Previously: Spike and Buffy returned home with their baby – a boy, who they named Jay – and Giles thought it the best time to let them in on his findings about the child.

Destiny Free

"I've been cross-referencing texts," the watcher began. "Ever since I found out little, um… Jay, was on the way and…" – he took a deep breath – "And I can't find a single hint of a reference to him."

"Meaning?" Buffy asked, refusing to let herself hope.

"Meaning that he's a perfectly normal child, at least in terms of the supernatural."

"Oh, thank god!" the Slayer exclaimed, as Spike released a slow sigh of relief.

"You're sure?"

"As sure as I can be."

"But," Dawn interjected, "Not to be negative or anything, but lack of evidence about a thing doesn't mean that thing doesn't exist, or isn't there. It just proves that there's no evidence – yet."

Spike's face fell, and Buffy's face scrunched up in confusion, but Giles looked proud.

"While I admire your application of logic and sound reasoning to the matter, I must assure you that I was very thorough in my checks. I even employed the use of Willow to cast a spell, making sure I hadn't missed any texts."

"And you didn't just check for prophecies relating to a female baby, right?" Xander asked.

"I'm not an imbecile," Giles told him, in a sharp retort. "There was nothing to indicate which gender the child would be, and my research skills are of the highest quality."

"Nothing to indicate it besides these two and their instinct," Dawn snickered.

"Quiet you," Buffy told her, good-naturedly, before submitting her watcher to a fresh round of questioning. "This is really real? No shocks. No surprises. Honest to God really real?'

"If I'm wrong I will snog your husband," he stated.

"Steady on, Rupert," Spike exclaimed, as everyone else looked away in embarrassment.

"Have I made my point?"

"Yes, yes," Buffy insisted. "Point very much made. And if you ever say anything like that I'll make you kiss him."

"Snog means kiss, right?" she quickly clarified with Spike.

He nodded, and she relaxed.

There was silence for a moment, and then the room erupted with awkward laughter that woke the baby.

"Damn it," Spike said under his breath. "Right, folks, shows over. I'm putting mother and child to bed."

"But I don't want to go to bed," Buffy told him, with a pout.

He gave her a significant look, and she blushed. "Oh, wait, nevermind. Bye guys!"

Buffy was stood beside Jay's crib, gazing down at him, when Spike returned with a glass of champagne for her.

"Can have just the one," he said. "Shouldn't affect the milk."

The Slayer smiled, "Let me guess, you looked it up."

"A'course," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm so lucky. Do you feel lucky?"

"Luckiest man alive."

"Mmm," Buffy leaned back against his chest, and his hardness. "Never thought I'd have this."

"Never thought I'd have you," said Spike.

She turned to face him, then. Gave him a deep, lingering kiss.

"Will me shaggin' you senseless wake him, d'ya think?"

"Nope," Buffy answered with such certainty it made Spike quirk his eyebrow in question. "I got Willow to do a kind of sound proofing spell. It's not on us, or him, but the room. We can hear him. And he can hear our voices, but only if we're talking directly to him, in here. Any, um… groan-y noises are shielded from his cute little baby ears."

"Remind me to thank that girl," said Spike, smiling.

"Later," said Buffy, gently tugging him to the bed.

To be continued...