Okay, guys. I hope you guys are enjoying this story. This chapter is a few months into the future, right before Buffy's gives birth. I think the next chapter is gonna be the birth chapter, we'll see. As always, enjoy and please review!

Buffy sighed as she held on to the cart to brace herself. She, her mother and sisters were shopping for her baby shower, which was the next day. Buffy was now 8 months pregnant and, carrying twins, she was huge by this point. As she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, Joyce, Faith and Dawn came up to her.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Joyce asked, seeing her pregnant daughter's expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Buffy said. "Just tired."

"Do you wanna go?" her mother asked, but Buffy shook her head.

"No, we gotta get the rest of the stuff we need, the shower's tomorrow" Buffy told her, beginning to push the cart again as the other three Summers women walked beside her.

"We can get everything, B. You should sit, you look like crap" Faith told her, getting a glare from her twin.

"Thanks, Fai" Buffy said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean" Faith said. "You need to be careful not to over exert yourself. You know what the doctor said." Her doctor had told her at her last appointment the week before that she needed to take it easy. Over tiring herself could make her go into pre-mature labor, he told her.

"Yeah, I know, I'm not stupid" Buffy snapped, beginning to get annoyed, but then took a breath to calm herself. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"8 months pregnant?" Joyce offered with a smile and Buffy smiled back.

"I was gonna say huge and tired" Buffy told her. "Let's just get what we need and go home, please."

"Okay" Joyce said as they searched the isles for everything they had on their list.

A half an hour later, they had bought everything on their list and were headed home. Before going home, they stopped at KFC because Buffy was having a craving. Once they got the food, Joyce dropped Buffy and Faith at home and took Dawn to her dance class.

"So, can I have some of that chicken or will you try to break my hand like last time?" Faith asked, only half-jokingly, remembering the last time she tried to take some of her pregnant sister's food.

"Go ahead" Buffy said through a mouthful of chicken. She had ordered an 8-piece, extra crispy bucket, some honey barbeque, boneless wings, some mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and a few biscuits. Faith, after making sure her sister meant it, reached into the bucket for a chicken leg and began eating it. Just as Buffy opened the mashed potatoes, the doorbell rang and Spike walked in two seconds later.

"Hey, Summers twins" he said, coming into the kitchen where Buffy and Faith were seated at the island with the food sprawled over the counter.

"Why do you ring the doorbell if you just walk in before anyone can answer?" Buffy asked playfully; Spike shrugged.

"Don't know" he said, turning his attention to the copious amounts of food on the island. "Wow, hungry, pet?" Buffy shot him a look of death at his remark and he put his hands up, as if to surrender. "Sorry, don't stake me through the heart" he joked.

"I'd be careful, Spike" Faith warned. "Her hormones are raging today." Buffy turned her glare to her twin sister and Faith smirked a bit before getting up, grabbing another chicken leg and heading out of the kitchen. "I'll be upstairs." After Faith was gone, Spike went over and sat down next to his girl.

"How are you feeling, luv?"

"Huge" Buffy said through a mouthful of food, Spike smiled at her.

"You're not huge. You're the gorgeous mother of my twin daughters" he assured her, but she rolled her eyes at him, looking down at her protruding, and very round, stomach.

"Please, I'm a whale" she scoffed. "Want some chicken?"

"Sure" he said, grabbing a paper plate and retrieving a couple wings out of the box. "So, you excited about your shower tomorrow?"

"My shower?" she asked. "Don't you mean our shower?"

"Isn't that more of a girly thing, pet?" he asked and she glared at him.

"No…" she said carefully. "They're your babies too, y'know."

"Yeah, I know" he said. "I just thought the baby shower was a female thing. Thought guys weren't allowed."

"Some people do it that way, but not me, not us" she told him, wiping her mouth with a napkin and taking a drink of her water. "Are you saying you don't wanna be there?"

"If you want me to be there, I will be" he told her. "Anything to make you happy." She smiled at him.

"Thank you." He nodded at her.

"You wanna stay at my place tonight, luv?"

"Sure" Buffy said. "I've been feeling tense… maybe you could… relieve some of my tension" she smirked at him.

"We'll see" he said, kissing her on the forehead and taking his now empty plate to the trash. Buffy frowned at that. They hadn't been intimate for months now and she was beginning to suspect that he didn't find her desirable or attractive anymore. She silently looked down at her huge belly. I wouldn't find me attractive either, she thought. Feeling full, she packed the food up and put it in the refrigerator. Spike came up behind her, putting his arms—as best he could—around her waist, but Buffy moved away before he could kiss her cheek. "Somethin wrong, baby?"

"No" she lied. "I just wanna go get some stuff together so we can head over to your place."

"Okay" he said, though he didn't completely believe her. She gave him a quick peck on the lips before waddling to the stairs. "Need help?"

"Nope, I'm good" Buffy told him, heading upstairs as fast as she could, but, being 32 weeks pregnant, wasn't very fast at all.

"What's up?" Faith asked as Buffy entered their room.

"I'm gonna spend the night at Spike's tonight" Buffy said, but her sister's frown made Faith confused.

"What's wrong, B?"

"Nothing" Buffy attempted to lie, but she knew Faith knew her better than that. "Okay, it's just… I don't think Spike wants me anymore. Y'know, sexually."

"Why do you say that?" Faith asked as Buffy packed a bag for the night.

"We haven't done anything in months, and every time I try to start something, he shuts it down so quick that I'm left wondering if it's me" Buffy told her.

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"Not really" Buffy admitted. "I mean, he tells me it's because he doesn't wanna hurt the babies, but…"

"Well, maybe that's true" Faith told her.

"Yeah, but I told him the doctor said it was okay" Buffy continued. "I mean, she even said that having sex was a good way to induce labor when it's time."

"Maybe he's afraid having sex will put you into labor early" Faith offered and Buffy sighed, picking up her bag and her coat.

"I don't know… I just feel like it's more than that."

"Well, I advise you to ask" Faith told her. "You can't keep stuff like that inside, B, it'll ruin your relationship."

"Maybe you're right" Buffy said. "Tell mom I'll be back in the morning to get ready for the shower, okay?"

"Okay" Faith said and Buffy kissed her on the cheek before leaving their room and went back downstairs to where Spike was waiting.

"Ready to go, luv?"

"Yep" she said. He took her bag as she put on her coat and then they left the house, getting into his car and heading for his apartment.

After getting to Spike's apartment and taking off her shoes—with Spike's help—Buffy settled herself on the couch, putting up the foot rest and reclining back a bit. Her back was pretty sore from the extra weight of her babies and she desperately wanted to relieve some of the tension it caused. Buffy sighed, her mind still on the fact that—to her—Spike wasn't interested in her body anymore. Spike could sense something was wrong with his girl and looked at her with concern.

"Anything wrong, luv?" Buffy looked at him, her sister's advice still ringing in her mind.

"No" she lied. She knew Faith was right about talking to him, but she didn't know how to approach the subject. Spike looked skeptically at her.

"Don't lie to me" he said, more sternly than he had intended. Buffy looked surprised at him; he never took that tone with her.

"I'm not" she protested and he sighed with frustration, rolling his eyes at the pregnant blonde.

"You don't think I know you better than that?" he told her, his tone laced with annoyance. "Talk to me" he said in a softer voice. This time it was Buffy who sighed with frustration. Spike sat next to the mother of his children, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm just…" Buffy hesitated, avoiding his eyes. He lifted her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his again.

"Talk to me" he told her again, his tone now concerned and loving.

"Fine, you wanna know what's wrong?" she asked, getting agitated. He nodded at her. "My problem is you, and the fact that I don't turn you on anymore." He looked at her, completely dumbfounded and shocked. To him, this had come out of nowhere.

"What?" he asked, having no idea how or why she had come to that very wrong conclusion.

"You haven't wanted me in months" Buffy elaborated. "Every time I try to start fooling around you stop me. You don't even wanna make out with me anymore."

"That's not… I don't not want to" he said.

"Then why haven't we had sex in so long?" Buffy asked. "Why when I try to make out or want to do it you stop me and make excuses?"

"I don't make excuses" he protested. "I told you, I don't wanna hurt—"

"And I told you the doctor said it was perfectly safe to have sex while pregnant" Buffy said, annoyed at this point. She closed the foot rest, working herself up to a standing position and began to walk out of the room. Spike stood up as well, grabbing her arm and turning her back toward him, kissing her hard on the lips. She started to stop him, putting her hands on his chest to push him away, but as his tongue slipped into her mouth, she could no longer protest, sinking against him as his arms wrapped around her waist. He took one of her hands, pulling it down to his crotch, pressing it up against him and she squeezed lightly. A moan came from his throat as he moved from her mouth to her neck and she closed her eyes, digging the nails of her free hand into his shoulder which she gripped for support. He was hard now, as she kept a firm, but gentle grip on his member. As he looked her in the eyes, he smirked at her.

"Feel that, luv?" he whispered to her, pressing her hand more firmly against the bulge in his pants. "How could you think you still don't do that to me?" His eyes were glistened with lust as he smirked at her. She smiled back at him, kissing his lips softly. "You do still turn me on, baby, all the time. I lay in bed some nights wanting you so badly."

"Then why—"

"Because, as stupid as it sounds, I really am afraid something could happen to our babies" he told her. "I know what the doctor said, but… And now, you're so close to delivery… I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to our daughters just because I couldn't control my sexual urges. I love you so much, and I love these babies more than… I can wait, if it means a safe delivery and healthy babies."

"I get it" Buffy said, making him sigh with relief a bit. "But, Spike, I have needs too."

"I know, baby" he told her. "Why don't we go take care of those needs, eh?"

"But you just said—" she began, but was cut off by his lips on hers.

"I said do something about your needs, luv, not mine. There are other ways of handling them, y'know" he hinted with a smirk, taking her hand and leading her to his bedroom.

Buffy sighed a pleasant sigh of relaxation. Spike was right about being able to take care of her needs in another way, and he had done just that – twice. Smiling with satisfaction, Buffy snuggled into Spike as they laid in his bed.

"God, you are so good at that" she told him and he chuckled at her, feeling a huge sense of pride.

"Well, thank you, Goldilocks. I'm glad your satisfied" he said and she smiled, leaning up a bit to look at him.

"More than satisfied" she said, leaning down to kiss his lips softly. "Thank you."

"Anytime, baby" he said. She laid her head back on him, snuggling into him more. Spike wrapped his arms tighter around her, his whole world right there in that bed.

"Mmm, I'm so sleepy" she yawned. He kissed the top of her head and yawned himself.

"Go to sleep, luv" he said. "You have a big day tomorrow."

"We have a big day" she reminded him and he chucked a bit.

"Well, it may be our baby shower, but it's your day, luv" he told her, kissing her head again. "Now, go to sleep."

"Kay" she agreed, yawning again and closed her eyes.

Buffy was awoken by the smell of breakfast cooking the next morning. She smiled to herself as she stretched and then sat up, slowly working herself out of bed. She made her way into the kitchen where Spike stood at the stove. Smiling again, she went over to see what he was making.

"Mornin, luv" he said when he noticed her. "Sleep well?"

"Very well actually" she told him, kissing him on the lips.

"Well, I hope you're hungry" he told her and she chuckled at that, she was always hungry.

"Duh" she said playfully. She looked at the stove; he had bacon and shredded potatoes cooking and was working on an omelet.

"What do you want in your omelet?" he asked her, going over to the counter; she looked at the omelet ingredients he had set out.

"Hmm… just cheese and mushrooms" she told him.

"Okay, why don't you go relax in the living room and I'll bring your breakfast right out" he told her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Okay" she smiled, going into the living room and sitting herself down. After a few minutes, he joined her, carrying two plates of food. After pulling over two tv trays, he set her plate of food in front of her and put his next to her where he intended to sit.

"Something to drink, baby?" he asked.

"Milk, please" she said and he nodded, disappearing back into the kitchen. He returned a minute later with two glasses. He put her glass of milk on her tray and sat down with his glass of orange juice. "This looks amazing, baby. Thank you."

"Don't mention it" he told her as she took a bite of her omelet.

"Oh my god, so good" she said and he smirked at her.

"I think that's what you said last night" he joked and she giggled, hitting him on the arm playfully. "Okay, eat up, I have to get you back to your house so you can get ready for the shower."

After they ate, Spike dropped Buffy off at her place and promised to return right after he got ready himself. Buffy walked in through the front door and hung up her coat, walking into the kitchen where she heard the voices of her mother and sisters.

"Hey" she greeted them.

"Oh, sweetie, there you are" Joyce said.

"How ya feeling, B?" Faith asked.

"I'm good, whatcha guys doin?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I started the food an hour ago and we're just getting the decorations ready to hang up" Joyce said.

"How long have you been up?" Buffy wondered.

"Oh, since 5:30, I think" Joyce told her.

"Why so early?" Buffy asked, going over to the island where her mother and sisters were putting together party favors.

"I wanted to give myself enough time to get all the food done and make sure everything was perfect for today" Joyce told her daughter. "It's my baby girl's baby shower, it has to go without a glitch."

"I'm sure it'll be great, mom" Buffy assured her. "What can I do?"

"Nothing" Joyce and Faith said in unison and Buffy sighed.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?"

"Honey, this is your day. All I want you to do is get yourself ready and then relax until it's party time" Joyce said.

"Yeah, we don't want you to worry about a thing" Dawn added.

"Just go take a nice, hot shower and get dressed. I'll do your hair and makeup if you want" Faith offered and Buffy smiled at her family.

"Okay, thanks, you guys" Buffy told them and they all smiled at her.

Buffy went upstairs and took a hot shower, like Faith had suggested. After she was done, she went into her and Faith's room to decide on what she was going to wear. The shower was going to be there, at her house, and she hoped everyone would fit comfortably, fearing they had invited too many people. She wasn't even sure how many people were going to show up, as not everyone RSVP'd. After flipping through the clothes in her closet for a while, she finally decided on a pair of brown jeans and a yellow top that was fitted around the top of her ribcage and flowed out slightly on the bottom; it showed off her pregnancy belly quite well and looked adorable on her. After getting dressed and putting on a pair of brown boots, she went back downstairs to get Faith so she could do her hair and makeup like she had promised.

"Okay, how do I look?" Buffy asked her mother and sisters; they were busy putting up decorations now.

"You look perfect" Joyce told her.

"Not yet" Buffy said. "Fai, will you come do my makeup and hair now?"

"Sure thing, sis" Faith said.

"Can I help?" Dawn asked as Faith and Buffy headed back upstairs.

"Uh, why don't you stay down here and help mom, Dawnie. I'm sure she needs you" Faith told her baby sister and looked to her mother for help.

"I really do need your help, Dawnie" Joyce told her youngest. "Can you please stay down here and help me hang these streamers?"

"Okay" Dawn sighed and Faith ushered Buffy back upstairs to complete her look for today.

An hour later, Buffy's hair and makeup was done and she was ready. Faith got dressed herself and then joined everyone back downstairs. Buffy was seated in the living room, having been shooed out of the kitchen and told to go relax and wait for people to arrive. Starting to get bored, she was happy when Spike arrived.

"Hey, baby, in here" she called to her boyfriend as he shut the front door. He smiled, walking into the living room to greet her.

"Hey, beautiful" he greeted her, helping her up from the chair to kiss her. He then looked her up and down. "You look amazing."

"So do you" Buffy smiled, looking at what Spike was wearing. She was surprised to see him in something other than black. He had on a dark gray pair of dress pants and a blue collared shirt, which brought out his eyes a lot.

"Thanks, don't get used to this look though" he told her and she rolled her eyes playfully at him.

Finally, everyone had arrived and the party had started. They decided—or rather Buffy did—that the first thing they wanted to do was open presents. As Buffy sat in the oversized chair, Spike seated on the arm, Buffy opened up each present, Dawn's job being to write down what her sister got and who it came from so "thank you" cards could be sent out later.

"Okay, this one's from Willow" Joyce said as she handed the gift bag to her daughter. Buffy looked at Willow and smiled, opening the gift bag to find two cute little fleece sleepers, one which was hot pink and had orange and green polka dots on it and the other was green and had pink and orange polka dots. The feet of the sleeper looked like little shoes.

"Oh my god, these are so freakin cute!" Buffy exclaimed, examining the outfits further.

"There's more" Willow smiled. Buffy handed the outfits to Spike and dug deeper into the bag, pulling out a gift card. She noticed it was to a spa. "Something for babies, something for mama."

"Aww, Will" Buffy said with a smile. "Thank you. Come hug me so I don't have to get up." Willow smiled, going over and hugging her friend.

"You're welcome."

"Okay, this one's from... oh, there's no name on—" Joyce began to say, looking for a card or a note that had the giver's name's on it.

"Uh, that's from me, Joyce" Spike told her, getting up and taking it from her and going back over to Buffy. "I was gonna give this to you in private, but, thought you'd like to open it at your party in front of your family and friends." Spike handed Buffy a small box that was wrapped in pink, shiny paper. Buffy smiled at him, taking the box from his hand and opening it. She gasped as she saw what was inside; it was a ring that had four birthstones on it, a garnet one, two aquamarine ones and a sapphire one; the band was in white gold and had little diamonds in between the birthstones. Buffy's eyes filled with tears as Spike took the ring out of the box and put it on her right ring finger.

"Oh my god" she breathed, touching the stones of the ring.

"This isn't a proposal" Spike began. "I mean, I love you more than anything, but, I'm not the type of propose in cliché ways. However, we are a family, or at least we're going to be soon. I want you to know that I'll always be here, no matter what. I love you—so much—and I love these babies with all my heart. You can look at this ring and it'll remind you of how we're all connected now—forever."

"Aww, baby" Buffy said through happy tears. She leaned over and kissed his lips softly. Once the kiss was broken, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Do you like it, pet?"

"I love it" she said, looking at the ring again and then back at him. "And I love you, more than I thought it was possible to love anyone." He smiled at that and kissed her again, kissing her forehead right after.

"Let me see" Dawn chimed in after a couple beats of loving silence between the soon-to-be parents. Buffy lifted her hand to show everyone the beautiful ring. "Can I try it on?"

"Absolutely not" Buffy told her and received a pout from the thirteen-year-old.

"It really is a beautiful ring" Joyce smiled at her daughter and Spike.

"Yeah, good job, Spike" Faith added and Spike smiled proudly.

The party ended around 7:30pm and everyone eventually went home; Spike was the only one left there with the Summers women.

"So, did you enjoy your party?" Joyce asked her daughter after everyone had settled in the living room.

"Yeah, it was perfect" Buffy told her. "But, I'm sleepy now." Buffy yawned and stretched.

"Why don't we get you to bed, luv?" Spike said, helping her up from the couch.

"Okay, night, guys" Buffy said to her mother and sisters as Spike took her hand and led her to the stairs.

"Goodnight, sweetheart, sleep well" Joyce said.

"Night, Buffy" Dawn said.

"I'll be up later, B" Faith told her and Buffy nodded.

Spike helped Buffy upstairs and once Buffy had changed into more comfortable sleeping clothes, he helped her into bed and tucked her in.

"Sleep tight, luv" he said, kissing her on her forehead and turned to leave the room.

"Wait" Buffy called back and he turned back to face her again. "Stay with me?"

"Uh… you sure your mom wouldn't mind that, pet?"

"We're just gonna be sleeping, Spike" Buffy smiled at him. "And besides, how do you think my mom thinks I got pregnant? By not ever sleeping in the same bed as you?" Spike chuckled at her, going back over to her bed, taking off his shoes and climbing in bed with her, crawling up to lay behind her on the pillows. She turned over, laying her head on his chest and snuggling into him. "I love you" she yawned and he smiled, kissing her forehead again.

"I love you too, baby. Now get some rest" Spike told her and she didn't protest. It was only a few minutes before Buffy was sound asleep. Spike laid there for a while, stroking her hair and breathing in her scent. He smiled to himself. He couldn't have been happier at that moment. He had everything he could ask for; he just couldn't wait until his babies were born; then his life would be complete with his three girls.