Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and UPN own Buffy the Vampire Slayer in totality. Joss Whedon and the WB own Angel: the Series. No profit is made from this piece of fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Distribution: if you want it take it. Previous parts at http://www.shadesofgrey.us and at http://www.redssoulmates.com
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Willow/Spike
Feedback: Yes! Please let me know what you thought! Please feed my feedback
Dedication: to Joss for writing such awesome characters! To my beta Alex for her help and encouragement. To Janet, Knightie, Shannon, Susi for all the support and encouragement they give me.
Author's Notes: AU sequel Doctor how can this be……
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
Willow lay in the hospital bed looking bemused or more accurately like a deer caught in, not only headlights, but also an entire convoy of trucks. The last of Spike's explanation drifted passed her ears unheard, only a sudden look of concern on his face, made her realize the last of his explanation had gone unheard.
" Sorry what was that you said?" Willow said apologetically
" I was just saying that Cordy must have told the hospital she was your sister so she could sit with you and get information. Willow, how are you handling this? I am so sorry. I had no idea this could happen." Spike said gently as he stroked Willows hand.
" Like vampire, like sire. I wish Angel would have told you." Willow said before she burst into tears.
" Willow, luv, I'm so sorry. I don't think it works like that though. If it was a bloodline thing, he knew about, I'm sure peaches would have told me. I thought being dead stopped me from becoming a father, and if I would have known, I would have been more responsible. I love you and I never want to hurt you," He said as tears welled up in his eyes.
" I don't blame you. I'm just not ready to have children. I have college, we have no home, no money and what sort of child am I carrying anyway. Having a child on the hell mouth is going to be scary as hell. What if it is a vampire, will Buffy kill it before it's first cry?" Willow babbled as the tears cascaded down her face and she griped Spikes hand like it was a lifeline.
Spikes straightened in his chair and looked horrified at Willow. It had never occurred to him that Willow would not what the baby. But of course she had here youth, her ambition, to Willow was this just temporary.
Willow looked at Spikes face and realized all this was not a joke, like she had first thought, or a test to see if she really loved him. It was real. She was carrying Spikes child and more than that he wanted it. She took their entwined hands and placed them on her belly.
" Spike, I love you. It's just all such a shock. I do want this baby. I am just scared. I am not exactly the maternal type, and what are we gonna tell the others. They don't even know we are together. Oh goddess, I'm having a baby." With Willows last words a smile crept across her face.
" Are you sure you want this? I don't want to pressure you into anything. I'm not sure how to handle this either the last time I had to consider human reproduction was over a century ago. And even then it was only wondering what it was really all about." Spike said softly so no one close could hear.
" Well, I hope, you've learned something since then, and no you are not pressuring me. I have only known I'm pregnant for 1 hour, but I already know I want to keep him/her, and I'm a little excited, as well as scared. I won't be able to call you baby anymore." Willow said smiling. She leaned forward to hug Spike; he held her gently and kissed her cheek.
"Well, miss Rosenberg, you can go home. It seems that you passed out because of the morning sickness. You are otherwise perfectly healthy." The doctor said as he walked up to Willows bed.
Then he turned to Spike. " Will you please make sure she gets plenty of rest and eats properly? I do not what to see here back in here till she is ready to give birth. Do I make myself clear?" He said sternly then turned and left.
" Well, that told me. Come on luv, lets get you out of here. The smell of blood is reminding me that I need to eat and you certainly do." Spike said as he helped Willow off the bed. As they headed to wards the waiting room, a nurse stopped them.
" Miss Rosenberg, here is you pregnancy book and can you please contact your doctor as soon as possible." With that she handed Willow a book with a pregnant woman on the cover with the obvious title `Your pregnancy'. They both looked at the cover and smiled.
As they walked away Spike whispered in Willow's ear. " It will make a change from Giles demon books," As he took the book from Willow and started flicking though it. "Ok, I take it back. Give me the demon books any day. Do they have to be so graphic?"
Willow looked lovingly at Spike as he held open the door of the waiting room for her.
" Spike, were exactly is home." Willow said concerned.
"I think I can help there." Said a familiar voice.
~*~
Angel walked towards them, and then hugged Willow in greeting.
" You should live at the mansion, consider it a gift, to my childe and my favorite witch," Angel said gleefully. " You have to say yes, or the mission of mansion restoration and cleaning that Angel investigations as taken on will have been for nothing." Angel continued, as he lead them to the parking lot and his waiting car.
Spike and Willow looked at each other and laughed as they saw Connor's baby seat in the back.
"Peaches, I have to get one of those for the Desoto. We also have to stop to get Willow some food as she needs to eat. What would ya like love? And no, junk food, will not be good for the baby." Spike said happily as they got in to the car.
Angel couldn't help but smile as he got into the drivers seat. `William the bloody? More like William the broody.' Angel mused as he drove towards the mansion, where his family was waiting to greet the new couple.
~Part: 2~
Angel pulled up outside the Mansion, and jumped out with vampiric speed. "Come on you two, Cordy was preparing a meal when I left," Angel said smirking.
"Not sure if I'm that hungry," Willow said hesitantly, as she got out of the car, helped by Spike.
"You ok luv?" Spike asked, worried.
"Yeah, just a starving man would think twice before eating a Cordy cooked meal," Willow said as she smiled and followed Angel toward the mansions front door, arm in arm with Spike.
As they got closer to the door, Cordy's voice could be heard distinctly shouting orders and cursing about interior design not being part of the vision, then a voice Spike and Willow had never heard shouting excitedly "They're here!"
"Oh there goes the surprise," Angel said jokingly as he opened the door.
The mansion was full of light provided by what seemed like hundreds of candles. The light was glaring and Willow hesitated to let her eyes adjust and in that moment Cordy stepped into the doorway where Angel had been standing.
"Willow how you feeling? I have made sandwiches for us all, and have done my best to make this old place habitable. Come in, come in."
Willow and Spike entered the mansion and went through to where Angel and a Green demon were talking. Angel had his back to them and seemed to be holding something. He turned as he heard the others behind him.
"Spike, Willow, meet my son," Angel said as he looked up from the bundle of blankets he was holding and smiled.
****Awwwww....cute!****
"Please tell me you don't mean the incredible hulk there," Spike said laughing
"No, Spike meets Connor," he said as he pulled back the blankets a little to reveal Connor, little hand outstretched trying to grasp Angel's finger.
"Oh Angel, he's beautiful," Willow enthused as she stepped forward and placed a finger in Connors outstretched hand.
"And strong too," she said as she tried to remove it.
"Yeah peaches, he's a handsome li'l bugger, especially considering who his parents are. Where is the doting mother anyways?" Spike questioned.
****Awwww...doubly super cute:)****
"Who's hungry? Lorne would you help me fetch the food?" Cordy interjected before Angel could reply.
"No problem, princess. Would not want you to break a nail," Lorne said as he shot an angry look to Spike, showing that the Hulk comment was not yet forgotten.
"Do you need any help?" Willow asked, picking up on the sudden tension in the room.
"Nah, I'm ok, you should rest," Cordy said. Then a thought struck her. "I'll show you upstairs so you can freshen up, and you can meet Fred. She's upstairs making up the beds. There should be water by now. Gunn and Wes were working on it, before they left, to speak to Buffy, before she assembled a search party."
Willow began to worry. What would they tell her? What would she do? A mental picture crossed her mind, Buffy staking Spike
"Don't worry. They're going to invent an apocalyptic problem to keep them distracted, so she doesn't notice you've gone for a while, till we can figure out how to handle it. Wes said he knew just the thing," Cordy said as she turned and headed for the stairs.
"Spike, just going to freshen up before we eat, ok? I'll be back in a minute." Willow kissed Spike on the cheek and followed Cordy.
Spike and Angel sat in the two chairs on either side of the large fireplace, in an unexplained and uncomfortable silence.
~*~
Cordy and Willow entered the bathroom, the smell of the cleaning products assaulting Willows senses as she entered the bathroom, making the nausea return again.
"Willow you ok?" Cordelia asked, concerned as she turned to see Willow standing in the doorway turning pale.
"Yeah, just feeling a little queasy that's all. I'll be ok in a minute."
Cordelia got a washcloth, towel, and some soap from a bag on the counter and turned to leave the bathroom.
"Ok, I'll leave you to freshen up. I'll be downstairs. If you need me just yell."
She squeezed past a distracted Willow and left the room. Willow hurriedly closed the bathroom door and opened the window to prevent herself from throwing up. As her stomach settled she turned to face the mirror above the sink. She stared intensely at her own reflection for a few seconds as tears began to sting her eyes. As she turned on the tap and began to wash her face, bidding farewell to her maiden aspect and welcoming the mother within her as she did so. 'Well Willow what are you going to do?' She said to herself as tears rolled down her face.
"No luv. What are WE going to do?" Said a loving voice from the other side of the door. Willow turned in surprise and opened the door, to see Spike standing there.
"I know, lets start a family. Angel did it, so why can't we?" Spike said ruefully as he embraced Willow and kissed her forehead tenderly. "I love you Spike," she whispered in to his chest.
~Part: 3~
Spike and Willow sat on the floor in the bathroom doorway staring at each other, neither wanting to move, but in the same moment not knowing what to say. The brightness of the freshly scrubbed bathroom was in stark contrast to the dark candlelit hallway where the dust of decades still lingered in the air. Both of them sat not knowing whether to lock themselves in the bathroom until life resolved itself or go downstairs and face the situation and its ramifications head on.
"Ouch," Willow gasped and she tried to move.
"What's wrong luv?" Spike said as he jumped to his feet, and helped Willow stand, a look of sheer terror on his face.
"I'm ok, just got pins and needles in my legs. That's all," Willow said calmly, as she walked into the hall and sat at the top of the stairs, hugging her knees like a child who has just shook out of bed and is listening to the grown ups down stairs.
"You scared the hell out of me," Spike stated as he moved to sit beside her on the stairs.
"Like you've never heard a girl say ouch before," Willow giggled as she turned to look at Spike, a glint of mischief in her eye.
"Well none of them were carrying my child before. Don't mock a man for caring," Spike said gently, as he stared at his hands in his lap.
"I wasn't mocking, baby, just trying to lighten the moment," Willow apologized soothingly as she tentatively stroked Spikes clasped hands.
"Willow, I'm terrified. This whole situation is just too much to handle," Spike whispered tentatively as he turn to face Willow, instinctively grasping her hands as he realized what he was trying to say had just come out all wrong, Willow's face a picture of hurt and anger as she tried to pull away.
"No, Willow, you don't understand. I'm over 120 years old and been dead for most of them, never once have I worried about getting a girl into trouble. Being dead, I thought I didn't have to. Now after only a few weeks with the only human I have ever loved, I find out that I have got her pregnant, ruined her life and made her really sick. All this in the 21st century no less. If that wasn't enough I discover the great Angelus has become a father as well. I just don't know how to handle it. See, you become a little detached from society, being dead and that. I don't know how to take care of you. In my day, men didn't get involved with all that. From what I remember, the men just paced a lot and smoked cigars afterwards. I am assuming in the age of the new man thing are a little different." Spike babbled, all the time staring intently at his hands as if looking through them.
"Spike, you're babbling. Look at me," Willow laughed then turned serious as she continued. "Firstly, I didn't think this could happen either. You have NOT ruined my life, just took it on an interesting new path. You have not made me sick. It happens when you're pregnant, and yes times have changed but we will go though this as a team. As long as we love and support one another, I am sure we'll be ok. The whole Angel situation, I know nothing about, but I am sure we will find out in time," Willow replied as she gazed into space. "I wonder what our baby will be like," she mused as she wistfully put her hand to her belly.
"Absolutely perfect, just with a tendency to babble when nervous," Spike whispered softly as he placed his hand over Willow's.
They slowly descended the stairs to join the others.
"Luv, to stop me becoming a nervous wreck, next time you get pins and needles, can ya say non-baby related ouch?" Spike joked.
"That's a bit of a mouthful, but I will try. Now, can we go eat? I'm starving," Willow said as they joined the others who were sitting around a large table, eating from plates of sandwiches and drinking sodas. All except Angel who was cradling Connor in his arms while feeding him from a baby bottle with a purple dinosaur on the side.
"NOW I REALLY HAVE SEEN EVERYTHING," Spike said a little too loudly as he sat down at the table next to Willow.
~Part: 4~
Meanwhile at Buffy's house Wesley and Gunn were making with the explanations.
"So what is so important you have come all the way from L A?" Giles stated matter of factly as he walked over to the hastily assembled gang seated in Buffy's living room, (with two notable exceptions).
"Well Giles, we have a situation that we need your help with," Said Wesley slightly hesitantly. " But first this is my colleague Charles Gunn" Wesley said in introduction as Gunn just smiled politely, as the Sunnydale gang introduced themselves.
" And of course there is Willow, who must be studying late as we couldn't reach her, I'm sure she will be home shortly." Buffy said after the introductions were complete glancing at the door expectantly as she finished her sentence.
" So what's the big problem, don't tell me apocalypse I suppose" Buffy continued nonchalantly.
" Not exactly, you know about Connor right?" Wesley began
" Yes" Buffy whispered a look of sadness and jealously crossing her face.
" Who's Connor new vamp or demon?" Xander questioned in a jovial tone as he scanned the faces of the others looking for answers, but not immediately getting one.
"Look guys, I meant to tell you at the time but we had a lot going on and I had a hard time dealing with it." Buffy began hesitantly a look of desperation on her face as she glanced at Wes and Gunn and realized it was going to be her explaining this one to an increasingly apprehensive audience.
" To give you the short version, Connor is Angel's son." Buffy stated quickly, the looked around at the looks of confusion and disbelief on the faces of the other scoobies. Anya was the first to speak.
"So is Angel Angelus now then? I thought vampires couldn't reproduce in that way?" Anya said sharply all the time looking at Buffy as if she was insane.
"Angel got Darla pregnant and she gave birth to Connor, Darla died as Connor was born." Wes continued with the explanation.
" Very funny you guys, this is a joke right." Xander said laughing as he sat back on the sofa.
"No Xander no joke." Buffy said as the sadness she felt became evident on her face.
Xander realized that this was no joke and that Buffy was deeply hurt by the situation more than she would ever admit.
"There is a prophecy attached to the birth of Connor, and I have been studying it so as to help Angel and Connor when he grows up. Therein lies the problem." Wes began so as to keep the group focus, in case they began to worry about Willow.
"In the prophecy it says the father will kill the son, we need your help to stop this from happening will you help." Wes finished "Giles, could you help me research the prophecy and work out how this may happen so at least we can be forewarned. Buffy could you find out from the demon population if anything is brewing so to speak?"
" I will get Spike to ask around." Buffy said dismissively
" Buffy I would rather you do it, Angel doesn't want Spike to know about this, please."
"Ok, was going to start patrol soon anyways." And with that Buffy grabbed her things from next to the door and left, relieved to get away.
"I think we should be going to." Gunn said, he was in a hurry to catch up with Buffy, and stop her from patrolling near the mansion. He looked at Wes, for confirmation. " Giles we are tired from the trip can we continue tomorrow after some rest and a time for you to think."
"Yes, tomorrow at the Magic Box." Giles said a little distracted. And with that Wes and Gunn left. As they stepped onto the porch they heard Xander say, " I hope no one else has a bombshell like that to drop."
They looked at one another as if to say, " I wouldn't be so sure."
As they continued down the path they heard muffled sobbing coming from behind the tree in the Summers garden.
They turned as if going to investigate then both thought better of it. And continued to walk down the street to get to were they had parked Angel's car so that no one would see it.