Fallout (Part 2)

Buffy was sleeping off the alcohol in her and Spike's bedroom. The Scooby gang were back on the books, Willow was trying and re-trying different kinds of locator spells, Angel finally arrived and was busy pacing the floor.

Spike was wondering what the point of his grandsire's presence was exactly, but he couldn't find it in him to snark at the older vamp's lack of help; he was beyond stress, and was considering joining him in his trek back and forth across the living room floor when Giles pulled him aside into the kitchen.

"You've got something?"

"I thought I had," Giles confirmed.

"Thought? What bloody good does that do us?!"

"Spike, listen, please. When I said I couldn't find any relevant prophecies to our situation, that wasn't quite true. Or, well, it was, actually, but I thought it wasn't."

"Bleedin' hell."

"I know," the watcher soothed, "Bear with me. There's a passage, let me read it. It's in Latin, so I'm afraid it's a paraphrase, 'The warrior goddess – that is, woman with human body but more than human strength – golden hair, and great beauty, but lacking a soul will be with child and it will come to term despite all odds'."

"Right, yes, go on," Spike urged.

"Well, at first I thought it was about Buffy," Giles continued, until Spike cut him off again.

"Obviously it's about Buffy, who else would it be?"

"Darla," he replied, simply.

The color drained from the ex-vampire's face, then. "You're saying Angel's been through this little scene before? He knows somethin'? That's why he's here?"

Giles wasn't sure how to answer his questions, for he didn't really understand it himself, beyond the fact that his cross-referenced texts identified the warrior goddess as a vampire, impregnated by another vampire – one with a soul. The blonde didn't wait around for an explanation, anyway. Almost as soon as he voiced his questions he left the kitchen, stalked up to his grandsire and punched him square in the jaw.

"What the hell, Spike?"

"What do you know? You sod!"

"What?" Angel held up his hands defensively, "Spike, I don't know anything."

"Bollocks. Yer bird's been here. What happened then?"

The vampire's face fell, as he looked around at the faces staring back at him, waiting for answers.

"Darla's pregnancy has nothing to do with this," he said, finally.

"We can't know that for sure," Giles interjected, "There could be all kinds of things we could learn, if only we had the details."

"No," Angel shook his head, "Really, it wasn't like this at all. We were both vamps, and you and Buffy-" he was looking at Spike again, "You're human, right? Just stronger than normal. You both have souls. Darla didn't. She didn't lose one, because she didn't have it to lose. If anything, she gained one – kinda."

"What do you mean, kinda?" asked Xander, "And why is this the first time any of us have heard about this?"

"I… I can explain that. But not now. Really, you have to believe me, it's not related to this. It's only gonna waste time. Darla felt the soul of our son – Connor – it affected her. Made her as if she was souled, for a bit. It's why she did the right thing, and sacrificed herself so he could be born."

"Damn it," Spike kicked a box halfway across the room. "I'm sick of bloody dead ends. Been over a day and we're no soddin' closer to knowing anything."

"Spike," Buffy called out, from the doorway. No one had noticed her enter, but instantly all eyes were on her.

"What is it, baby?" said Spike, moving to her side and wrapping her arms in his own.

"I could feel your anger," she said.

"I'm sorry, pet. I'll calm. It's gonna be okay. You go back to bed."

She shook her head. "I've been in there too long. It's making me restless."

"Okay," said Spike, because there was no way he was gonna disagree with her and force her into sedation again, but he didn't know what else to do with her instead.

There was silence, for a bit, as no one else knew what to do, either, then finally the Slayer spoke again.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asked her mate. "I just want to get out the house."

"Sure, pet," he agreed, grabbing their coats.

Research recommenced in the couple's absence, and Angel decided he wasn't helping, so he left again. Later that night Dawn joined everyone else for a pizza break, and Xander approached her.

"Look, Dawn, I know this is a bad time," he began. And the girl answered with an outright "No" before he even finished the sentence, knowing exactly what he wanted her to do.

"But, Dawnie," he pleaded.

"No." she said again. "Don't take that tone with me. I'm not gonna change my mind. What you did to Caitlin was wrong, and I do hope you sort it out, but it is yours to sort out. I'm not gonna talk to her. It's time for you to deal with your own messes."

"Right," he hung his head, sighed, then opened another book.

To be continued...