Author Note: For anyone who's unclear about the timeline – In this chapter we're up to June 2005, meaning it's approximately one year since Spike became human and he and Buffy reunited, four months since they got married (February 14th), and the Slayer's almost five months along in her pregnancy (having conceived around the end of January). She's due at the end of October.

Wedding Cake

Buffy didn't know how her sister had talked her into it, but her day was about to become one of those crazy celebrations that only Dawn Summers knew how to throw. Somehow the Slayer instinctively knew they'd been cleaning the mess up for weeks, and that was before she came downstairs to see a massive banner stretched across the family room declaring 'Happy House Warming!' with a sign tacked on the bottom adding, 'And happy baby shower/one year anniversary of being together and both being alive/human. And belated celebration of the marriage you never invited anyone to!'

"That girl has a future in event planning," joked Spike, who had come down the stairs after his mate.

"For very specific events," Buffy agreed, "Where is she, anyway?"

"Gone to get party hats, I think."

The Slayer groaned. "I am so not wearing a hat."

"Hey, if I'm forced to wear one I'm gonna make sure you are, too."

There was a second groan, then Buffy asked if they could run away and escape the festivities entirely.

"If you want a stroppy sister on yer hands 'til Christmas, yeah," Spike answered her, "But at least you can feign exhaustion and slip upstairs after a bit. Don' think the rest of us are getting out of anything that easily."

"At this point the exhaustion won't need to be feigned."

The ex-vampire lost his mirth then. "Still ain't got over the jet lag?"

"Still haven't got over you putting a baby in me!"

"Oh, I…" he began, "I'm not sorry about doing that."

Buffy's face finally broke out into a smile, and she pulled him towards her. "Don't want you to be sorry about it, dummy."

"Good job, pet," he said, brushing a kiss across her temple, "'Cause I don't think that'll ever happen."

"I like the having your baby part of the picture," Buffy said, "Just sometimes carrying it around is a lot of work."

"Well, if I could carry it for you… Nope. I wouldn't do that; would look totally ridiculous."

That gave her a laugh. "Thank you for the mental picture."

"What mental picture?" asked Dawn, who bounced through the front door mid-conversation with Xander at her heels.

"Spike being with child," Buffy answered, still finding it hilarious.

Xander almost fell over himself – and the fourteen bags of party stuff Dawn had got him to carry.

"That was a private joke," Spike reprimanded her, halfheartedly.

"Yeah, not sorry," she teased, biting her lip.

"Can make you sorry," Spike drawled, pulling her into a heated kiss.

"Nope. No!" Dawn squeezed between them, splitting apart the embrace, and handing the ex-vampire a bag of balloons, "We don't have time. You gotta blow those up."

Buffy groaned at the interruption, then admitted it was probably for the best – a comment that neither Dawn or Xander understood. Taking the focus off it Spike told the girl she was lucky he was able to breathe in order to fulfill her task.

"Uh huh, whatever," she said. "One hour until guests!"

Much to Spike's pleasant surprise, the first guest to arrive at his home that evening was Clem.

"Great to see you, old pal!" said the demon, reaching for the ex-vampire's hand, then changing his mind and swiping it away in favor of giving him a hug instead – almost crushing the box he'd been carrying in between them in the process. The box that was now making a noise and shaking as it was passed over with the announcement of, "Hey, I got you a gift."

Holding the box at arm's length – knowing exactly what was inside, and what it was intended for – Spike showed the loose-skinned demon into the family room where he was greeted by the Slayer.

Throwing a sideways glance at his wife, Spike silently infused her with information in a way he still did not fully understand. Then he caught her brief cringe before she called out to her sister saying, "Clem brought you a present!"

"Dawn eats kittens now?" the demon questioned, then added a thumbs up of approval.

"No," Buffy corrected him, "Kittens are pets in this household, not snacks."

"What about kittens?" Dawn asked, as she approached, before picking up the box to inspect it, and screeching at the contents.

"Oh my god, Clem! I love you!"

Spike sighed and Buffy muttered, "We're so gonna regret that."

Later, in the other room, while munching his way through several bags of popcorn, Clem asked Spike if he was looking for work.

"I could hook you up with a place at my auto yard," he said.

"You have an auto yard?" Spike asked.

"Sure do. Clients are mostly demon, but it's good pay."

The ex-vampire nodded, considering it, before saying, "I'll talk it over with Buffy."

And at that the demon gave him an odd look.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just… You're a real couple now. That's nice. It's good."

The ex-vampire gifted his old friend with a smile – knowing exactly what he was getting at, and not being sure how else to respond. "Well," he said, finally, "Good to see you. Gotta mingle now, I guess." At the word mingle he pulled a face, but didn't comment on how uncomfortable he felt, not only having so many people in his home when all he wanted to do was be alone with his mate, but that he had to obey the ridiculous laws of etiquette like he were sixteen again, and pretend he liked everyone in his space.

"Sure, man," said Clem, who also rising to his feet, "Let me know about that job."

Spike gave him a nod, then turned in the direction of beer. There really were a lot of people by that point. People he hadn't noticed enter. People he hadn't seen in years. People he didn't know had survived the battle at the hellmouth, and people he just simply didn't know. 'Gatecrashers, probably,' he thought, as he saw Willow make her way towards him, while holding the hand of one such person he hadn't met.

"This must be the new bird," he greeted, and the bird in question blushed before looking at the floor.

He'd put his foot in it already, based on the glare Red was giving him, and yet he thought no better course of action but to carry on.

"Nice to see you picked another shy one," he said to Willow, "You weren't paired well with the loudmouth."

"Shut up," the Witch told him, with some force, "This is Sharon. She's English."

"Wonderful," he commented. "Good to see so many of the white hats shacking up with us lot from the home country."

It was the last comment he made, before Dawn sent him to his room. That, he did not complain about, for Buffy was already there – fast asleep.

Undressing, he slipped in behind her and held her close.

To be continued...