spells."

Buffy nodded her head in understanding. "Good. Did you have enough for the spell to get rid of the pain caused by Spike's chip so that he can fight easier?"

Willow looked back at her best friend through the link with slight worry. "We don't have the exact ingredients, but we have a few things that we might be able to use as substitutes. It should be able to dull the pain, but I'm afraid it's probably not going to completely get rid of it. We can perform that spell now though, as soon as we break the links."

"That's alright, luv," Spike responded. "Every little bit helps, and the rest I'll just grit my teeth and bear. I can fight through the pain. If what I'm fightin for is important enough to me I can fight through anything."

Buffy smiled at the blonde vampire. "Good. How's she doing Wes?"

Checking up on Fred, Wesley responded, "She's fully dilated. It's time."

Everyone seemed to take a deep breath all at the same time. This was it. As soon as Fred's baby was born the plan would be put into action.

"Ok, Will," Buffy nodded, "Cut the links."

XXXXXX

With the link severed, Wesley was able to place is full focus on the task at hand. "Alright, Fred," he began calmly. "It's time to start pushing."

Fred nodded her head slightly with scared eyes. Just as she was about to begin pushing she felt a hand slip into hers, fingers wrapping around her own. As she looked up to see who it was, she smiled. Cordelia, even though she'd been weak, had gotten off of her bed, gave baby Joshua to Spike, and walked over to Fred's bedside to hold her hand through the birth.

"Spike was going to do it, but I insisted he let me," Cordelia explained with a friendly smile.

Tears of comfort and happiness began to roll down Fred's smiling face. She didn't need to say a word. She tightly clenched onto Cordelia's hand finding that the small gesture had given her an incredible boost of strength as she began to push.

With her close friend by her side, it only took Fred two big pushes to bring her new baby daughter into the world. She smiled through the pain as she heard the soft cry that escaped the child.

Wesley was in awe at the beauty of the baby girl. He quickly, but thoroughly, cleaned the child up and placed her in a warm blanket. Then he slowly walked her over to her mother's bedside. He gently leaned down and placed the child into her mother's arms.

"Hello, Samantha Anne," Fred welcomed her new baby, "I'm your mommy."

"She's beautiful," Wesley said with a bright smile as he put his arm around his girlfriend, "Just like her mother."

Fred smiled and turned to face her boyfriend. "Thank you," she said as she leaned up to give him a loving kiss.

Cordelia smiled at the happy couple, but then got back to the situation at hand. "I hate to ruin the moment and all, but I think you should give the signal Wes. There's no telling how long it'll be before those guys out there realize that all eight babies are born and start busting down our doors."

"Right," Wesley nodded. "There's just one thing that I need to do first." He looked down at Fred and her child and smiled brightly. "Marry me, Fred," he requested with love in his voice.

"Bloody hell mate," Spike voiced, "Do you really think now is the best time for that?"

"It's the perfect time," Wesley insisted confidently, never allowing his eyes to leave Fred's.

Fred simply smiled even brighter, if that was even possible, and quickly nodded her head in excitement. "Yes," she replied happily. "Yes, I will marry you Wesley."

The watcher's smile brightened as well as he leaned in to kiss his new fiancé passionately.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you guys," Cordelia said happily as tears of joy began to form in her eyes.

Although Spike was equally as happy for them as Cordelia was, he was more focused on the situation at hand. "Right then," he said with slight annoyance, "Guess I'll send the go ahead to Red."

The vampire closed his eyes for a few moments and concentrated. When he opened them once again, the three occupants of the room were all staring at him in anticipation.

"Get to your battle stations kids," Spike instructed, "Its show time."