A/N : Thanx to all for the continued support - you rock :-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 3

"What are you still doin' up, pet?" Spike asked Buffy as he came downstairs from checking on Annaliese and found the Slayer still in the living room, papers and books spread out on the coffee table, "Thought we all agreed to get a couple of hours kip then start research tomorrow, since the Wiccans locator spell said this Holtz bloke was miles away?"

"I know, we did agree" Buffy sighed, hands running over her face and back through her hair, "But despite the fact I couldn't be more tired, I really don't think I'd be able to sleep right now" she said, giving Spike a look that he understood completely.

"Know what you mean, luv" he nodded, "'S bad enough bein' stuck in a house with old broody pants, you know how well me and him don't get on, don't fancy waking up dusty" he complained as he came and sat beside the blonde, "Then there's all these buggers chasing the second miracle kid down. Frightens the hell outta me that Annaliese is in danger now" he admitted, and Buffy knew she was just about the only person Spike would ever say such a thing to - he didn't admit to fear lightly.

"We won't let anything happen to her" she promised, her hand taking hold of his without her even thinking about it really. Spike was touched by the gesture but very unsure himself, not a feeling he was generally used to.

A few hours ago, before Angel and his crew had arrived, he and Buffy had been getting on famously. If not for the interruption from LA, who knows what could've happened. Spike didn't want to get ahead of himself too much but the thought had occurred that they could easily have ended up in bed together. She'd certainly seemed willing enough, and he was more than eager, after all he loved her and had for a long time, they both knew that was true.

Before there was a chance for any more to be said, the front door opened and Gunn, Fred, and Wesley came clattering inside.

"You guys have any trouble?" Buffy checked, letting go of Spike's hand a little too fast for his liking.

"Nah, it was sweet" Gunn told her, "Just the two vamps, and me and English here did a beautiful job of the double stake" he grinned as he and Wes high-fived over Fred's head, the Texan smiling at their delight.

"It was pretty cool" she agreed, before a yawn took over her words, "Oops, excuse me" she said, "I guess I'm sleepier than I thought"

"You guys should sleep some" Buffy told them, "Angel and Cordy have my room to be close to Connor but we found some fold out beds and sleeping bags..."

"We'll figure it out" Fred assured her, "I mean, heck, I lived in a cave for five years, I think I can manage one night on the floor" she smiled as she, Wes, and Gunn headed upstairs, leaving Spike and Buffy alone once again.

"Lived in a cave?" the vampire echoed, one eye-brow raised, "Strange girl, seems nice enough though"

"Yeah, they're all nice enough" the Slayer agreed, "We're all on the same side" she said pointedly, causing Spike to look away.

"Me and Angel don't get along" he reminded her, "Goes back decades, long time before you came along, Slayer, so don't go thinkin' it's all about you"

"Heaven forbid" Buffy rolled her eyes, knowing damn well that she was at least a little to do with the friction between grand-sire and grand-childe, or she should be.

She felt things for Spike, whilst she couldn't explain them exactly they were fast pushing her feelings for Angel aside. She'd moved on in ways she never thought she'd be able to, and she knew her ex well enough to know he'd see it, sense it somehow, he always could.

"Point is" Spike sighed, "Whatever happens, me and Peaches are never going to get along, 's just not gonna happen, pet"

"Well, whether you get along or not is irrelevant" Buffy pointed out to him, "You will have to fight together if we're going to protect the kids" she said seriously, "There are a whole bunch of big bads looking to make the miracle child or children, either a meal, a sacrifice, a weird kind of god-king, or... well, I don't what the hell this guy wants them for but I don't think it'd be pretty" she sighed as she sifted through the papers and books on the coffee table.

"Startin' to think about why Annaliese is here, y'know?" Spike admitted as he dropped back against the sofa cushions and ran his hands over his face tiredly, "To start off I was just bloody glad she was healthy, happy, and human, not somethin' evil that you'd have to off as soon as she was born" he explained, "Never much thought about why she was here, mostly didn't care to be honest. Now Peaches is here with his own kid in tow, borne of two vamps just like our Little Bit, and I gotta admit Slayer, it bloody bothers me"

Buffy zoned out a little after the words 'our Little Bit'. He did that some times, talked as if Annaliese was her daughter too, though she wasn't convinced he ever did it on purpose. She did play mother to the child, it was true, and in all honesty she loved it, though she never said such a thing to Spike. After all, to say she sort of wished she was Annaliese's mother, was to say she sort of wished she and Spike were together, and doing what it took to make a child together. A few dreams she'd had lately pretty much proved that it was true and yet, she couldn't find a way to tell him, especially not right now. Too much was at stake to be worrying about her mixed up feelings for the second vampire to creep his way into her heart. when all it's was over, when they were done being heroes, saving Annaliese and Connor, then she'd worry about her and Spike and what might be between them. Until then, she'd keep her mouth shut on the subject.

"Angel" Cordy sighed, as he turned over in the bed beside her for the seventeenth time, "Any chance of you stopping wriggling any time soon, I'm trying to sleep here"

"I can't get comfortable in this bed" he complained, sitting up, pushing the covers roughly off his body and half uncovering Cordy in the process. She didn't really notice, since they were both almost fully clothed, it made little difference.

"I know it's not the Ritz, but this bed is no worse than back home" she said as she sat up beside him, "Or is it worry that's keeping you awake?" she asked, her hand going to his arm in a comforting gesture.

She knew how rough this was on him in particular. He wasn't ever supposed to be able to father a child and yet there was Connor, a living breathing product of Angel and Darla. To know this one precious thing you have could be snatched away at any moment, it must be awful.

"Of course I'm worried about Connor but... that's not the only thing bothering me" he admitted as he ran his hands over his face and back through his hair, leaving it sticking it out in all directions from the gel that was still present in places, "It doesn't help that Spike is here. It doesn't help that I'm in Buffy's bedroom, in her bed, and without her..."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not a blonde Slayer" Cordy cut in, sounding just a little brassed off, despite the fact she meant to make a joke.

"No, Cordy" Angel shook his head, "It's not that..." he stopped and sighed before continuing, "You mean the world to me, you know that, and I know Buffy and me, that's never going to work out"

"So why is it a problem, Mr Frowny Lines?" Cordelia asked him seriously, and her vampire friend glanced away before he answered her.

"It's a problem that I can smell Spike everywhere I go in this house" he admitted, "Even in this room, on this bed..."

"Oh my God!" Cordy gasped, her hand going over her mouth, "You think Buffy and Spike are... well, wow" she said, as she thought it over, "Although actually, it kinda makes sense. After all, she has that whole love of the undead thing going on, and I guess Spike is attractive in that bad-boy, Billy Idol kind of a way" she considered.

"Please tell me you do not find Spike attractive" Angel practically begged her and Cordy made a hasty back-pedal.

"Spike? Attractive? Nooo!" she waved away the comment as if it were nonsense although in all honesty she had to admit, to herself at least, if she didn't know Spike to be evil and untrustworthy she wouldn't mind playing Nancy Spungen to his Sid Vicious, without the gross parts of drugs and death of course.

"Maybe I should check on Connor" Angel said suddenly and Cordy physically pulled on his arm to stop him getting out of the bed.

"Maybe you should let him sleep" she advised, "Like you and me should be doing too" she told him, "Angel, bad things are coming, as usual. We need to be rested and prepared if we're gonna keep Connor safe"

"Yeah, you're right" he agreed after a moment, laying back down beside her in the bed.

"Aren't I always?" Cordy grinned in the dim light and Angel reached out his hand to her face.

"I don't know how I'd be getting through all this without you" he admitted, "You're amazing"

"You're pretty special yourself" she smiled, turning her head to kiss his palm, "When you're not being a spaz"

They both laughed lightly at that, glad to have any kind of humour in their lives even if it was just for a few seconds. Eventually they both closed their eyes and sleep did come, though neither of them were confident the peace and quiet would last long.

Xander yawned as he wandered into the bathroom at four in the morning. He hated being up this early but they were behind at the site and every daylight hour had to be used to it's full potential if they were going to catch up.

Turning on the shower, he glanced in the mirror not exactly thrilled by the sight that met his eyes. That argument with Anya last night had gone on too long. Maybe he should've let her storm out sooner, just so he could get some sleep, but he really wanted to figure things out. As it was she'd just picked holes in everything he said, found fault with everything he did, and seemed determined to yell and scream about everything til finally Xander himself got so frustrated he yelled something back at her about women and their crazy lady hormones making them cranky. That was when Anya had headed for the door, slamming it behind her, saying she was going to go and talk to other women, who might understand her. At that point, Xander had turned in for the night, catching just four hours shut-eye before the alarm told him to get his sorry butt out of bed once again.

Taking off his T-shirt and underwear he stepped into the shower, enjoying the warm spray that gently woke him up as he washed his body and hair. By the time he climbed back out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, he was feeling much more awake. Still, Xander was not prepared for the shock that befell him as he moved to put his empty shampoo bottle into the bin in the corner.

"Oh God" he gasped as he leant over and pulled out a wad of tissue wrapped around a long thin item he was almost too scared to look closely at for fear of what it would mean. He held in his hand a pregnancy test, and according to the box that he pulled out of the bin next, the two blue lines meant someone was pregnant.

"Anya" he whispered, as his world started spinning.

He was going to be father.

To Be Continued...