=======

Prologue:      June 1999: Brazil

The stars sing...such a lovely little tune, I sing with them as they tell me their secrets.  There will be a baby.  My Spike and I are to have a little girl
in half a year, a pretty thing with Spike's eyes...I so love his eyes.  I carry her in my tummy as I dance in the garden.  I cannot keep her, Daddy will hurt her when I go to see him, so I must give her away.  I know who I must give her to: Little Tree.

My head sings her name.  Willow.  The tree that bends but never breaks, such a pretty name for the pretty little redhead.  My Spike's heart is full of her, even though he doesn't believe...oh, but he will.  My Phoenix will bring them together, I know it.  I kiss Spike's forehead as he lay on our bed.  "Goodbye, my Spike," I whisper as I look at the fungus demon who will protect Phoenix and me until she comes.  "I am ready."

He nods and we leave.  I feel a momentary sadness, Spike was my favorite childe but his heart belongs to the witch.  I place my hand over where my baby grows and hum a lullaby Mummy used to sing me before Daddy killed her.

"Run and catch, run and catch, the lamb is caught in the blackberry patch..." I murmur.
 

Part 1:      December 31, 2000: Sunnydale, California

The Scooby Gang plus Spike sat in Willow Rosenberg's living room, drinking and waiting for the new year, the new decade, the new century, the new millennium. Anya giggled, already completely smashed on wine coolers, she paused, trying to be serious but that cracked up Buffy.

"Okay...um...Willow, truth or dare?" Anya asked.  "Dare or truth...truth or dare...c'mon!"

"Me?" Willow squeaked.  Anya nodded.  "Um...truth."

"Okay, do you or do you not have a crush on Spike?" Anya asked.  Willow's cheeks flamed and Spike smirked at the redhead.

"I-I..." Willow's voice trailed off.

"C'mon, Willowy-Will!" Buffy cried.  "You said 'truth', so you gotta answer the truth.  Do you have the hots for the Fangless Wonder?"

Spike growled at Buffy.  "What'cha gonna do, impotent-guy?  Lick me to death?" the Slayer inquired.

"Cor, no!  Bloody hell, I'd rather be crucified!" Spike cried, making a face. Xander laughed insanely and Buffy swatted him.

"OW!" Xander exclaimed.  "Deadboy Junior was making with the funny that was funny!"

"C'mon, Wills!" Anya exclaimed.  "Ya gotta answer!"

The doorbell rang and Willow jumped up to answer it.  "I'll get that since it's my house and all...so I have to answer the door...I'm answering the door," she babbled, racing to the door.  Willow opened the door and didn't see anything. "That's strange..."

Then there was a soft sound from below Willow's direct line of sight.  Willow stared at the little bundle in the basket in shock.  *That's a--that's a--that's a baby!* she thought, picking up the basket, it was surprisingly light.  There was a note attached to the baby's blanket.  *Okay, this is definitely stereotypical.*

Willow strained to read the note in the faint light cast onto her porch by the streetlights, it was written in a very elegant script, it only had eleven words on it:

Take care of my Phoenix, Little Tree.  Her birthday is Christmas.

*Someone who knows me left me a baby?* she wondered.  She didn't know of any pregnant girls and all of her friends were in her living room, so it couldn't be them.  But who?  Confusion filled Willow's mind but it was overwhelmed by a need to protect the tiny child.

"Red?" Spike called as he walked to her.  "What's that?"

"Uh--" Willow started but was cut off by Spike.

"That's a baby!" he cried.  The rest of the Scoobies raced to the door.

"Holy God!" Buffy exclaimed.  Xander could only manage some strangled vowel sounds.

"Damn, Will, and you didn't even go Moby Dick," Anya said.

"She's not my baby...that's impossible," Willow defended herself.  "But I'm going to keep her."

"A baby, Wills?" Buffy asked.  "I mean, a baby?"

Willow walked inside and sat on the couch, the baby in her lap.  "Yeah, a baby, that is now my baby, my responsibility."  The baby looked up at Willow with wide blue eyes and cooed.  Buffy's insides melted.

"She's so cute!" Buffy cried, stroking the baby's thick black hair.  "What're
you gonna name her?"

"Her name's Phoenix, I like it, Phoenix Aislin Rosenberg," Willow said.

"Phoenix Aislin Rosenberg," Xander murmured the baby's name.  "It works."

"Can't be worse than 'Buffy,'" Spike said.  Buffy glared at Spike and he shrugged.

"What about a father figure-type?" Anya asked.  "You can't have Xander."

"Giles?" Buffy asked, there was a slight pause.  "Ewww!"  Four pairs of eyes settled on the bleached-blond vampire.  Spike looked around a moment before realizing they were looking at him.

"What?!  No!" he cried.  Willow stood up, taking Phoenix from her basket and she smiled sweetly at Spike, holding the baby so Spike could get a good look at her.

"How could you refuse her?" she asked.

"Oh, bloody hell, Red!" he cried in defeat.

***

Drusilla smiled to herself as she watched Phoenix accepted by Willow.  "Goodnight, my love," she whispered.  The vampiress walked off into the night, feeling much more relieved now that her daughter was in the hands of the red witch.
 

Part 2

It had been one month since Willow had found Phoenix and Spike had been drafted as the father figure.  He had to admit that he was having the time of his unlife. His and Willow's "daughter" wasn't any trouble at all, she was a perfect angel, except that she was a demon.  The two of them had discovered that soon after the Slayer and her flunkies had left on New Year's Day.  Phoenix had been hungry and bitten Spike's finger with her sharp little fangs.

Spike and Willow decided to keep Phoenix's vampirism a secret as to keep Slutty from killing the little chit.  But Willow still loved Phoenix like the tiny
vampire was her own child, which pleased Spike to no end.  He knew that she had a huge heart and her affection for the baby proved that.  It also made Spike fall even harder for the red-haired witch.

He had been infatuated with the redhead since he had seen her at Halloween three years ago, he played it off, taking Drusilla to Brazil.  But he couldn't fool Dru, she had sensed his affections for the witch and she left him for the chaos demon.  He went back to Sunnydale and his crush just got stronger when he had kidnapped her and her moronic friend.  Spike went to Dru and tortured her, making her scream his name as she writhed beneath him, but it wasn't the same...he just imagined Willow in her place.  He had finally decided to make his move earlier that year but the Initiative put a stop to that.

Now he was playing house with her and the baby that she had found, sharing the hacker's house.  It was almost too much for him.  But he wouldn't have it any other way, it felt RIGHT: him, Willow and Phoenix, like it was meant to be...although, he'd much rather it if he and Willow were attempting to make a baby of their own.

Phoenix's cry shook Spike from his thoughts, he shook his head and fixed her a bottle.  He walked to Phoenix's room.  The baby smiled at him, showing the tips of her tiny fangs.  She had just awakened from her nap and stretched her arms out, demanding to be held.  Spike smiled back and scooped her into his arms, giving her the bottle filled with blood and milk.

The baby took the bottle and bit the rubber nipple.  Willow stretched as she entered Phoenix's room, she smiled as she saw Spike and Phoenix.  "Thanks for getting her bottle, Spike," she yawned, walking over to the vampire.

Spike tried not to look at Willow, she was only clad in an oversized pajama top that showed off her shapely legs.  Willow brushed some of Phoenix's soft black hair off her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.  "Hey, don't I get a kiss?" Spike pouted.

*He just asked for a kiss?* Willow thought, blushing furiously.  *Spike wants ME to kiss him?  Well, of course, he's your friend.  Too bad, it's not more than just friends.  Bad Willow, stop thinking lusty thoughts of *  Willow smiled crookedly and placed a chaste kiss on Spike's cheek, trying her hardest to stop herself from kissing him on the lips until she passed out from lack of oxygen.

He smiled at Willow.  *Now I can die a happy demon,* he thought.  Spike took Phoenix's bottle as she finished it.  *She has an appetite, doesn't she?*  "I don't think she's going to sleep now," he groaned.

Willow took Phoenix out of Spike's arm.  "Yeah, she is," she said.  "I read in a book that babies love the sound of their parents' voice no matter how bad they sing.  And from what I've learned, it works. Watch."

The redhead sat in a large rocking chair and Spike sat on the arm, his eyes watching Willow intently.  She cleared her throat and began to sing.  "It felt like springtime on this February morning In a courtyard birds were singing your praise, I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel All right I carry them with me today now.  As I lay me down to sleep, this I pray: That you will hold me dear Though I'm far away, I'll whisper your name Into the sky and I will wake up happy," Willow sang to Phoenix who cooed.  "I wonder why I feel so high Though I am not above the sorrow, heavy-hearted Till you call my name and it sounds like church bells Or the whistle of a train on a summer evening I went to meet you barefoot, barely breathing."

Spike listened to Willow's song, amazed.  "Cor, Red, you have a beautiful voice," he murmured and Willow blushed.  "And you were right, it works."  He stared at Phoenix and Willow, smiling, they looked perfect together.  He carefully took Phoenix out of Willow's arms and placed her in the bassinet, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.  When he looked at Willow, he couldn't help but smile.  She had fallen asleep.

He shook his head softly and gathered the witch in his arms and placed her on her bed in the room next to Phoenix's.  He placed a tender kiss on her lips. He yawned and stretched out, suddenly extremly tired.  *I'm sure that Willow won't mind if I crash in her bed tonight,* he thought and stripped.  He lay beside her on the bed, smiling contentedly.

~~~

Willow stretched out and felt a cold body beside her and was about to go back to sleep when it hit her, she was now fully awake.  *Cold body in my bed?* she thought and was startled to see Spike laying beside her, naked.

Spike slowly opened his blue eyes to see Willow blushing, staring at his naked form.  "Like what you see, luv?" he asked, smirking.

"EEP!  Spike you're all--you're all--you're NAKED!" Willow cried.

"Yeah, pet, I always sleep naked," he whispered huskily.  Willow gulped and closed her eyes, straining not to think naughty thoughts of Spike, naked and chocolate-covered.

Then a voice pierced her ears.  "WILLOW ELIZABETH ROSENBERG!" the voice screamed.

"Mom?" Willow squeaked as she saw her mother and father standing in her doorway, staring at the naked man beside her.  Sheila fainted and Ira caught her.  "Oh, boy.  I'm in trouble."
 

Part 3

Ira waved his hand in front of Sheila's face, slapping her slightly. When she came to, she smiled at him. "Oh, Ira, I had the strangest dream! Willow was in her bed with a naked man," she replied.

"Um, Sheila...it wasn't a dream," Ira corrected.

"Willow, what have we told you! Fornicating in your parents' house! Ira, I told you King Friday was a bad influence!" Sheila murmured, looking at her daughter and the man in her bed. Willow looked guilty, the man just smirked.

"Well...at least there isn't a..." Ira started but was interrupted by Phoenix's cries "...baby." It was Ira's turn to faint and Sheila smacked him awake.

"I guess I have some 'splainin' to do, huh?" Willow asked.

"I'd like to think so! You're bringing strange men into our house! He could be a murderer!" Sheila cried and Spike chuckled, Willow hit him with her pillow. Hard. "Explain now!"

"Hate to break up this touchin' reunion but last thing I'd like to do is show the full monty," Spike broke in. "Not as much as I hate you breakin' up our
little union."

Sheila threw her hands up in defeat and she and Ira went downstairs. Spike sat up, chuckling as he pulled his jeans on then lay back down. Willow glared at him then she struck. She pounced on his stomach and wrapped her hands around his throat, attempting to strangle him, causing the bed to bounce a whole lot.
 

~~~

Downstairs, Ira restrained Sheila from storminh upstairs and performing a Lorena Bobbit on their daughter's boyfriend. "Sheila, just ignore it," Ira calmed.

Sheila frowned and sat on the sofa as the creaking bed springs got louder. "I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING! AREN'T YOU SHOCKED AT HOW QUIET IT IS?!" she shouted as to be heard.

~~~

Spike quickly grew tired of the tussle and pinned her beneath him, not going to admit how her squirming made it nearly impossible to hide his arousal. "Now that that's settled, can we act mature, pet?" he taunted.

Willow somehow managed to free her hand and smacked him. "Spike!" she growled playfully and he captured her hands above her head. He stared down at her, she was slightly flushed from their fight earlier, her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and he moaned softly. "Spike?"

She was confused...there was something in his eyes she'd never seen before...she couldn't explain it and before she could say anything else, his lips met hers. Then he pulled away. "Your parents are waiting," he said, walking to Phoenix's room.

Willow stared after him, confusion in her eyes, then her fingers flew to her lips. Oz had never kissed her like that, it made her tingly all over, a pleasant feeling. She wondered if it was just kissing a vampire or kissing SPIKE that made her feel like THAT.

~~~

*You bloody pillock!* his mind screamed. *You just ruined your friendship!* He sighed and carefully picked up Phoenix. "Well, luv, your dad's a bleeding idiot," he told Phoenix. "I think I just broke up your mum and I. Sorry 'bout that, lit'l bit. I love her, y'know. Never felt this way, not even 'bout Dru. Now she's gonna hate me. Guess it's time to face the grandparents, eh?" He held her tight and walked across the hall to Willow's room and knocked on the door. "Ready, pet?"

"Um, sure," came Willow's reply as she walked out of the room. The two walked downstairs and Spike lounged on the recliner, holding Phoenix while Willow sat in the love seat. *I CANNOT believe he's pretending not to have kissed me!* Willow thought.

"Would you, uh, introduce us to..." Sheila started, not able to stop staring at the baby that the man in question held.

"Name's Spike," he said.

"Spike?" Sheila whimpered.

"Is he the one in the band?" Ira questioned.

"No, that was Oz," Willow supplied.

"But I'm in a band. I sing," Spike replied, remembering what he had told Joyce.

"You're in the band with Bunny?" Sheila asked.

"Yeah, BUFFY's the drummer," Spike replied. "Red's the keyboardist and Chubs is, he's the bassist. And his chit is the gropey."

"Gropey?" Ira asked. "Don't you mean 'groupie?'"

"No, he means gropey," Willow laughed. "And that's Phoenix. She's not ours...someone left her and we felt sorry for her and Spike became the father-figure."

Sheila let out a sigh of relief. "But about earlier?" she asked.

"Wasn't what it seemed," Spike replied. "I sleep naked and I fell asleep in her bed."

Sheila nodded. "You didn't?" Spike and Willow both nodded. "You see when two people love each other very much..."

~~~

"Oh, my God! She gave you the entire speech!?" Buffy chuckled and Spike scowled at her.

"It's not funny, Slayer. I'm one-hundred and twenty-six bloody years old!" he pouted. "And she was talkin' to me like I was four!"

"Mom does that," Willow replied, adjusting Phoenix in her arms as they sat in Giles's living room for research. "Spike was so bored, he was counting the flowers on the wallpaper."

Xander grinned. "I'd have paid to see that," the teenager stated.

Anya simply looked bored. "Why did Giles call us here?" she asked.

"Not to discuss Willow's parents giving her 'the talk,'" Giles said. "Yesterday I received a call from Angel. Drusilla is in Los Angeles with Darla."

"Wait didn't Angel kill Darla?" Willow asked.

"Not dead enough obviously," Xander muttered.
 

Part 4

Spike stared at the Watcher. Replaying what he had said over and over in his head, "Drusilla is in Los Angeles with Darla." He was so happy, he could almost kiss the Watcher...almost, Watchers weren't his type.

"To answer your question. Yes, Darla was, ahem, resurrected by a group of lawyers, Wolfram & Hart--" Giles started.

"See! I told you, lawyers were evil! They're unpatriotic," Anya interrupted.

"Might I continue?" Giles replied.

"Oh, sure...you're British, you don't know the meaning of patriotism," Anya stated.

Giles could feel a migraine coming on and removed his glasses, rubbing his temples. "Angel called..." he looked at Anya to make sure he wasn't going to be interrupted. "He needs help with defeating them. He called us to see if we could spare anyone."

"I'll go!" Spike volunteered, a chipper tone in his voice. Willow stared at Spike, her heart sinking to her stomach. He never looked happier. Not that
she blamed him, Drusilla WAS his sire and they had a whole century together. But she still remembered that kiss that she and Spike had shared in her bed earlier.

Buffy looked at Willow and noted the sad, faraway look in her eyes. She was in love with Spike and now Drusilla's reappearance was going to destroy their possible romance. "Hey! I have an idea, you could make it a family outing," Buffy replied. "You, Spike and baby makes three."

"WHAT!" Spike demanded. "Are you off your bloody rocker? The baby could get hurt!"

"I can take care of Nixie," Willow replied. "And I could help out, I mean, I am knowledge-girl."

Giles nodded. "Very well, Spike, Willow and Phoenix will go to Los Angeles to help Angel," he replied.

Willow gave Buffy a shy "thank you" smile before grinning at the baby she held. "You hear that, princess, we're going to L.A. to meet Uncle Angel...or would he be Grandpa Angel?" she said to Phoenix, the baby cooed.

"I'm gonna miss you, baby," Buffy said to Phoenix. "Be good for Mama, for Auntie Buffy's sake."

Willow grinned and waved Phoenix's arm in a goodbye gesture. "Say bye-bye to Auntie Buffy, Uncie Xander, Auntie Anya and Uncie Giles," she said.

"Buh-bye," Phoenix gurgled.

"Oh, Goddess! Did you hear that? She said her very first words!" Willow gushed. "And she's only two months old!"

Spike whisked Phoenix from Willow's arms and smirked at her. "Oh, of course, you say 'bye-bye' and not something intelligent like 'pillock' or 'bloody hell,'" he teased.

"Don't encourage her, Spike," Willow stated.

"Buddy 'ell," Phoenix replied.

Spike grinned. "That's my girl." Willow, Buffy and Xander rolled their eyes.

~~~

Willow and Spike walked Phoenix home in a comfortable silence until they got back home and realized that her parents were still there. "Mom, Dad, why are you here?" she asked.

"We figured we could be supportive grandparents," Sheila said, beaming.

"Um, where will I sleep?" Spike whined, he had been sleeping in the master bedroom while Phoenix slept in the guest room.

"In Willow's room. On the floor," Ira replied. "Fully clothed." Willow giggled at the look on Spike's face.

"Oh, FINE," he muttered.

"Be nice," Willow teased. "Nixie's exhausted so I'll just put her to bed." She smiled flirtily at Spike. "Oh, Spikey?"

"Yes, Willow?" Spike answered.

"Don't keep me waiting too long," Willow said sexily.

"Oh, no, no. No! Your father and I just remembered an...important meeting in Beijing!" Sheila replied. "Come along now, Ira, don’t want to miss our flight." Sheila dragged Ira out of the house and Willow grinned.

"Oh, can I at least spend the night in your room tonight, Red? If I don't, I have nightmares," Spike said.

"Vampires have nightmares?" Willow asked. "I would not like to see a vampire's nightmare."

"Oh, meadows, flowers, sunshine, fluffy bunnies and rainbows, some scary stuff," he said with mock fear, shuddering.

"I'd hate for you to go through something like that," she teased back. "Sure, if you sleep in your underwear or some pajamas."

"I don't have pajamas and I go commando," he stated.

"Commando?" she asked, then blushed as she got it. "Oh...COMMANDO..." she stammered. "My dad has a boxer shorts collection. I'm sure some'll fit. I'll put Nixie to bed."

"Sure," Spike smirked. Willow nodded and went upstairs, carefully putting the sleeping baby into her crib.

After putting Phoenix into her crib, Willow padded into her room and changed into a pair of shorts and a top. She sat on her bed, brushing her hair out when Spike entered the room. Willow bit her lip to keep from laughing, Spike wore a black t-shirt with a pair of black boxers with the Ghostbusters emblem on them. "Ghostbusters?" she struggled out.

He shrugged. "Why not?" he said then he looked curiously at her shirt. "They didn't have 'Kiss me, I'm British.'"

"Okay," Willow murmured. She lay down on the bed, Spike turned the lights out and she felt the bed shift under his weight. Willow turned to whisper goodnight to him, her eyes looking him over in the pale moonlight then she burst into giggles. "Um, Spike, your boxers are glowing."

"Would you rather me take them off, luv?" he replied.

A quick flash of Spike earlier that day, lying in her bed, naked made her body suddenly get very warm. "No, no...that's perfectly all right," she choked out.

Willow rolled back onto her side and smiled to herself when she felt Spike's body spooning to hers. *I love the way he feels,* she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Spike and Willow woke to find her bed bouncing. "Spike, stop jumping on the bed," Willow whined half-awake.

"Um, Red, I'm not jumping on the bed," Spike replied. Willow sat up.

"If you're not jumping on the bed, then who is?" she shot back as Spike sat up.

"I is," a little voice replied as the source jumped between them: a cute toddler with shoulder-length dark curls and ice-blue eyes wearing an oversized red t-shirt that had been Spike's. "'Bout time you wokeded up. I was beginnings to think you was dead."

Spike stared at the little girl, shock evident on his face. "Who are you?" Willow asked.

"You smell like her," he whispered.

"Don't tell me I's smelly! I don't want no baf!" the girl whined. "I only wants a baf when I's gots boy germs on me. Boys is icky 'cept for Daddy, Uncie
Giles and Uncie Xander."

"Phoenix?" Willow whispered.

"Yeppers, Mummy!" the girl said cheerfully, throwing her arms around Willow. Willow hugged her back.

"You're only two months old and now you're, uh, four years old...how?" Willow whispered.

"Why are you wearing my shirt?" Spike inquired.

"'Cause my cloves wouldna fit me no more."

"I'd imagine not," Spike spoke up. "I guess vampire babies grow up sooner?"

"I think so," Willow whispered. "I guess we have to buy her new clothes. Things are getting very weird here."
 

Part 5

After a lengthy discussion, Willow and Spike decided against telling the rest of the Scoobies about Phoenix but just to go to L.A., thinking it would be better if they waited.  So Willow went into the attic and scrounged through the boxes until she found a box of clothes from when she had been younger.  Carefully, Willow made her way to her bedroom where Phoenix and Spike were engaged in a tickle battle.  Willow laughed and the two looked at her with identical pale blue eyes, the resemblence was uncanny causing her to nearly drop the box.

"What is it, Red?" Spike asked.

"No-nothing," Willow stammered, setting the box on the bed.  "Here, these were my clothes when I was little.  Choose something to wear until we get to L.A. then we can buy you some, okay, sweetie?"

Phoenix nodded and the two vampires looked through the boxes.  Spike chuckled as he pulled out pink courdoroy overalls with a purple heart on the bib.  "You actually WORE this stuff?" he asked.

Willow jerked the overalls from Spike.  "Yeah...you probably wore even frillier things when YOU were a kid," she announced and Phoenix giggled.

"Mummy, donna you have anyfing...not pink?  Pink is the awfullest color evers," Phoenix stated, pouting slightly...she looked like Spike and Willow couldn't deny that.  She shook her head slightly, clearing her mind.

"I don't know..." Willow answered.

"How 'bout this, lit'l bit?  You can wear my shirt over some clothes until we get you some decent ones," Spike replied and Willow glared at him.

Phoenix dug into the box a little longer until she found a red velvet dress with white lace accents and a little red rosette on the collar.  "Ooh, I wike
dis," she chirped, standing on the bed and holding the dress in front of her causing a picture to fall out.

Spike looked at the picture in its frame and smiled slightly.  It was of Willow wearing the pink overalls over a purple and pink striped shirt, her hands in her pockets and her hair in braided pigtails leaning against the moron.  She didn't look much older than Phoenix and had adorable freckles.

Phoenix set the dress down and searched for some underthings and sighed when she finally found some Rainbo-Brite undies.  Spike chuckled, "Rainbo-Brite? And YOU said the Ghostbusters were stupid..." he stated and Willow's face turned the color of her hair.

"Nixie, hun, go change," Willow squeaked, the girl skipped off and Willow scowled at Spike.  "You're not very nice."

"And, what, you're shocked and disappointed?  I'm EVIL," Spike rolled his eyes.

"Evil?  Nope, you're soft and squishy like...something soft and...squishy," Willow finished lamely causing Spike to smirk.

"I vehemently despise you," Willow muttered, looking away from him, her hair settling over her face.

"No...you don't," Spike stated, brushing the hair from her face.  Green met blue and Willow silently begged for him to kiss her, her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and Spike groaned softly.  Closer and closer as his lips moved toward hers, so close and yet so far away.  Finally, unable to wait any longer, Willow made the move and kissed him.  Electricity, every single nerve in her entire body tingled with it and she was alive for once.  She needed this, needed HIM, she realized as she moved closer to his cool, lean body.  Her fingers trailed down his back, feeling the hard cording of his muscles, moving lower...

"MUMMY!  DADDY!" a voice cried and Spike jerked away from Willow, nearly toppling off her bed.

"Yes, sweetie?" Willow panted, her hair slightly mussed and her face flaming with embarrassment.

"What do you fink?" Phoenix asked, twirling around, the skirt floating around her.

"You look adorable, princess," Spike answered.  "Ready to see Uncle Peaches?"

"I have more uncies?" Phoenix cheered, jumping onto the bed.

"Yeah, on your daddy's side," Willow replied.  "I'm going to call Giles."  She left her room, even though it had a phone.  She needed to think...maybe it hadn't happened, maybe he hadn't kissed her?  Correction, SHE hadn't kissed him?  Willow went into the bathroom and looked at her reflection, her lips were swollen from the kiss.  *Okay, so it DID happen?  He's kissed me twice in the past two days? Maybe he likes me?  Or maybe he just wants a quick 'shag'...* Willow frowned at the last thought.  *Maybe he's just trying to get into my pants.  Oh, yeah, LIKE anyone would WANT to get into my pants.*

She quickly splashed some water onto her face.  "Wake up, Willow, no-one, especially not Spike, wants you," she murmured, "remember bottle in the face, having...of you...having me - no, bad Willow.  BAD, he wanted to kill you."  Willow left the bathroom and walked to the living room, picked up the phone and dialed the former Watcher's number.

"Hello?" his voice came over the line.

"Giles, hi, it's Willow, I just called to, uh, say that Spike a-and I are going to L.A., we'll see you soon, okay?" Willow stuttered.

"Be careful," Giles said sternly.

"Always, Giles," Willow answered, smiling.  "Bye."

"Goodbye," he responded and Willow hung up.  She straightened her clothes, fixed her hair and composed herself, walking upstairs.  *If he wants to play 'didn't happen', I'll play too,* she decided.

"Hey, guys, I just called Giles and we'll pack and go to L.A.," Willow announced. Spike arched his scarred brow and Willow went to her closet, grabbed a suitcase and began to meticulously place her clothing in it.  Spike went to the master bedroom to pack his things.

Some time later, Willow's foot tapped impatiently in the living room as Spike continued to pack, it amazed her as to a guy that seemed to have worn the same outfit for the past three years had so much stuff.  Finally, Spike came down and they moved the bags into Spike's black DeSoto.  Spike got into the drivers' side and Willow in the passengers' side, while Phoenix made herself cozy in the backseat.

---

White knuckles clenched the dashboard for dear life as they entered L.A., Phoenix kept on cheering and whooping as Willow turned three shades of red, then pale now her face had a slightly green tinge to it.  Smoke rose as the tires squealed to a stop in front of a hotel, Willow raced inside searching for the nearest bathroom.  "Hey, Willow..." Cordelia started as she whizzed past him, confused hazel eyes met sparkling brown ones.  "What's with her?"

"Spike must've driven," Angel answered, hiding a smirk.

"Spike...isn't he the one who tried to kill you last year?" Gunn asked.

"He got an implant that keeps him from hurting humans," Wesley clarified.

"Oh...so we can say anything to him...and he can't hurt us?" Cordelia chirped.

"Cordelia..." Angel stated.

There was a clicking noise as tiny patent leather Mary Jane-clad feet entered the Hyperion Hotel.  "Wow, Daddy..." she oohed to the owner of the hand that held hers.

Spike rolled his eyes as his other hand brought the cigarette to his lips and he took a deep drag.  "That's Peaches for you, princess," he groaned.  "All flash and gelled nancyboy hair."

"Daddy, what's a nancyboy?" Phoenix asked, wide blue eyes looking up at him.

"Um, nothin' to concern you, lit'l bit," Spike stated, flicking the cigarette away and holding the little girl.

"Did I miss something or did that pretty little girl just call Spike 'daddy?'" Cordelia asked.

"You didn't miss something," Angel answered, his confused look matching the former May Queen's.

"Vampires can't have kids, right?" Gunn asked.

"As far as I know it's never been done," Wesley answered.

Innocent blue eyes widened.  "Are you my Uncie Peaches?" the girl asked.

Willow made her way from the bathroom and rolled her eyes at Phoenix's statement, "I swear, every minute she gets more and more like you," she groaned, taking Phoenix from Spike.

"And that's a bad thing, Red?" Spike smirked.

"His name's Angel, not Peaches, Nixie," Willow stated, ignoring Spike's answer.

"Angel?  Dat's a girlie name," Phoenix replied, making a face.

Spike chuckled, hiding it quickly with a cough.  "HELLO!  In need of information here!" Cordelia cried.

"Oh, yeah..." Willow trailed off.

"She's ours," Spike answered.

"WHAT!?" Cordelia and Angel chorused.

"Can't have kids, right?" Gunn said, arching his eyebrows as he looked at Wesley.

"Um, well...I...I must say, this is quite unprecedented..." Wesley responded.

"SPIKE!  Not OURS ours," Willow stated.  "We found her and she's ours in that way 'cause we've never...um...him and me...uh..."

"We haven't shagged, c'mon, Red, you're eighteen, you should bloody be able to say the words," Spike groaned.

"Okay...who's kid IS she, then, if you didn't have her?" Cordelia asked.

"We don't know...but she's a vampire.  Not an evil vampire, like say an evil vampire'd be, but nice like you and Spike," Willow babbled.

"I'm not NICE, Willow," Spike growled.

"Mummy, I want to play," Phoenix grumbled.

"Gunn, can you?" Angel asked.  "We need to talk."

"Okay, Nix, this is Gunn and he'll take you out to play, okay?" Willow told the girl and she nodded eagerly.

"Uh-huh," Phoenix answered, jumping out of her mother's arms.

Gunn took Phoenix's hand and led her outside.

"So you're saying, she's a vampire?" he asked.  "How long have you had her?"

"Two months and last night she grew to four..." Willow murmured.

"Um, so she was born a vampire?" Wesley inquired.

"I guess so, the note that came with her said she was six days old and nothing about who the parents were," Willow replied.  "Can we talk about WHY we came here in the first place?  You know, Darla and Drusilla?  I think you guys have some explaining to do as well.  Like, how?"

"Lawyers ressurected her, you know, a little more eviler than the normal kind," Cordelia answered.  "Did a big spell brought but she was dying with, yuck, syphillis. So Lindsey, an evil lawyer guy, found Drusilla, they, as in Darla and Drusilla, did the sucky thing and - wham, bam, thank you, ma'am! - double trouble.  Which is really nasty 'cause, that makes Drusilla her own grandsire and Angel Darla's grandsire, talk about incest.  As some guy said, 'what a tangled web we weave.'"

"Okay...thanks for that oh-so-interesting story..." Spike said, rolling his eyes.

"That makes Spike Darla's brother and great-grandchilde, and Angel's uncle and grandchilde, and Drusilla's childe and great uncle..." Willow trailed off at Spike's look, she grinned sheepishly.  "I think too much."

"Right, luv," Spike stated.

---

Drusilla shot up in her bed, a smile brightening her face.  *They're here!* she thought.  *My Phoenix's all grown up and now Spikey, Phoenix and me can be a family...*

The two months she'd been without her daughter had been the worst she could ever remember.  Even more horrible than during Angelus's courting of her.  She realized that she would have Spike and their daughter even if it meant killing Little Tree.

Drusilla carefully crept down the hall to Darla's room.  "Grandmummy?" Drusilla called, pushing the sleeping blonde, the woman didn't stir and Drusilla pouted before shoving her off the bed.  Darla landed with a loud thud and Drusilla hid giggles.  Golden eyes glared up at Drusilla.  "Grandmummy!  I have the most wonderful news!"

The raven-haired clairvoyant began to spin around in tight circles.  "My Phoenix and Spikey are here...we'll be a family!  Through them, we'll get Daddy!"

"Ooh, goodie," Darla said sarcastically.  "Maybe you could have told me AT NIGHT, when we can actually DO something about them."

"Grandmummy, don't be cross!" Drusilla scolded.

"Why don't you go play in the sun," Darla muttered as she stood up, wrapping the covers about her like a toga then climbed back into bed.

Drusilla whimpered and left Darla's room.  She soon quieted as she thought of her lovely daughter.   Phoenix didn't know it yet but Mummy was about to come calling...

next

back