CastawayOne Year, Three Months
Habits
Buffy smiled as she watched Spike sleeping, the vampire purring ridiculously, his head resting against stomach. He had fallen asleep while straining to hear the baby's heart beat, Buffy not having the heart to tell him that the baby's organs had yet to form as of yet.
She was still in awe. In part, due to her seemingly miraculous pregnancy...and to Spike's contagious excitement. They had spent nearly all day making love and cuddling, quietly discussing their baby…their child, sounding like all the world like any other normal parents to be.
As the sun started to fall beneath the horizon, Spike stirred, lashes brushing against his cheek before his eyes opened. He yawned widely, and Buffy cocked her head, watching as he sat up on his hands and knees, arching his back with another yawn, looking like a sleepy, languid jungle cat.
“Morning,” He greeted her, and Buffy raised an eyebrow as he lay beside her, snuggling up to her side and nuzzling her throat, “It's night time, Spike…”
“It's morning for me,” Spike replied sleepily, kissing the skin above her jugular, shoving down the mild blood lust that was characteristic for him when he first woke at night. He had full-control of his demon, and if the time ever came that he didn't, he'd find a branch to stake himself on before he'd ever hurt the beautiful woman running her hands over his chest, or his child, currently a bundle of cells growing within his Slayer's womb.
My Slayer…he let out a short possessive growl as he pressed himself firmly against her, his arousal rubbing against her warm thigh, my Slayer…my child…
“Spike…do we have anymore monkey?”
Spike groaned against her skin, “No…”
“Your stomach's rumbling.”
“Is that code for `get your fine ass out of bed and feed me?'” Spike asked and Buffy smiled coyly.
“You know me so well.”
Spike sighed, dragging himself out of her grasp reluctantly, “Your wish is my command, my darling,” He muttered, kissing her lips, and she gave him a light shove when he tried to deepen it, ignoring his petulant pout.
“Hungry.”
Spike straightened with another sigh, “I'm going,” He pulled on his pants, “This isn't going to become a habit, is it?”
“Most likely,” Buffy answered with a sweet smile as the vampire grumbled beneath his breath and disappeared out the door.
One Year Four Months
Regrets
"I can hear him," Spike grinned as he pressed his ear closer to Buffy's abdomen, then looked up at her in confusion, "Is his heartbeat supposed to be that fast? He's only a little thing..."
"Yep. A baby's heart beats faster then an adult's," Buffy assured him, and giggled as he snuggled back against her stomach, an excited look on his face. She looked up at the clear night sky from where they were lying on the beach, both completely nude after making love in the sand.
Spike's cheek was cool against her skin, and she closed her eyes, letting the sound of the surf wash over her, and feeling the peace of almost complete solitude soothe her to the core. Her entire body felt relaxed and sated, and she glanced down at Spike, who had closed his eyes, absently tracing circles on her stomach, a small smile on his face.
"Any regrets?" She broke the still silence, and Spike lifted his head in surprise, "Huh?"
"About...coming here...to the island? About...not being rescued..."
"Hmmm...there's a double-edged question if I ever heard one..." Spike muttered, kissing her stomach before sliding up beside her, and propping his head on his elbow, "Do you mean...that I could have had the choice between getting stranded, whether or not I would take it?"
"Yeah," Buffy replied softly, "Assuming we made it to Hawaii, and went our seperate ways..."
"In that case...then no. No regrets," Spike dipped his head down, kissing her slowly, then replied once he broke the kiss, "I mean...sucks being stranded, sure...but...if we hadn't, I wouldn't be lying here with you...listening to our child...can you honestly say that...you've been happier then you are right now?"
Buffy thought for a few seconds. Here, there was no stress about Slaying, about Sacred duty...she didn't have to worry about protecting her friends, and no one judged her actions with prejudice. She did miss Willow, though...and she missed Xander and his witticisms...but she wouldn't trade the way Spike was gazing at her as he stroked her cheek lovingly, his deep, blue eyes shining with love and tenderness for anything in the world.
"No," She replied truthfully, and smiled as he buried his face in the base of her throat with a content purr, and she ran her fingers down his back, closing her eyes with a small sigh. She felt Spike's hand trail down her body, and she giggled, opening her eyes to meet his mischeivously shining ones, and pulled him down for a kiss as she gave him a light shove, rolling with him in the sand.
He gazed up at her as she raised herself, and she moaned as she sank down on his erection, "God...I love you so much..." He murmured, and Buffy smiled playfully as she leaned down towards his face.
"Ditto, Fangbreath."
Spike's body slid smoothly through the water, and salt burned the vampire's eyes slightly as he opened them, but he ignored the slight discomfort.
Above him, the full moon lit up the ocean world in a silverly luminance, and a school of fish flashed by him in a beautiful storm of silver and black.
A ghostly shadow passed below him, but he ignored the barricuda, knowing it wouldn't bother him if he didn't bother it. Even so, he couldn't help but feel like an intruder in a world where he didn't belong.
Above him, a black shadow passed, and he glanced upwards, allowing his dead weight to sink closer to the sandy bottom as a nurse shark moved closer to shore, probably chasing the school of fish that had passed him just a few moments before.
He glided closer to the reefs, then unslung the sack from his shoulder, vamping out to see better into the black crevasses in the coral. A flittering, black ribbon moved in his vision, and he jerked back as the moray eel jutted it's head out of it's lair, wide maw gaping, and Spike moved aside as it's long, ribbon-like body moved silkly away.
He turned back to the reef, reaching into a hole carefully, and smiled as his hand closed over a hard shell and he pulled out the alien, wriggling body of a lobster, and shoved it into the sack.
He gave a kick, and he rose to the surface, taking a deep gulp of air he didn't need. He started to breast-stroke back towards shore, where he could see Buffy waiting.
The Slayer smiled as she watched Spike come back towards her, water glittering along his pale white skin as he straightened in the waist-deep water.
Like moonlight...Buffy thought, smiling a bit at the thought as the vampire ran a hand through his longish locks, trying vainly to smooth it back from his forehead, but it only flopped back over his pale brow.
He gave a sigh, looking frustrated, and Buffy giggled at his expense as he came ashore, and she blushed a tiny bit, "You know...there's still some shorts in the hut..."
The vampire shrugged, unconcerned about his current state of undress, "I'd bloody well sell my soul for a bleedin' bottle of hair-gel," He complained, and Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Spike...you don't have a soul."
"Oh...guess I'll have to sell yours. Don't mind, do you?"
She swatted him playfully, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, nuzzling her throat lovingly, hand trailing down to her abdomen as was his habit these days. He couldn't seem to get enough of touching her stomach, wanting to be close to their child as possible. She had a sneaking suspicion that if he could have carried it himself, he would have.
Strange vampire...Buffy thought as he tumbled her down into the sand, then giggled as he tickled her belly with his lips, mouth and tongue.
One Year, Five Months
Trust
Spike smiled slightly as he traced the Slayer's stomach with cool fingertips, watching as the mother of his child slept, a peaceful smile on her lips. He growled softly as possessiveness and love washed over him like the roaring waves washed over the sand on the beach, and he clutched the sleeping mortal closer to him, lovingly brushing his lips over her throat.
He gazed down at the unmarred expanse of golden skin, the demon in him screaming at him to claim what was his, to make Buffy his, truly.
He ignored the demon trapped inside him as he continued to caress Buffy, watching over her as she slept, but couldn't help feeling a twinge of doubt.
He was more then just a demon, while at the same time, he was more then just a man. He was William the Bloody, Spike...a vampire once part of the unholy trinity, the scourge of Europe for a hundred years...killer of two Slayers, murderer of countless innocents, and he didn't regret anything. He was soulless but he loved his mortal enemy with his entire being...his entire self...demon and man.
But could she? Love the demon that both adored her and worshipped her, while at the same time, screaming for her blood...to make her like him, a creature of darkness...could she love and accept that part of him?
He sighed as he brushed her hair from her face, then kissed her forehead lightly, so not to wake her.
It probably didn't matter while they were on the island...but what if they did get off? What if they did get back to the cruel and harsh world full of judgemental people...would she be able to accept and embrace the creature that he was?
He sighed again as he nuzzled her throat tenderly, lying his hand on her abdomen, and lay beside her, inhaling her scent deeply as he tried to fall asleep, but it was a long time coming.
Buffy was pulled from the confines of slumber by the feel of a rough tongue bathing her throat above her cartoid artery, and heat flushed her body as she opened her eyes.
She jerked a bit in surprise when she saw Spike in game-face as he slept, lazily licking her throat, but he made no attempt to bite her, and she relaxed against him, snuggling deeper into his embrace, his skin warm against hers from the body heat she put out.
She reached up and traced the edges of his ridges with her fingertips, smiling as a deep, growling purr started to emanate from his chest, and his eyes fluttered open, flashing amber at her briefly, but he was still deep within the pull of sleep, and Buffy smiled slightly as his purring only deepened, his chest vibrating against hers as she continued to explore his face.
Her fingertips brushed against his lips, and they parted slightly with a soft sigh, and she traced the edges of his fangs carefully, so not to cut herself, then pressed her lips against his gently.
When she withdrew her fingers from his lips, his head drifted back to her throat, and he returned to licking her throat with his rough, pink tongue, and Buffy closed her eyes, falling back to sleep as her demon lover continued to attend to her throat, completely trusting him.
One Year, Six Months
Nesting
He was nesting, Buffy realized in amusement as Spike fussed over her a bit too much, since she wasn't barely even showing her pregnancy, except for a subtle swell of her belly.
He was also child-proofing the entire bungalow, as well as trying to build furniture for the coming child. A half finished trundle-style bed was in the corner, sand lying in a coconut beside it as he tried to sand down the wood the old-fashioned way, not wanting his son or daughter to get splinters.
She knew a little bit about a vampire's nesting habits from half-listening to Giles. Usually, a vampire nested when their mate was in danger from outside sources, or injured in a way that would take a long time to recover from. They would build a safe haven around their mates to protect them, filling it with small comforts and such so that they would want for nothing during their internment.
He was also overly protective of her. Whenever she went out during the day, he would sit on the porch, straining to keep her in sight, and if she wasn't in his view, when she came back, she would find him pacing the length of the porch, and a look of abject joy and relief crossing his face when he saw her.
During the night, he would go everywhere with her, and he never spent much time hunting, since she couldn't follow him into the dark jungle and keep up with his swift, hunter speed without the benefit of his advanced night-sight.
As a result, he sometimes neglected to feed at night, but the instant she indicated that she wanted some red meat, as soon as the sun was set, he'd be out the door, bringing her what she wanted. She took advantage of that fact to keep him healthy and fed.
Also, almost every night, she'd wake to find him licking her throat while he slept, always in game-face, and she wondered idly if he even knew he was doing it. He didn't even seem to be aware of his nesting behavior.
She lay beside him, sleepy and languid, her body sated, which she had a sneaking suspicion was Spike's purpose. If she was sleepy and comfy, she was less likely to stray out of his sight for long, if at all. Devious man...she thought with a smile as he played with her hair, his cool body a welcome sensation from the blazing sun out of doors. He was like her own, personal cooling system.
She snuggled tightly against him, closing her eyes as he nuzzled her neck, kissing her where the junction of her shoulder and throat met, and then he paused, frowning when he noticed the faintly red and abraded skin at her throat, "I think you're getting a rash."
"Hmmm?" She opened her eyes and touched her throat, then smiled a she closed her eyes again, "No...that's just where you were licking me," She told him, watching him from beneath slightly slitted eyes to see his reaction. He looked surprised.
"I was licking you? When?"
"For about a month. You were asleep...and in game-face for some reason," She yawned, "It's no big deal."
"No big deal?" He repeated, sitting up abrubtly, and she looked a bit annoyed at the loss of contact, "I didn't bite you...did I?"
"No, you didn't bite me, didn't even try," She yanked him back down to him, forcing him to lay back down so that she could drape herself over him, "Now hold still. I'm trying to stay cool."
He looked worried still, and she sighed, "Spike...I trust you. I know you won't hurt me, and I think I know what the licking thing is anyway...it's probably a part of your whole nesting behavior."
"Actually...it's not..." Spike looked slightly uncomfortable, "It's...my way...of placing a claim on you without...biting. Unconciously...my demon was trying to claim you while I slept...sorta surprised I didn't bite you..."
"Demon's smart...probably afraid I was going to kick your ass," Buffy teased, then looked up at him curiously, "Your demon wants to claim me?"
"It's...not as sordid as it sounds," He replied quietly, "It's...a way of solidifying a bond between two vampires...and sometimes a vampire and a mortal...that doesn't happen often. Basically, a claim is a way of saying...for example...I belong to you, and you belong to me..." His eyelashes swept up and down almost shyly as he glanced away from her.
She touched his face, and drew his gaze back to her, and she smiled slightly, "Tell me."
He shifted almost uncomfortably, "It's...like saying I would die for you and you would die for me. It's a vampire's version of...marriage, I suppose. It can be dissolved the same as a marriage...by death or one of the parties leaving. But...most vampires who do claim a mate...they do it for life..."
"Was Drusilla your mate?"
"Was...it was dissolved after Angelus came back," Spike shook his head slightly, "We couldn't renew it, since once you are 'divorced', you can't renew it again..."
"And your demon...it wants to claim me?"
Spike nodded carefully, his face carefully guarded, and Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, "What about the rest of you?"
"Uh..." He hesistated, "There's...blood-letting involved, pet...after so long here...after not having human blood for so long..." He looked up at her, "I want to take you as my mate, Slayer...my wife...but I can't...I'm not sure that...I can hold it. I'm not sure that I can taste you and stop...I'm not willing to risk it...and it's even more dangerous with the baby..."
She drew him down for a gentle, sweet kiss, then whispered against his lips, "I trust you...and I want to belong to you...and you to me..."
Spike tore himself from her grasp, and stood up, shaking his head, "You don't know what you're asking for, Buffy!" He said, sounding desperate, "I want this as much as you do...maybe more...but I just...can't, don't you understand what could happen?"
She looked at him levelly before nodding firmly, "I know what I'm asking, Spike...and I love you...and I know you love me. I want this...you can hunt tonight, overtime...just feed till you can't eat anymore...wouldn't that help?"
"Maybe..." Spike said carefully, "But...luv...there's not just the human blood aspect...you're a Slayer...and your blood...it's more potent...powerful..."
She stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his bare chest, sighing slightly, then looked up at him, her face all seriousness as she cupped his face between her two, small hands.
"You know I love you, right?" She told him, "All of you. Do you think that I don't know what you are? That I don' t realize you're a demon...a vampire?"
He looked at her in surprise, wondering if he was that transparent...that she was able to figure him out that easily.
She simply smiled, "I'm a Slayer, Spike...I can't forget what both of us are...I can't forget you're a vampire...but I love you...the demon and the man...just as the demon and the man loves me," She told him softly, "And I want us...to be together...please...do this...for me?"
Spike ran a hand through his hair, then nodded slowly. He would feed that night till he was completely sated...and then he would pray that he wouldn't hurt the woman he loved and the unborn child nestled in her womb. He kissed Buffy's forehead tenderly, and allowed her to draw him back to bed, the man and demon within him fairly singing in anticipation of the gift she would give him that night.
Sunset seemed to take an eternity to arrive, and Spike felt terribly impatient as he waited for the sun to sink beyond the horizon, watching the sky as it lit up in fiery, red tendrils of clouds.
Buffy stood behind him, arms wrapped around his waist, caressing him soothingly, feeling his nervousness flow through his body. She whispered in his ear, and he smiled slightly, tilting his head towards her to kiss her chastely, then flew off the porch as soon as the last bit of fire disappeared from the sky, and Buffy watched him dart across the sand into the jungle with a smile.
She picked up a crudely fashioned bucket and headed towards the pool beyond the hut, careful not to stumble over the thick undergrowth. She glanced towards the cave, where Spike had lain all night in the wind and rain of a hurricane, comforting her, and she bit her bottom lip. She knew at that moment was when she truly fell in love with him, and that he loved her.
She filled her bucket with the cool, spring-fed water, then slipped out of the remnants of clothing she wore, sighing as the water caressed her cool skin. Spike preferred to swim in the ocean, but she was always anxious about things beneath the water she couldn't see. Then again, she had seen the things that had escaped into the ocean from Sunnydale, the fish-boys that had once been teenagers. Who knew where they were now.
After a while, she climbed out of water, and started to pull on her clothes when she heard a low, feral growl.
She frowned, glancing around in the darkness, "Spike...is that you?" She called, "Stop fooling around."
Another growl answered her, and she glimpsed a shadow out of the corner of her eye, and she froze as a sleek, beautiful leopard slinked out of the trees, it's body low to the ground as moon-light glinted off it's fur.
Buffy remained completely still, hoping that it would move on without bothering her. It probably just came to get something to drink.
The large cat slunk towards her, muscles rolling beneath a silkly smooth pelt, and she was transfixed by the beautiful creature, it's amber-eyes, ringed with reddish-brown bore into hers, rooting her to the spot as it came closer and closer, and then sank lower to the ground, it's entire body tensing.
She realized too late it was going to spring, and she screamed as it launched itself at her.
A roar shattered the night as Spike fairly flew through the air, slamming into the leopard, and Buffy watched as pale flesh met with golden-black, and the pair of hunters hit the ground, rolling.
Spike snarled, vamping out as sharp claws sank into his forearms, and the leopard's head darted forward, trying to clamp onto the vampire's throat, but Spike tossed the leopard off, then rolled smoothly to his feet, remaining in a crouch in front of Buffy, golden eyes narrowed as he growled in a low, threatening tone, warning the beast off away from his mate.
The cat sprang again, unheeding of his warning, and Spike lunged forward, meeting the beast half-way, and Buffy couldn't distuinguish between Spike's roars and snarls from the leopard's, and she winced as the leopard sank his fangs into Spike's shoulder.
Spike's eyes flared as he twisted his body, flesh ripping, and a large strip of skin hung out of the leopard's mouth, it's muzzle stained with the vampire's blood. The cat swiped at Spike's, it's claws tearing down Spike's face, opening up his cheek to the bone, and Spike snarled, head darting forward, and his fangs sank into the leopard's jugular.
The beast let out a roar of pain and rage, and then it jerked once, then twice in Spike's grasp as the vampire jerked his head back, effectively ripping it's throat out.
He fed then, hungrily gulping down the blood the animal offered, and Buffy watched him, his body torn and ravaged, his entire body radiating beastility and barely contained savagery.
He dropped the animal, then slowly straightened, his back to Buffy, and then he turned, yellow eyes searching her out in the darkness. He saw her sitting near the edge of the pool, her entire body trembling slightly, and he flowed rather then walked towards her, his body moving with prenatural grace.
He knelt beside her, nuzzling her throat, smearing her hair and neck with blood, his and the leopard's, and Buffy trembled as his tongue roughly lapped it back up, and he growled possessively as he leaned further into her.
The coppery, sickly-sweet smell of blood filled her nostrils as Spike's ridges rubbed against her skin, and his hands were pulling at the clothes that covered her, tearing them, uncaring about the destruction of precious cloth they had no way to replace.
The blood from his wounds dripped down on her and she closed her eyes as his tongue moved along her body, lapping up the precious fluid, his tongue strangely warm from the blood he had just consumed.
He suddenly sat up with a low growl, eyes peering into the darkness around them, and then after a few moments, he visibly relaxed, whatever threat he had detected having moved on.
He looked back down at her, eyes glowing in the darkness, and she reached up, rubbing her fingers over his facial ridges, smiling as he started to purr, and then he moved over her, dropping his head to her breast. He suckled at her nipple gently, careful not to cut her with his fangs, and she arched her body towards him with a small moan, then gasped a bit when he suddenly raked his fangs along her breast, drawing blood. He lapped it up, eyes flashing once more with a silky growl that made Buffy shiver, and then she felt him gently pulling her legs apart as he fastened his mouth around the cut he had made, sucking gently.
Their bodies slid together easily as he thrust into her wet heat, their skin slick with his blood, and the wounds on his back, arms and face began to heal as he slowly drank from her, growling all the while.
Her hands wound into his hair, holding his head to her breast, throwing her head back with a sharp cry as he slammed into her roughly and she lifted her hips up against his while pulling his body tight to hers.
He lifted his mouth from her breast, then nuzzled her throat as he drove into her roughly, nearly snarling as her nails raked down his back, and he sank his fangs into her cartoid artery, where he had been licking her in his sleep.
She immediately screamed his name, cumming violently and thrashing beneath him, and he withdrew his fangs, and guided her face to the juncture of his shoulder and throat. He growled loudly as her blunt teeth tore at his flesh, and her mouth fastened over the wound, drawing in a mouthful of his blood, and he came hard, slamming into her a few times before slumping over top of her.
He was purring as he licked the mark he had left on her throat, his chest vibrating against hers as he purred in contentment, and Buffy laid back on the ground as he slid off her body, panting for breath, her face smeared with blood.
She smiled as he snuggled against her side, his face buried in the base of her neck, arms coming to wrap themselves around her, and she stroked his face as he fell asleep beside her, and she kissed his ridged brow tenderly. My vampire...my love...
One Year Eight Months
Cravings
"Spike...?"
"Hmmm..." The vampire lifted his head sleepily, yawning widely as he looked down at his mate, "What is it, pet?"
"I'm hungry...do we have any mangos left?" Buffy squirmed next to him, hands resting on her slightly swollen abdomen. "I want some mangos."
"Uh...no, pet...you ate the last of them last night..." He told her, trying to lay back next to her, but she pouted at him.
"Could you get me some?"
Spike glanced at the doorway, where the sun was blazing merrily, then looked back down at Buffy, "You're kidding, right?"
"Please?" She pleaded, her eyes going liquid.
"No...don't you dare...it's light out, pet! Me, sunlight...no mixy, remember? Pain, ow, flames, oh look, Spike's a pile of dust?"
In the mother of all mood swings, her eyes flashed angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest, "If I don't get mangos now, I swear to GOD you will never see me naked AGAIN!"
Spike sighed as he slid out of bed, then grabbed his duster and clothes that would somewhat cover him. "Remind me that I love you?"
"You love me more then unlife itself," Buffy said in all sweetness, and Spike gave her a look.
"How long are you pregnant for?"
"Nine months," She answered, snuggling back comfortably in bed, "Why?"
"Oh Lord," He said by way of answer, and Buffy watched as he darted out the door, duster over his head. Less then fifteen minutes later, he was back, holding mangos in one arm, the other holding the duster in place, but nevertheless, he was still a bit charred around the edges as he dropped the mangos on the bed. "There you go, luv," He dropped the duster, and then watched as Buffy picked up one up, sniff it, then toss it aside, and glanced up at him.
"Um...do we have any monkey left?"
He stared at her like she had sprouted a second head, then turned and headed back out, grumbling beneath his breath about certain pregnant Slayers that would be the death of him.
One Year, Nine Months
Movement
"Spike...wake up..."
Spike groaned as Buffy nudged him awake for the tenth time that day, and lifted his head with a glare, "You ate enough to feed all the armies of hell...you CAN'T be hungry again!"
She rolled her eyes at him, then took his hand and placed it over her swollen stomach, smiling as she watched his eyes widen, and he sat up to peer at her bare stomach in interest, placing both hands, palm down, on her belly.
"Bloody hell...it's moving..." His eyes widened even more when he felt a kick against his hand, "Cor..." He looked up at her, "Are you feeling this?"
"It's inside me, kicking up a storm," Buffy rolled her eyes, "Of course I feel it."
"Cor..." He breathed, ignoring her light sarcasm, feeling along her stomach, a wide grin coming to his face. That was his child he was feeling move inside his mate, and he looked up at her, his face crossed with wonder and awe. "That's our kid, Buffy..."
She smiled at him softly, and he moved up her body, keeping on hand on her distended belly as he kissed her slowly and tenderly, listening to the sound of their child's rapid heartbeat and Buffy's slower, relaxed one, and he broke the kiss to peer down at her lovingly.
Her skin was fairly glowing in the late afternoon sunlight, her breasts heavier and fuller due to her pregnancy, and the lines in her face seemed softened, her hair framing her face in golden, shimmering waves.
He lay beside her, resting his head lightly on her stomach and closing his eyes as he listened to the life beating inside her womb.
However, a small, tendril of worry crept into his conciousness as he thought of raising a child in the total isolation that was their life.
What if something went wrong during labour? What if their child got injured or ill? Even something as simple as a cold or a cut could be fatal on the island. Infections could kill their child as surely and swiftly as any disease. For the first time in nearly a year...he wished desperately for a boat to come for them.
One Year, Ten Months
Welcome to Paradise
Buffy waddled awkwardly along the beach, grimacing slightly. She was only eight months along by her calculations, and she felt like a walking, talking whale, and scowled. It was all Spike's fault. He had fattened her up.
She dipped her toes into the surf, smiling slightly as a crab scrambled past her feet, trying to escape a wave, but he was swept up and pulled back into the water, and she watched as the wave receeded and the crab tried to make it back to shore before the next wave could claim it.
She turned her face up towards the ocean, staring out across the crystal blue expanse, and resting her hands on her swollen stomach. She dug her toes into the sand, glancing towards the hut, where Spike was dozing on the porch, where he had been keeping a watchful eye on her.
She suddenly tensed, hands clutching over her stomach as she exhaled sharply, falling backwards onto the sand on her butt.
A sharp pain stabbed her in her womb, and tears sprung to her eyes from the pain as she felt her uterus clench and unclench, and she screamed Spike's name as a thick, water-like substance pooled onto the sand from between her legs.
The vampire dozing on the porch jerked awake at her screams, and he saw Buffy doubled over on the beach, curling around her ample stomach and nearly lunged out, despite the sun beating down from the sky.
He paused just in time, then grabbed his duster and jerked it over his head before flying out towards her. "Buffy! What is it?!"
"Oh God..." She gasped as another pain ripped through her, "It's coming..."
The vampire's eyes widened as he scooped her up, ignoring the flare of agonizing pain as the light hit exposed skin, and he ducked his head, running back towards the hut. He was smoking as he despoited her on the pallet, and Buffy screamed as another contraction ripped through her body.
"Spike...make it stop!" She wailed, trying to curl inward on herself once more, but Spike held her by the shoulders.
"Luv...you have to relax...lay straight," He told her, gently getting her to lay on her back, "It's all right...just a bit earlier then we thought..."
Buffy calmed a bit as he stroked her hair, talking to her in low soothing tones, and Spike mentally timed the intervals between her contractions, wincing a bit. Only a few minutes apart. The kid was eager to get out, apparently.
He left her side briefly to build a fire and set some water by it to warm, careful that the smoke wouldn't waft back into the hut from the porch, and he returned to her, carrying several clean rags that had once been clothes, and he sat beside her, taking her hand.
Buffy panted heavily as she looked up at Spike, her face pale and drawn, and Spike gently bathed her sweaty forehead with water, and he smiled down at her reassuringly, "It's all right, Buffy..." He soothed, "Everything's going to be just fine..."
"He's early," She said worriedly, "What if he's too early?"
"He's not...well...we don't know for sure," Spike told her, trying to ease her fears, "We could have been off about the date we concieved, pet...it's fine, everything's fine."
She could detect the hint of worry beneath his reassuring tone, and tensed a bit as she felt another contraction coming, then screamed when it hit, her hand clamping down on Spike's.
Spike's eyes went wide, and then he was screaming along with her as his hand broke under the pressure she was applying to it with her Slayer strength, and he ripped it away. "SON OF A BITCH!"
Buffy relaxed back against the pallet as it passed, and Spike cradled his hand to his chest, staring down at Buffy in surprise, and then subtly slid a bit away from her before she got her hands on something really important.
"Slayer, relax...and keep your hands to yourself," he told her gently, wincing as he popped his fingers back into place, then nudged her legs open and slid her ragged, drawstring shorts down her legs, trying to remember everything he had learned watching his mother at work. However, the urge to race down the sand, screaming his head off was distracting him a bit.
Right...got the warm water...clean rags...shit...shit...forgetting something...what am I forgetting?
He was jerked from his thoughts by Buffy screaming again, her back arching off the bed, fingers digging into the wood beneath, driving splinters beneath her nails. "OH GOD! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!"
Right...sedatives...shit...there was nothing on the island that could be used to dull her pain, and he looked at her sympathetically. There was nothing he could do but try to relax her and let nature take it's course. The baby would only come when it was ready, and the more she fought it, the more painful the labour would be.
"Buffy...Slayer..." He reached up and brushed her damp bangs away from her forehead, forcing her to look at him, "You have to breathe, luv...don't hyperventilate...it doesn't help," He told her as he started to massage her stomach, trying to ease some of the pressure on her, and she relaxed under his touch, and he smiled at her. "That's right, ducks...you can do this. You're a Slayer...you can take a little labor pain, right?"
"It hurts so much," Buffy whispered, "What if there's something wrong...?"
"Child-birth hurts, pet...but just you, not the baby. Everything's fine down here...promise," He reassured her, "You have to relax or it'll be worse for you. You can't fight it. Just...follow your instincts, all right, pet? You can do that..."
Buffy bit her bottom lip, nodding at him as she laid back and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of his hands rubbing in circles on her stomach instead of the pain, and her next contraction was just as forceful as the others, but she managed to force the pain to the back of her mind.
Spike continued to talk to her in soft, soothing voice till he saw that she had fallen into a semi-trance, and he smiled a bit. Hanging out with Drusilla for so long, a bloke was bound to pick up a few tricks.
He felt her body shudder every once in a while as another wave of pain hit her, but she only let her head slump a little to the side, and Spike kissed her throat as he kept rubbing her stomach, gently urging the child along with his hands, hoping desperately that her labor wouldn't last too long.
Around sundown, Buffy's contractions finally started to come faster, and Spike knelt between her legs, pulling her slowly to the edge of the pallet so that her legs bent at the knee, and he glanced up into her slightly dazed face, sweat beading her brow, and he continued to talk to her.
Soon, the baby was crowning, and Spike snapped his fingers in front of Buffy's face, calling her name loudly, and she blinked, then gasped in pain as she was torn from her trance. "Oh...GOD!"
"Come on, Slayer...time to push now, eh?" He said, kneeling between her legs once more, "Come on, Buffy...you can do it...just give a gentle push..."
She felt his hands on brush along the inside of her thighs, and she grunted as she pushed, her back arching a bit, and Spike continued to encourage her. "Harder then that, Buffy...put some of your strength behind it!" He instructed, sounding almost desperate, "You're almost there, Buffy...come on, luv..."
Buffy gave a final scream, and then Spike gave a shout as he helped the child the rest of the way. "Got him!" He started to clean away bits of ambiotic sac from the child, then reached for a knife made of stone, cleanly cleaving the umblicical in two. Then froze. He wasn't breathing.
"Shit..."
Buffy sat up weakly at his soft curse, her eyes wide, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, pet," Spike told her, opening the baby's mouth and using a finger to gently probe the baby's throat, chewing on his bottom lip, then gave a sigh of relief as a rush of fluid filled the baby's mouth, and then shrill crying filled the hut.
Buffy sank down in relief, her eyes on Spike as he wrapped the child up in the clean rags, cleaning away the last of the fluid, and the vampire sent her a lopsided grin, delighted. "Told you it was a boy!" He fairly crowed, then knelt down beside Buffy as tears filled the Slayer's eyes.
Her eyes drank in the sight of her son's small, tiny red face, all scrunched up as he sobbed, his little fists clenched as he shook them, obviously displeased about being forced from the warmth and comfort of her womb.
"He's beautiful," Buffy breathed as Spike laid him beside her, and the vampire smile was watery as he stroked his baby-soft hair, the color and softness of corn-silk.
"Think he still wants to be called Jennifer?" Spike asked curiously, and Buffy giggled softly as she held the baby to her breast, and a look of pure joy crossed her face as he began to suckle, pressing his face closer to her as he drank.
Spike kissed Buffy's forehead lovingly, then laid his head against hers as he stroked the baby's sleek, soft head, and Buffy smiled down at the child. "Hello, Will..." She murmured tiredly, spent from the birthing ordeal, but was happier then she had ever been as she clutched her child, their child to her breast. "Welcome to our paradise."
Spike smiled as the baby sleepily snuggled closer to Buffy's warmth, and climbed into bed with them, the baby between the Slayer and her vampire mate, and he kissed her lips gently, then rested his forehead against hers as they gazes were enraptured by the sight of the tiny child that they had created together.
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