Daddy’s Girl
~~~~~~~~~~
“The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance I’d never let you go
So won’t you say you love me?
I’ll make you so proud of me
We’ll make them turn their heads
Everyplace we go..”
~~~~~~~~~~
Spike walked out of the kitchen, hitting the light as he
went. He was halfway across the living room when the
doorbell rang.
He briefly considered ignoring it, since the two people he
loved most in the world were safe and accounted for upstairs.
But when the bell rang twice more, he knew that whoever was
out there wasn’t going away.
“Hey!” Buffy yelled from the upstairs bathroom. “You
planning on answering that or not?”
“Not!” he yelled back.
“Well, do it anyway. I’ve got a wet, naked baby on my hands.”
He smiled at the mental picture he was developing. “How
about her mother?” he asked hopefully.
“Fully dressed and totally dry,” she reported.
“Fully dressed?”
“That’s right.”
“And not even a little bit damp?”
“Not even.”
“Anywhere?”
He heard her laugh. “Just answer the door, hotshot. We’ll
discuss dampness and undressing later.”
At this point, there was nothing he wanted to do less than
answer the damn door, and nothing he wanted to do more
than go upstairs and help Buffy give Katie her bath.
The bell rang again.
Supremely annoyed, Spike glanced at his watch. Nine o’clock?
Who the hell...
“Who the hell are you?” he asked bluntly, keeping one hand
on the doorknob and the other on the frame.
The man standing on the porch was vaguely familiar in the
same prissy-assed, stuffy English gentleman’s way that
Buffy’s watcher...oh, yeah.
“Wesley Wyndham-Pryce,” he man identified himself. “Is
Buffy home this evening?”
“Why?” Spike asked curtly.
Wesley didn’t look surprised at Spike’s lack of courtesy.
“I assure you that I have nothing nefarious planned,” he
said. “I’m simply an old friend of Buffy’s and since I was
in the Sunnydale area, I decided to call on her.”
“I know who you are,” Spike replied, not surrendering
his blockade of the doorway.
Wesley’s eyes narrowed. “And I know who YOU are
as well.”
“Do you?” Spike drawled, with an intimidating glare,
controlling his urge to slip into vamp mode. “You sure about
that?”
Either Wesley was not intimidated, or he was very good
at hiding it. Whichever it was, he spoke calmly.
“Quite sure...Spike. Now, may I come in?”
The last thing Spike wanted was for this candy ass to come
in and spend the evening talking over old times with the
slayer. Especially since he had no doubt that every word
of the conversation, every facial expression, and every
other detail would be reported back to Wesley’s employer.
“Angel must be hard up for help,” he said tauntingly,
wanting to provoke Wesley into doing something he would
get kicked out of the house for.
But Wesley didn’t rise to the bait. “There’s no reason for
this hostility. Angel is well aware of your...relationship...with
the slayer.”
**Yeah....I’ll just bet he is.**
Spike was fairly certain that Angel didn’t know the half
of it. “You don’t say?” He backed up a few steps, allowing
Wesley to enter the house.
“Yes,” the watcher nodded. “He is. I correspond with...certain
people here in Sunnydale and...”
“You mean you correspond with Giles?” Spike asked, wanting
to be clear on this.
Wesley hesitated before he answered. “Yes. Occasionally.”
Spike closed the door. “I’ll wager it’s been a spell since
you last...corresponded, right?”
“As a matter of fact, that’s true. We’ve had a lot to deal
with recently, and I’m afraid I haven’t had the time to keep
in touch.”
“Uh-huh...we have a telephone, you know. Two lines...call
forwarding...answering machine,” Spike informed him. “Let me
write down the number for you.”
“I know the number,” Wesley said frostily. “But since I was
in the area, as I said, I decided to...”
“Intrude?” Spike offered.
“...visit. Now, is Buffy here, or is she not?”
Spike nodded, resigning himself to the fact that Wesley
wasn’t budging until he got a straight answer.
“Yeah, she’s up....” Suddenly sensing her presence, he
stopped and turned around when Buffy appeared at the top
of the stairs.
“Wesley/” She seemed pleased to see him, which thoroughly
irked Spike since it lessened his chances of a fast departure. “Is
that you?”
“Hello, Buffy.” Wesley smiled at her.
She bounced downstairs and gave her ex-watcher a hug. “Look
at you!” she exclaimed. “No stuffy old suit and tie...and your
hair in longer, too!”
He shrugged. “It was time for a change.”
“Well, I approve,” she said, then turned to look at Spike. “Have
you met my...”
“We’ve already introduced ourselves, sweetheart,” Spike
answered, placing a slight emphasis on the endearment.
“Oh...good.” She could almost feel the tension and suppressed
hostility between the watcher and the vampire, but decided
to ignore it.
Taking Wesley’s hand, she guided him into the living room.
“Sit down and tell me how everyone is.”
Settling beside her on the sofa, Wesley gave Spike a wary
glance.
Paying no attention, Spike sat down in the armchair next
to the sofa and folded his arms across his chest.
“Come on, Wesley,” Buffy encouraged. “Tell me what
you’re all up to in Los Angeles. Start with Cordelia,”
she suggested. “Is she really working with you and Angel?”
Ten minutes into it, Spike completely lost all interest
in the conversation. He began glancing at his watch, hoping
Wesley would take the hint and leave.
But he ignored all of it, giving his attention to Buffy.
At one point, she went into the kitchen and brought out
two cans of lager and a can of Coke for herself.
When she handed one of the cans to Wesley, he noticed the
ring on her left hand and commented on it.
“That’s a lovely ring, Buffy,” he said, taking her hand and
studying the gem with the eye of a jeweler. “The quality
of the emerald is superb. Quite flawless.”
Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but Spike got there
first. “Yeah, that’s why I chose it.”
“YOU chose it?” Wesley was visibly surprised. “Well,
you certainly made an...excellent choice. It’s stunning.”
“Isn’t it?” Buffy asked, her eyes tender as she looked
at her ring, then looked at Spike. “I love it.”
“Well,” Spike said in a purposely casual tone, “I know that
diamonds are more traditional for wedding rings, but emeralds
suit her, don’t you think? They bring out the green in her eyes.”
The bombshell, nonchalantly dropped, landed right on target.
“Wedding ring?” Wesley looked stunned. “You two are
married? To each other?”
“Yeah,” Buffy answered, surprised that HE was surprised. “You
didn’t know? I thought that Giles might have...”
“Apparently, they’ve been out of touch for a bit, luv,” Spike
explained. “Too busy fighting the things that go bump in
the L.A. night.”
Before Wesley could form a reply, Spike’s sharp hearing
picked up at the sound of the baby stirring in her crib.”
“S’cuse me,” he said, jumping to his feet and heading
for the stairs.
Buffy started to stand. “Is something...”
“Everything’s fine, luv,” he assured her. “Be right back.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“So won’t you please be, be my baby?
My one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’
Be my baby now...”
~~~~~~~~~~
He opened the door to the nursery quietly, finding it dimly
lit by a night light shaped like a sleeping lamb.
Peering around the side of the door, he saw Katie looking
right back at him. She had rolled onto her tummy and was
holding her head up, a new talent she’d only recently displayed.
“Hello sweetheart,” he said, smiling down at her. “What’s
wrong, then? Not sleepy?”
He picked her up, then sat in the rocking chair by the
window. Keeping her warm little body snuggled against
his shoulder, he patted her back gently.
As he rocked her, he glanced around the room, enjoying
the utter peace of mind and heart that came from knowing that
his wife and daughter were safe and warm, and well cared for.
Spike enjoyed spending time in this room. It was decidedly
pink and white in it’s color scheme, and it had been he and
not Buffy who had wanted it that way.
When they’d first decided to turn Buffy’s old room into a
nursery, she’d pushed for a neutral choice of colors. She’d
spent hours in paint stores, bringing home colored squares of
cardboard...pastel nightmares labeled “Mint Cloud”, “Peaches
and Cream”, “Lemon Chiffon” and “Melon Sorbet”.
Buffy had insisted that these shades would be equally
suitable for a boy or girl, and that, furthermore, they
were among her favorite colors.
Spike had suspected that her selection had less to do
with the colors themselves than with her insatiable appetite
for sweets. When he had pointed this out to her, she’d
denied it hotly.
After spending the better part of two hours arguing the
point, he’d gotten fed up and ended the discussion by
telling her that this was HIS child, too, and the colors
were not acceptable to him. He’d further warned her
that if she even dreamed of suggesting they paint the
room some bizarre shade of chocolate brown, he would
divorce her.
When he’d made his own color preferences known, Buffy
had shaken her head, exasperated at what she called the
“old fashioned stereotype that pink was for girls and
blue was for boys.
Which was exactly how he felt.
All during the next day, Buffy had dogged him around the
house, insisting that since they didn’t know the sex of the
baby, they had to go with gender neutral colors.
Certain in his own mind that Buffy was carrying a little
girl, Spike had waited for the sun to go down, then paid a
visit to the paint store himself.
It had taken him less than five minutes to find what he
wanted. Upon arriving home, he had waved his own selection
of cardboard squares, labeled, “Cotton Candy”, “Bubble Gum
Cloud”, and “Strawberry Whip”, under her nose.
She had collapsed on the sofa in a fit of giggles, laughing
so hard that he’d been afraid she’d laugh herself into a
miscarriage.
After she’d pulled herself together, she’d thrown her arms
around his neck and said, “Daddy wants a little princess,
doesn’t he?” When his only reply had been a guilty smile, she
had added, “If that’s what Daddy wants, then that’s what Daddy
gets.”
Studying the room now, he felt completely justified. There was
absolutely no doubt that this room belonged to a baby girl.
“To MY baby girl,” he said out loud. Feeling one of the tidal
waves of gooey emotion that had been knocking him flat on a
regular basis from the first moment he’d seen her, he held her
up under her arms just high enough to see her little face...the
face that was a tiny duplicate of her mother’s.
“Just look at you,” he said softly, amazed all over again at the
reality of her. “Look at how beautiful you are.”
If anyone had told him that he would ever be able to love
another person as much as he loved Buffy, he would have
laughed in their face.
But he saw the proof of it every time he looked into his
daughter’s eyes and felt the unspoken trust she had in him to see
to it that she was always warm, always safe, and that her tummy
was never hungry for more than a few moments.
“Be glad you’re up here, sweetheart,” he said, holding her
against his shoulder again. “You wouldn’t believe how boring
Angel’s lap dog is.”
Although Spike had complete and utter faith in the strength
of Buffy’s love for him and her devotion to their little family,
he would never really be rid of his lingering distaste for Angel.
His feelings for his sire had changed over the years. He’d liked
him well enough when he’d been ‘Angelus’, the embodiment
of everything evil.
Angelus had taught him how to take pleasure in human
suffering, to enjoy the power, to revel in the terror of the
innocent.
He’d been an excellent teacher, and Spike had been a willing
student.
For years, Angelus, Darla, Dru, and William the Bloody
had rampaged across Europe, leaving a trail of death, and
blood, and horror in their wake.
But even as early as the time before he’d killed his first
slayer, Spike had begun to dislike their little family unit. He’d
started shoving back, ignoring instructions, disregarding
caution, and drinking far more than he should have.
By the time they life China, Spike had been sick and tired
of being pushed around by Angelus and nagged by Darla. Even
the pleasure he’d found in Drusilla’s bed hadn’t been enough
to offset his irritation.
Shortly after arriving in Romania, he’d decided that it was
time for the ‘family’ to split up, though he hadn’t been quite sure
how he was going to pull it off, what with Dru being so
sickeningly attached to her ‘Daddy’.
Then the problem had been solved one night when Angelus
went out to hunt, and never returned. They had searched for
him at first, but quickly found themselves on the run from some
gypsy clan that he’d apparently crossed paths with.
There were too many of them to fight, and Spike had
been the first one to suggest that Angelus was most likely
dust, and it was time to get themselves out of the country.
Dru had vacillated, weeping and wailing, and Darla had
flat out refused to leave. But when an angry mob had
begun to assemble in the town square, Spike had stolen
a horse and wagon and forced the women into it.
Eventually, he and Dru had separated from Darla, and Spike
had enjoyed decades of Angelus-free years, roaming the
world with his demon lover.
Then, they’d landed in Sunnydale, turning his world completely
off kilter when something he’d once thought of as the biggest
mistake of his life, became the best thing that had ever happened
to him.
He’d had no idea that Angelus was in the same town until he’d
seen him in a darkened hallway of Sunnydale High School on
the night he’d gone up against Buffy for the first time...the night
everything had been flipped upside down by the prettiest girl
he’d ever laid eyes on.
It hadn’t taken him long to figure out the change in Angelus,
no matter how well the stupid git thought he’d disguised
it.
That phony camaraderie, hail fellow well met attitude of his
had been the first clue. They’d never liked each other THAT
well.
When he had discovered that Angelus had allied himself with
the slayer, his ancient dislike had turned to full blown hate
and disgust.
“Well, how was I supposed to know she’d be so damned
irresistible?” he mused, kissing Katie’s silky cap of hair.
Even after having the soul sucked back out of him, returning
him to his old, bad self, Spike hadn’t wanted anything to do
with Angel.
From the minute he’d darkened their figurative doorstep,
he’d walked right back into his role of “Big Boss Vampire”
and he’d fully expected Spike and Dru to fall into line behind
him.
Which, of course, Drusilla had done. Without thinking twice,
she’d fallen into line, then fallen into bed with him on a regular
basis.
The anger and hate he’d then harbored for Angel had
turned out to be nothing compared with what was still
ahead.
As much as Spike had despised him for stealing Drusilla,
it had been like a drop of water in an endless sea compared
to the loathing, the acidic hatred, and the bitter jealousy he’d
felt because Buffy...his beautiful slayer...had loved Angel
first.
Even now, even though Buffy belonged to him, with his
ring on her finger and their baby in his arms, just the thought
of Angel touching her made Spike white-hot with rage.
“Did you know that idiot downstairs didn’t even know that
Mommy and Daddy are married? God, I can’t wait until he
scampers home and tells Angel the good news.”
He grinned with delight at the idea. “I can just see his face. Those
big, old puppy dog eyes’ll go all wide and hurt when he hears
who won the heart of the fairy princess. I’d love to be there
when it happens.”
Spike felt a brief moment of embarrassment for gloating
so shamelessly, but he just couldn’t help it. Buffy was HIS
wife and Katie was HIS daughter. This was something that
Angel, with all his ‘soulfulness’ would never have.
~~~~~~~~~~
“I’ll make you happy, baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me, I’ll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you, I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you ‘til eternity..”
~~~~~~~~~~
Spike’s keen sense of smell detected a familiar odor. “I think
you’re a little wet, sweetheart. Let’s take care of that, all right?”
One of the advantages of being a vampire was the fact that
he knew it the instant the baby’s diaper was even slightly
wet. Consequently, Katie had only suffered from a diaper
rash one time.
Laying her on the changing table, he made quick work of
the change. As he cleaned her tiny bottom, he almost laughed
out loud at himself.
Who would EVER have imagined “William the Bloody”
changing a diaper?
But he didn’t mind doing it. He never had, no matter how
nasty the mess turned out to be, it just didn’t bother him.
He had seen and smelled, and washed off many things way
more disgusting.
Demon slime, demon snot, demon vomit. He’d seen and
smelled it all. A little baby poo certainly wasn’t gonna cross
his eyes.
When he had the wet diaper off and the fresh one in place,
he sprinkled a little baby powder on her bottom before he
fastened it. Not because she needed it, but because he loved
the way it made her smell.
He zipped her back up into her sleeper and scooped her up
off the changing table. “Better? I think so, too.”
Since Buffy had just nursed her a short time, he carried his
daughter across the room, kissed both her soft cheeks and placed
her in her crib.
After tucking her quilt around her, he found one of her
pacifiers and teased her lips with it until she latched on
and began sucking fiercely.
Spike stood next to the crib and looked down at the baby,
losing himself in the miracle of her existence.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he asked quietly,
letting her wrap her tiny fist around his forefinger.
The answer to his question was glaringly obvious. He
hadn’t done a damn thing. Her appearance in his life
was simply the purest stroke of luck he’d ever had.
Sometimes he would gaze into her wide blue eyes, and be
struck dumb by the knowledge that he was the father of this
wonderful child...that he was a father at all.
A series of coincidences almost Dickensian in scope had
brought him here. Being in the right place at the right time
was the only way he could explain it.
If he’d never gone to that embarrassing dinner party; if he’d
stayed there; if he’d gone straight home after his humiliation,
there would have been no Drusilla, no Angelus, no immortality.
He would no doubt have died sometime around 1925 or so,
if he’d managed to survive things such as influenza epidemics,
inadequate medical care in unsanitary surroundings, and all
manner of thugs prowling the streets of London.
But whether by fate, accident, or design, Katie was here. And
she was his...his and the slayer’s. He had something that
Angel, even with his penny-ante soul, would never have.
**If I didn’t dislike him so much, I might feel sorry for him**
He tugged his finger out of the baby’s clutches and caressed
her satiny cheek with it. “Goodnight, Princess...sweet dreams.”
Spike had his hand on the doorknob when a new thought
popped into his head, making him turn around and go back
to the crib.
“Want to come downstairs and meet our company?” he asked,
picking the baby up. “Let’s go then...Daddy wants to show you
off.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“So won’t you please, be my, be my baby
My one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’
Be my baby now...”
~~~~~~~~~~
Halfway down the staircase, he paused, eavesdropping
unashamedly on the conversation in the living room.
“Obviously, Angel knows that you and Spike are...involved.”
“Married,” Buffy interjected.
“Of course. I’m sorry.” Wesley cleared his throat. “Married.”
Spike could almost see the pained expression on the man’s
face.
“Although,” Wes continued, “I know...and I’m sure that
you know as well, it’s not precisely a marriage...in the legal
sense of the word.”
Buffy sighed. “Wesley...”
“I’m just saying,” he went on quickly, “that you can’t have
procured a marriage license since there’s no way for
Spike to prove his identity, or even his existence for that
matter. There certainly could have been no blood test.”
“No,” Buffy admitted.
“Was your ceremony performed by a properly ordained
minister...or a judge, perhaps?”
“Not exactly.”
“Well then,” Wesley continued, “he is hardly your husband. It’s
not legally binding.”
Spike frowned.
After a short pause, Buffy said, “Sometimes there are more important
things than legality, Wesley. And, believe me, it’s binding. In every
way that really matters.
**That’s telling him, baby!**
Wesley wasn’t convinced. “Buffy,” he said earnestly. “I’m
sure you are aware that such a relationship between a slayer and a
vampire is...highly unorthodox, to say the least.”
“Maybe,” Buffy condeded. “But I’ve never really been orthodox
girl. YOU should know that.”
“I just mean that...well, with Angel it was understandable. He has
a...”
“DON’T SAY IT!” Buffy snapped. “Please do not give me the
“Evil demon without a soul can’t possibly love you” lecture. I’ve
heard it until I’m sick of it!”
Even half up the stairs, Spike could feel the anger beginning
to rise in his wife. **Be careful, mate. You do NOT want to piss
that little lady off!**
“From Mr. Giles, I’d wager,” Wesley suggested.
“Actually, no,” Buffy said. “Giles has been very supportive. In
fact, he gave me away at my wedding.”
Wesley was, apparently, speechless.
“And I’m telling you that it isn’t true. I’ll admit...I used
to think the same thing...but I was wrong.”
“Buffy...”
She railroaded right over whatever Wesley had been about to say.
“My husband loves me,” she said in serious, measured tones. “My
husband...a vampire...loves me...a slayer.”
Now, it was Wesley’s turn to sigh. “This has never been documented
in any of the Watcher’s journals that I’ve studied.”
“Yes, it has,” Buffy disagreed. “Study the journals Giles has been
keeping. It’s documented all over the damn things.”
“I meant any OTHER Watcher’s journals. Nothing has ever
been written or reported.”
“Then I guess you’re just gonna have to take my word for it. There’s
a first time for everything, Wesley.”
Spike knew, just by listening to her voice, what expression was on
her face. It was her stubborn “Because I say so!” expression, hardheaded
and dogmatic.
But, she seemed to be trying to control herself, and her voice
returned to it’s normal register. “Look, Wesley...I don’t know how
or why it happened...and I don’t really care. I mean...why does
it matter anyway?”
There was another subtle change in her tone.
“And, come to think of it, what business is it of yours?”
**Absolutely none. So go back where you fucking well came
from and leave us alone!**
“What business is it of mine?” Wesley sounded incredulous. “You
are the slayer...and I am a Watcher.”
“You’re not MY watcher,” Buffy said.
**Take THAT, you sanctimonious shithead!**
“Whether I am your watcher or not,” Wesley blustered, “I’m
still concerned for you.”
“Well, don’t be,” Buffy said. “I’m just fine.”
There was a long silence, which Wesley finally broke.
“About Angel...”
“What about Angel?” Buffy prompted.
**Yeah! What ABOUT Angel?**
“You must know that Angel still cares for you, Buffy. Even
if you can’t be with him, you’re still very much a part of
his life. He will always love you.”
Only the fact that he had a baby in his arms prevented Spike
from walking into the living room, grabbing Wesley by the
throat, and suspending him twelve inches off the floor, until
he flopped like a fish on a hook.
**You go to hell! And before you do, tell Angel to stop
thinking about MY wife!!**
“And I’ll always care about him,” Buffy said sincerely.”But
he’s my past...and Spike is my future.”
**That’s my girl!** Spike felt a thrill of pride and
possessiveness. **Remind me to do something special for
you later.**
Buffy was speaking again.
“I realized something a long time ago. Something that was
difficult to accept...at first.”
Wesley was silent, waiting for her to continue.
“I realized that Spike loves me a lot more than Angel ever
did.”
These words surprised Spike. They were absolutely true, of
course, but she’d never said it before.
“I know that Angel loved me...as much as he could. But it
wasn’t enough. It wasn’t....strong enough to hold him to me
after he changed. He didn’t even try.”
“Buffy...that was...”
“Angelus,” she cut him off. “I know. But they were still both
Angel. Just two different sides.”
“But, he..he” the Watcher stammered. “You know he couldn’t
control his demon.”
“Spike does,” Buffy said simply. “He’s done it for years, because
he loves me enough to do it.”
“Perhaps...but he also has that chip and it....”
“Will you just forget about that stupid chip?” Buffy said
angrily. “That chip just prevents him from harming humans. It
doesn’t make him love me...doesn’t make him fight beside
me..and it certainly didn’t zap him into putting this ring on my
finger.”
Her tone changed again, abruptly, and she sounded amused.
“Do you really think that Spike couldn’t have found a way around
that chip if he’d really wanted to? Don’t underestimate him, Wes. He’s
a lot smarter than he gets credit for.”
**About time somebody noticed that**
“And I’ll tell you something else about that chip,” Buffy added. “If
it ever stops working, it won’t make a damn bit of difference.” She
paused a moment. “For all we know, it might have already stopped
working.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, he hasn’t tried to hurt anyone for...gee, I don’t know...three
years, maybe? No fighting, no killing...”
Spike heard the mischief creep into her voice, and he mentally
braced himself.
“...and the only one he bites these days is me.”
**BUFFY! DON’T TELL HIM THAT!!**
Wesley sounded equally as horrified at Buffy’s admission, albeit
for a different reason.
“BITES YOU? Am...am I to understand that Spike bites you?
For blood? That you...allow him to do this?”
“It’s not like it happens every day,” Buffy said. “Just sometimes.”
**Slayer! It’s none of his business what we do in bed!**
“What about the chip? Doesn’t it activate when he bites
you?”
“Not a peep out of it,” Buffy said brightly.
“He bites you...causes you physical pain...and the chip does
nothing?”
“There’s pain and there’s pain,” Buffy said. “If you know what
I mean.”
Spike knew that if he could see Wesley’s face, it would be
bright red.
“Anyway,” Buffy said. “Angel loved me and then he left me...lock,
stock, and soul. He didn’t stay, he didn’t fight...God, he didn’t even
say goodbye.”
She sighed deeply.
“And, Spike...without a soul anywhere on him...stayed with
me. Because he loves me enough to turn his back on everything
he did...everything he was...for over a hundred years.”
There was another pause.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Wesley?”
“I...I suppose I do. I don’t know how I shall make Angel
understand, but...”
“It doesn’t matter if he understands,” Buffy said. “As long as he
accepts.”
“Yes, well...he might have a difficult time even accepting,” Wesley
said. “You two have a history together.”
“Yes,” Buffy agreed. “History. Something in the past.”
Wesley said nothing.
“Besides...Spike and I have a bit of history, too. Not to mention
a full and challenging future.”
“That’s our cue,” Spike whispered to the baby.
Buffy was sitting on the sofa, facing the stairs, and was the first
to see Spike with Katie.
“Did you wake her up?” she scolded.
Spike shook his head. “Did not. She was awake when I got there.”
Wesley turned, a look of mild surprise on his face when he saw what
Buffy was looking at with such tenderness.
“What a beautiful baby,” he exclaimed, rising to his feet.
“Her name is Katherine Rose,” Buffy said, supplying the answer
to the question she knew would come next.
“Well, she’s just lovely,” Wesley watched Spike place the baby
in Buffy’s arms. “Whose is she?”
Buffy stared at him. “Um...she’s mine, Wes. What, do you think
I’m keeping a stranger’s baby upstairs.”
Wesley’s expression could only be described as shell shocked. “You
have a baby? This baby?”
Buffy nodded, her eyes dancing with amusement. “I have a baby. This
baby.”
Sinking back down on the sofa, Wesley muttered, “I have been out of touch
for far too long.”
Spike just grinned as he reclaimed the armchair. Wanting to make
sure that Wesley had plenty of information to take back to Los Angeles, he
said, “She looks like her mother, doesn’t she?”
“Well, I...that is to say..,” Wesley sputtered, “now that I take a closer
look, I’d say yes. She does bear a remarkable resemblance to you, Buffy.”
Buffy smiled proudly. “She has her father’s eyes though.”
“Does she?” Wesley leaned forward to peer more closely at
the baby. “Who is her father, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Spike bolted upright in the chair. “I’M her father, you nit!”
There was an uneasy silence as Wesley attempted to sort this
information out.
“Well,” he finally said, “that’s a wonderful and...commendable
attitude. I imagine that it’s not easy raising another man’s
child, thinking of her as yours, especially when your...wife..is
the child’s mother.”
“Wesley...” Buffy began.
“I don’t THINK of her as mine,” Spike said harshly. “She
IS mine.”
Wesley shook his head in denial, confident that he was correct.
“That is impossible. Vampires do not procreate. You cannot be
this child’s biological father.”
Spike leaned forward, pinning an angry gaze on Wesley. “Are
you suggesting that my wife has been unfaith...”
“Spike!” Buffy said sharply. “Settle down. It’s a valid question.”
She turned back to Wesley.
“Remember what I said before? About there being a first time
for everything?”
“But...but it’s never been...”
“Documented, I know.” She turned the baby in her arms, displaying
her for admiration. “Come on, Wes...look at her. Tell me this isn’t
the most beautiful baby you’ve ever seen.”
“She’s very lovely,” Wesley said sincerely. “But I can’t understand
how in the world she came to be. Have YOU an explanation?”
Buffy glanced at Spike and shrugged. “A miracle?” When she
looked back at Wesley, she saw the skepticism on his face. “No,
I don’t have an explanation. Maybe whoever is in charge of
these things decided I’ve done enough good deeds and thought
I deserved a reward.”
Wesley sat mute for a moment, then said, “If anybody does
deserve this kind of reward...it would be you, Buffy.” He looked
at Spike. “And you as well, it seems. Congratulations on your
lovely daughter.”
“Thank you,” Spike said ungraciously.
Wesley stood up. “It’s getting late,” he observed.
Spike jumped to his feet as well. “So it is. Don’t let us keep
you.”
“Quit it.” Buffy hissed.
“What’d I say?”
Buffy followed Wesley to the door. Holding the baby in one arm,
she gave him a hug with the other. “It was nice seeing you again, Wes.”
“It was wonderful seeing you as well.” He returned her hug. “I’m
glad to know that you’re so happy, Buffy. And I know Angel will be,
too.”
Standing directly behind his wife, Spike shifted from one foot
to the other. He dug his wallet out of his back pocket and extracted
a small snapshot.
“Give this to him,” he said, extending the photo. “The hospital
took it when she was born.”
“But...don’t you want to keep it?” Wesley asked.
Buffy answered. “We have a lot more,” she assured him, giving
Spike her “behave yourself!” expression.
Which he ignored. “Buffy takes lot of pictures. She’s filled up three
photo albums already. We’ll send some more.”
“Yes. I’m sure you will,” Wesley replied, knowing exactly
what Spike was implying. Stepping out onto the porch, he pulled
out his car keys. “Well...goodbye, then.”
“Bye, Wes,” Buffy said. “Take care.”
“Yeah, you do that,” Spike added cheerfully. “And be sure and
tell Angel that we said hello.”
He swung the door closed in Wesley’s face, then locked the
deadbolt.
When he turned around, Buffy was staring at him, shaking her head.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“Whhaaatt?” she mimicked him as she climbed the stairs. “For
a minute there I thought you were gonna offer to go along and show
her to Angel in person.”
“What’s THAT supposed to mean?” he asked defensively. “Can
I help it if I’m proud of my daughter. She happens to be gorgeous,
you know.”
“Oh, please,” Buffy groaned. “You just want to make sure and
rub Angel’s nose in all of this.”
“All of what?” Spike asked, pushing open the door to the nursery.
“Gee, I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe in the fact that YOU have
a child and he doesn’t. That YOU’RE my husband, and he’s not. Not
to mention the fact that you gave me a way more expensive ring than
he did.”
“I didn’t give you that ring to impress Angel,” Spike retorted.
Buffy shrugged. “Maybe not...but you made sure that Wesley found
out everything about it.” She placed the baby in her crib and tucked
her quilt around her, then turned on the baby moniter and faced her
husband. “Don’t you look at me that way,” she chided. “You know
what you were doing.”
“Wasn’t,” he denied, leaning over to kiss the baby goodnight.
“Like hell you wasn’t,” Buffy snorted.
He tried to hold her gaze defiantly, but couldn’t quite manage
it. “All right, I was,” he muttered. “So sue me.”
In reply, Buffy took his hand and pulled him out of the room.
“Actually,” she said, leading him down the hall to their bedroom, “it
was kind of cute. Childish...but cute.”
Spike closed the bedroom door with his foot, wrapping his
arms around his wife. “I can live with that,”he said, urging her
down on the bed.
Lowering his head, he kissed her lips, then trailed his mouth
down the soft skin of her throat. “You’re mine,” he said softly.
“I know,” Buffy whispered.
“Say it!” he demanded. “Say that you’re mine.”
“I’m yours, baby...I’m all yours.”
He bit down gently on her earlobe, making her shiver.
“But remember,” she said, placing her hands on his chest
and shoving him off. She quickly followed, straddling his
hips. “You’re mine, too.”
Spike grinned, slipping his hands beneath her shirt to unhook
her bra. “Always have been, luv. Minute I saw you, I knew I
was a goner.”
She gave him a look. “Right. And all that fighting and
trying to kill me was your way of showing me how much you
cared.”
“Don’t remind me of that at a time like this.” He frowned. “Just
come her and give me a big, juicy...”
His words were cut off by the baby monitor suddenly emitting
babyish noises.
They both froze, staring at the gadget.
“She’s settling down,” Buffy said after a few seconds. She bent
her head to kiss him, but he was tense. “Come on, baby. She’s all
right.”
Spike tried to get into the spirit of the moment, then shook his
head and pushed her off. “I can’t. I have to check.”
Buffy sighed. “She’s fine. Those were just happy baby going
to sleep now noises.”
He avoided her reaching hands. “Yeah, but what if it’s not. What
if it’s something awful...and we didn’t check? How would you feel in
the morning?”
Buffy considered that for a moment, then scrambled off the bed. “Let’s
go.”
Thirty seconds later, they were back in their room.
“There,” Buffy said. “Feel better now?”
Spike grinned. “Much.” Placing his hands on her waist, he
spun her and tossed her back on the bed, following her down.
“Now....let’s get back to big and juicy.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“So come on, please be, be my baby
My one and only baby
Say you’ll be my darlin’
Be my baby now....”
~~~~~~~~~~
The End
This is a sequel to my fic “Unexpected Blessings” and is the
start of a longer series about Spike, Buffy and Katie that I’ll be
doing if people like it and want more.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!