A/N: Thank you to everyone reading this story and especially to Geliot99 for all of your support!

Buffy and Spike sat in the living room together on the couch watching Dawn expectantly. She was still staring at the ultrasound picture in her hand that Buffy framed for her. After the events of what Buffy was now calling "Wacky Wednesday", they had decided to wait until Buffy got home from work on Friday to tell Dawn the news.

Dawn blinked down at the picture in its pretty little white frame and back up at them, "This isn't some kind of a joke is it?"

"Right because our lives are so boring that I have to make stuff up," Buffy replied.

They had been careful not to tell Dawn the exact details for fear that she wouldn't react well to the thought of the conception taking place while Dawn was being held prisoner.

Well not the actual conception…

The guilt of that still gnawed at Buffy's chest and she didn't think Dawn would understand.

Dawn nodded, "Wow… this is— this is big news," she blinked a few more times, "I'm really going to be an aunt?"

"In about 7 months or so," Buffy glanced nervously at Spike. Dawn's lack of drama was starting to put her on edge.

"Wow— so does that mean you two are like… together?"

Spike squeezed Buffy's hand, and she looked at him again, "We're ehh- yeah, I guess you can say we are," Buffy said.

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?! Like an actual real couple? Like—"

Buffy sighed, "Yes, Dawn. We're— giving it a try."

Something fluttered frantically inside of Spike's chest.

She said yes? Buffy actually agreed? Bloody hell, Anya bluntly asking if we've been shagging is a far cry from actually telling her little sis we're a couple… don't screw it up—

Spike pulled her a little closer to him, "That's right."

Dawn gently set the picture frame to the side, handling it as though the picture itself might break.

She proceeded to fling herself onto Buffy and Spike with an excited squeal, "Oh my God guys! This is the best news ever! Eeek! I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! I'm so excited! Why didn't you tell me before? How long has this been going on? When did you find out?" The questions spilled from her in a torrent that neither of them could keep up with.

With one last squeeze, Dawn stood up grinning widely, "I'm going to go call Janice! I'm going to be an aunt!!" She squealed and ran upstairs to her room.

"Hummm… that went well, right?" Spike asked, still a little stunned.

"Ehh, yeah— understatement. How long do you think it will take her to start planning our wedding?"

"Imagine she's probably already on it, luv," Spike said as he rose from his seat on the couch and went over to the foot of the stairs looking up. He turned back to Buffy with a grin, "You know, technically, we're still engaged."

She gaped at him, "Excuse me?"

He walked back over to her resting his elbows on the back of the chair, "Never did officially call it off. Traditionally speaking, you and I are still betrothed."

Buffy glared at him as she arched her back, feeling it pop, "I'm willing to call you my boyfriend. Don't push it, mister."

He grinned, "I'll take whatever I can get, Goldilocks," he stood up looking at the setting sun outside, "I'd better shove off. I got some things I got to take care of before my shift starts tonight. Still meeting up with me after closing?"

"Planning on it."

Spike looked around the alley behind the arcade. The blood trail was a few days old but it was fresh enough for him to follow. He traced the path down the next street behind the laundromat, heading towards the Magic Box. The trail eventually led him back to another alleyway that had several dumpsters used by local businesses two streets over from the Magic Box.

He inhaled a deep breath. The coppery tang of blood mixed oddly with the scent of ozone and something putrid he couldn't quite place. Which was really saying something.

What the hell is that?

The blood trail grew larger, smeared by what he guessed was a leg being pulled along as he followed the noxious smell to the end of the alley. Despite the smell, a grin formed on his face at the sight in front of him. A puddle of blood and a pile of clear gelatinous goo seeping into the dirt. A beautiful sight indeed.

Spike turned on his heel and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it as he made his way back out to the street. Whistling an old tune on the exhale.

At least it had been worth the headache the other night at the bloody arcade. He thought as he headed towards the Bronze.

Monday morning Buffy sat at her desk getting ready for the day when Ruth came into the room. She placed a small stack of documents into her in-box, "How is it going?" She asked.

"Fine, I think I'm starting to get into the swing of things."

"Linda and I think so too, that's why she has decided to take the day off. Think you're ready?"

Buffy looked over her desk and nodded, "Yeah, I think I got this."

"And I see you're starting to add some personal touches too," she said, gesturing to the picture frame Buffy had just brought in that morning. Ruth came around the desk to see the picture, just as Buffy knew she would. Ruth's eyebrows went up and she turned to Buffy thoughtfully. "Interesting way of breaking the news to me."

Buffy suddenly thought maybe this hadn't been the best way to tell Ruth she was pregnant and a wave of anxiety rushed through her, "We were waiting until we told my sister… You're not mad are you?"

"Of course not. It does mean I'll have to get someone from the temp agency when you're out on maternity leave, but that's my problem not yours," she leaned in looking at the ultrasound photo a little more closely, "if I'm looking at this right I'd say I still have quite some time to get that figured out before you have your hands full."

"Yeah, they're not due until June."

"Plenty of time," she said with a smile.

"I'll admit, I was a little nervous about telling you about them."

Ruth sighed and sat on the edge of the desk, "Well, what can I say, I'm a firm believer in supporting women in the workplace. Look, I had an amazing mother-in-law that took over for me at work when I had my babies and I never had to worry about losing my job because my husband is part owner. My mother stayed with them after I came back to work each time. I was damn lucky, not everyone has what I had. But they should."

Buffy stood up and wrapped her arms around Ruth, "Thank you! I was so worried."

"You have enough to worry about," she said simply but not unkindly as she hugged her with a little pat on her back. Buffy sat back down with an apologetic smile on her face that Ruth waved off, "Soo… tell me about your guy. You never mentioned him before. How is he handling all this?"

"Oh ahh yeah, he's been surprisingly great about everything. Keeps me stocked up on tea and yogurt."

"It's not the English guy that came to get the application is it?"

Buffy took a tentative sip of her tea, "Yeah, it is actually."

"Good looking boy. Between the two of you, those are bound to be some gorgeous looking babies."

Buffy laughed, "Don't let him hear you say that, I'll never get him to shut up."

Tara shifted her gaze to her girlfriend, they had been hitting the books hard. Willow's cold had cleared up significantly but she was still a little stuffed up. Even so, she kept insisting they were right on the edge of a major breakthrough on Spike's request and had been doing calculations for the past two days.

"I'm still missing something—" Willow groaned.

Tara laid her hand on Willow's shoulder, "It's alright sweetie, we'll get it figured out."

Willow scrunched her face in a little pout, "Huhh?"

"Ears still bothering you?"

"Oh ahh yeah, just a little clogged still," she sighed, "but what did you say before that?"

"I just said that we're going to get it figured out."

Willow nodded solemnly, "It's just— Heaven— We— I- I pulled her out of Heaven. Tara, it's just… if I can get Spike's soul back for him without a curse then maybe it will sort of make up for it."

Giles looked up from the notebook he was writing in at the counter, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Willow looked up with wide eyes and squeaked, "Nothing! It's just totally hypothetical—"

He looked at her skeptically, "You have never been a very good liar," Giles said as he walked around behind Willow looking at the notes she had been writing and the book in front of her, "Am I to understand that Spike has asked you to help him retrieve his soul?"

Tara gave an almost painful smile.

Willow gaped, "You heard that huhh?"

"You weren't nearly as quiet as you thought you were." Giles admitted.

"I'm still a little stuffy," she sniffed a little.

Tara nodded and patted Willow's hand, "But it's okay, it's just Giles. Maybe he can help."

Giles hummed in acknowledgement and sat down with them, "I can certainly try. What I don't understand is why you feel the need to keep it a secret."

Tara shifted closer, dropping her voice as Xander and Anya walked in talking animatedly. "Spike doesn't want Buffy to know about it until it's done."

"Good Lord, but why? I should think that his wanting to even consider such a thing would be something she would want to know about. Particularly after everything she has been through already. He must realize that," Giles whispered.

Willow wiggled her ear with the knuckle of her pointer finger, as though she had water stuck in it and sighed, "That's what I told him. But he's convinced that the only way Buffy will ever really love him or see him as a good daddy is if he gets his soul."

"Does he really?" He replied, adjusting his glasses.

"Spike wants a soul?" Xander asked, sitting down at the table as the color completely drained out of Willow's face. "Pinocchio the Bloody wants to become a real boy, huh? I guess that explains why you have been reading all the heavy books cover to cover."

"Damn it!" Willow flopped over with her face planted in the book in front of her, mumbling unintelligibly.

"What's that, baby?" Tara asked soothingly.

Willow rolled her head, not lifting her face from the book, "I really suck at this secret-y stuff."

Tara frowned, "You're really not great with the covert today. But look at the bright side, at least it's just the gang."

Xander pulled out a bag of M 's, popping a few into his mouth, "Why's it a secret?"

Willow rolled her face back into the book with a loud exasperated groan, "I give up. Tara, you tell them."

Buffy collapsed onto the couch after work with a yogurt licking the spoon with a happy little moan. Spike leaned against the doorway watching her. "Make a fella wish he was a spoon, Slayer."

She eyed him lustily as she cleaned the spoon off, "You're too late, I'm almost done and it's my last cup."

"I'll buy you more. Keep it stocked in my crypt too," he winked.

Buffy's insides fluttered. I could totally eat some yogurt at his place… Down girl!

"What are you doing here?" She asked, clearing her throat.

"Bit has a history test coming up, told her I'd help her study, remember?"

With a nod, Buffy took another spoonful of her yogurt and hummed, "I do now. Do you think she'll pass, professor?"

Spike raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Professor, huh? Dunno bout that." He shifted his body towards her a little, "Bit might need a few more study sessions, she's still getting a bit mixed up on dates."

Buffy scraped out the last of her yogurt and set the empty container down on the coffee table, "Yeah well, when her tutor keeps throwing in random gory stories that aren't in the history books, you can kinda see why."

"Rot, my stories help her put things in context," he said walking over to sit with her on the couch.

"Well if you're supposed to be helping with history, what are you doing down here?" She asked, shifting herself back into the cushions.

"We've finished D-Day, I think she's moved on to her math homework. Got her headphones jacked up to full volume." He smirked, leaning into her.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "What about Willow?"

"Nibblet says the witches called from the Magic Box just before I got here, they're planning on making a night of it."

"Huh, surprised Will didn't call me at work. Any idea what they're working on? We don't have a new big bad on the books do we?"

"Don't think so," he leaned into her a little more, lifting her skirt and running his hand up her leg, "in fact, fairly certain the only big bad you have to worry about is the one in front of you," he murmured as he nipped at her earlobe, catching her earrings gently in his teeth.

The air stilled in her throat, "You don't say?"

He pushed his hand up a little further rubbing his thumb against her panties. "I do. What are you going to do about it?"

She turned her head catching his lips in a kiss and she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck pulling him towards her.

"Get a room, you two!" Dawn's voice came from the top of the stairs, followed by the clomping of teenage feet.

Spike slid his hand from under Buffy's skirt, "Not a bad idea," he whispered.

Dawn came down the stairs swinging herself around the newel post as she hopped down. "How is any of this fair? I'm the teenager, shouldn't I be the one getting caught necking on the sofa?"

"I guess grounding you for a month had no effect!" Buffy retorted as she pulled away from Spike and stood up, "Did you need something Dawnie?" She asked coolly, pulling her skirt down.

Dawn eyed her sister wearily, "I just came down for a soda and I wanted to ask if we could get Chinese for dinner since Tara and Willow won't be home until late."

Buffy hesitated, chancing a glance at Spike. Not having to cook could definitely give us some free time… "Sure, we can. Are you sticking with your regular order?"

"Can we get dumplings too?"

"Only if you order an extra container of veggies."

Dawn shook her head in surprise, "You're letting me order?"

Buffy relaxed her body a little, "Sure, why not, I'll have the orange chicken."

Dawn smiled importantly, turning to Spike, "What about you?"

Spike shrugged his shoulders, "Not picky, so long as it's got a good kick."

"Spike-surprise, got it!" Beamed Dawn, grinning as she went to get the menu from its place in the kitchen.

"No bloody tofu this time! You hear me, Bit!" He called after her, in a softer tone he said to Buffy, "Girl's got a twisted sense of humor."

Buffy turned to Spike with a grin, "We probably have at least a half hour."

"Best not tease unless you're planning on using me shamelessly, Slayer," he smirked.

"You have exactly as long as it takes for the food to get here."

He shot up from the couch, pulling her against him, "Challenge accepted."

They headed straight for the stairs, not bothering to be quiet as they went.

"I'm not a little kid, I know you're going to do gross stuff up there!" Dawn yelled from the kitchen as the two of them ran up the stairs to Buffy's room.

"Great…" Buffy griped as she locked her door behind them.

Spike had already stripped out of his shirt and was starting on his belt buckle when Buffy pulled him into a kiss. He stepped out of his jeans as she pushed him down on the bed. Stripping out of her work clothes quickly, Buffy laid herself down on top of him.

"I've been thinking about you all day," she said, reaching a hand between them to stroke his cock.

"And what were you thinking, Goldi—" He gasped as she positioned herself over him, letting her body consume him with a moan.

"Something like that."

"I'm at your mercy, beautiful," he said, closing his eyes. Gripping her hips and moving his thumb around to work her clit as she started to move atop him.

Buffy held onto his shoulders firmly for leverage and Spike let out another little groan as she squeezed his cock, "Oh god, yes. My sweet Slayer." He moved his left hand from her hip skimming her body until he could grip the back of her head pulling her down for a long tender kiss. "God I love you." He breathed against her skin as he flipped them on the bed.

Buffy let out a little squeal of delight as he slowly pushed his hips into her. "Spike, oh god, I— oh Spike…" he was being excruciatingly gentle with her. Pulling out almost completely before pushing all the way back in slowly.

He pushed back just a little to watch himself pumping into her. "God, Slayer, you're a bloody goddess," he breathed against her breast before taking one in his mouth.

Buffy bit back a scream as he continued to thrust into her. There was something about the need to keep quiet that was heightening the whole situation. She planted her heels on the mattress, pushing her hips against him into a bridge pose. Spike moved with her, rocking back onto his knees between her legs. He gripped her thighs providing support and continued to rock into her smoothly.

The new angle gave him a better point of view to watch as his cock disappeared into her gloriously wet heat.

"God Spike, that feels so— ohh god—"

"Shhhh, gorgeous, can hear the Nibblet down the hall," he said without breaking stride. He kept driving into her at a steady pace watching her back arch and her breasts heave. She wasn't like any woman he had ever been with. She was responsive in a way Drusilla had never been. Even when she was lucid and not just floating like a leaf on a sea of bliss. No, Buffy was breath and life. Just like the first night they had been together and it made him love her all the more.

Still stabilizing her hips with his left hand, he moved his right hand up her form. Leaning forward to roll the tip of one breast between his fingers.

Buffy bit her lip, holding back a cry as her inner walls clamped down on him, drawing him in as the wave crashed over her. She dropped her hips and Spike followed her down gliding into her as far as the angle allowed and kissed her neck.

She sighed as he continued to pump into her, building her up again immediately and edging towards his own release. She pulled him down, gripping his shoulders and licked a line up his neck to his ear. Buffy rolled them over onto their sides with her top leg wrapped around his back. Tilting her hip downward.

The effect was almost immediate. Spike hit the over sensitive spot deep within her core and sparks ignited. She bit down on his shoulder tipping him over the edge. Spike continued to pump into her languidly as he spilled into her.

Her walls suddenly clamped down on him making it impossible to move and he laid wrapped up in her. Nipping and kissing at every inch of exposed flesh as though he could never get enough of her."I love you, I love you, I love you— God Buffy—" he gasped as his body gave another little shudder.

Her lips found his and she gasped his name, "I— ohh Spike I—"

"Please, don't," he cupped her jaw in one hand, his eyes burning into her, "not unless you really mean it. I love you so much, I'd rather not hear it from you at all if it's not true. I need this to be real, Buffy."

Buffy met his gaze, still tangled together, bodies joined, "I don't know what this is yet, but whatever it is it's real. I don't take promises lightly either, but I promise, this thing between us, it's real. I need you. WE need you."

Spike pressed his lips to hers with a moan. Need, want, love and lust— close bedfellows indeed… I'll take it. I'll take 'close' until I can get the real thing…

A moment later Spike's ears perked up as he heard the sound of a car pulling up outside the house. "Food's here, pet," he said, pushing himself up and grabbing his pants.

Buffy rolled onto her side watching him dress for a few seconds before she grabbed a pair of old jeans and a sweatshirt, pulling them on just as the doorbell rang.

Xander popped another handful of M 's into his mouth as he leaned over Giles's shoulder, "Yeah I'm totally lost on this one."

Giles gave an exasperated sigh, "Xander, you're being more than useless. Find something of value to do, would you?"

Xander looked mildly hurt, "Hey! You know what, if this group project involved PowerPoint you would be eating your words! No one does gradient color fonts better than me!"

Willow shot him an annoyed look.

"Except for Willow, of course." Xander shrank back a little then turned towards Giles, "Ya know, I get why Willow is all gun-ho about this soul thing but why are you?"

Giles removed his glasses, leaning back to look at him, "I should think that would be rather obvious. We all know what Spike is capable of. I believe his assumption that Buffy will continue to resist him so long as he is without a soul is correct. The fact that this entire endeavor is based on his desire to do the right thing for Buffy and their new family is evidence that he has genuinely changed. I can't imagine how that's even possible unless somehow he actually loves her."

"I think I'm following you here."Xander said, inclining his head.

"We've always operated under the assumption that one can't love without a soul. That the demon expels all humanity along with the soul. It would seem Spike has proven that wrong. However I also believe it is the best course of action to take before his seemingly unending patience finally gives out. I would hate to see what would happen if he were to give into his darker urges, which surely must still be present."

Xander shrugged and popped a few more candies into his mouth, "Whatever, I'm just glad we don't have to worry about him going all apocalyptic on us just because he gets his happy on."

Willow shook her head, "Giles, can you take a look at this?" She asked tentatively. He leaned over to look up at the page she was asking about. "If I'm looking at this right, I think I might have figured out the variable we're missing. Think we need a specific location."

Giles nodded, pulling off his spare glasses, "I believe you are correct."

Tara sat back in her chair, "Oh please don't tell me we have to go to Africa or something…"

Giles pressed his lips together, "Nothing quite so drastic. I believe I may have a solution. There's a place in the desert not terribly far from here that I think might suffice."

"The place you took Buffy on her spirit journey?" Willow asked.

"The very same. You'll have to check it out to be sure, of course, but I think it should have the proper resonance we need for this to work."

"I'll wait until we have a chance to take a look around before I say anything to Spike about it. I don't want to get his hopes up too soon."