Chapter 19


Buffy woke up several hours later, lying in her own bed. She remembered
Spike feeling the babies move, and she must have fallen asleep on the couch.
Standing up, she looked at the skirt and top that she’d been wearing since
the night before and grabbed a pair of black pants and a sleeveless shirt to
change into after a shower.

Buffy took a long, hot shower, trying to soothe the aching muscles that
never seemed to leave her back, before stepping out and towel-drying her
hair. Getting dressed, she pulled her hair into a loose, damp bun at the
back of her head, tucking the loose strands behind her ears as she started
downstairs.

She noticed it was already getting dark outside when she smelled a heavenly
aroma coming from the kitchen. Confused, Buffy walked through the doorway
and paused when she saw Spike standing at the stove.

“I thought you left,” she said quietly.

Spike turned to face her and walked over, giving her a gentle kiss on the
cheek. “Just to get some food, luv.”

“You’re cooking me dinner?”

“Yep, and you’re going to eat every bite,” he said with a stern look.

“Spike, I don’t need you baby-sitting me.”

“Buffy, when was the last time you ate a real meal?” Spike waited as Buffy
thought about the question. “You see? Now, be quiet and let me feed you,
alright?”

Buffy smiled. “And if I refuse?”

“Well, I’d hate to try and force-feed a twenty year old woman, but I’m not
above it,” Spike replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, I don’t really feel like that either,” Buffy said, sitting down at
the island as Spike turned back to the stove.

“So what are you cooking?”

“Lemon-peppered chicken, mashed potatoes, rice, stuffing, and rolls.”

Buffy stared at him with wide eyes as he read the menu. “You’re serious?”

“Completely. Buffy, you need to eat better. You’re not just eating for
you, you know,” he replied.

“I know that, Spike. I’ve known that for over six months now. It’s not
like I’m starving myself. I’m just not the best cook, alright?”

Spike stayed quiet for a few minutes as he finished preparing the food
while Buffy absent-mindedly flipped through a magazine on the island.

“I still want to be with you, Buffy.”

Buffy’s head snapped up to his at the confession. She swallowed hard as she
looked into his eyes. “Spike, I-“

“You don’t believe me. I know…I just thought I owed it to you to tell you.
It’s the truth, Buffy.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Say that you’ll think about it. Tell me that maybe, someday, we’ll get a
second chance.”

Buffy looked down at her hands, shaking in her lap. “Spike, I would just
always wonder if it was because I got pregnant.”

“I get that, Buffy, I do. That’s why I’m not asking for a decision now.
Just give me something, luv. Anything,” he whispered as he walked over to
face her, tilting her head up to look at him.

“Someday…if we’re both sure it’s what we want and not what we feel we should do,” she said with a soft smile.

“Thank you,” he whispered, restraining himself from leaning forward to kiss
her. Stepping away, Spike turned his attention back to the stove.
“So…how’s work?” he asked, trying to change the subject.

“Good…very good. Much better than that grease-trap I was working in.”

Buffy watched as Spike began spooning out large portions onto a plate and
walked over to her. “You want to eat here or in the dining room?”

“Here’s fine,” she said with a smile.

Spike set a plate in front of her and went to the refrigerator. Buffy
raised an eyebrow as he returned with a tall glass of milk. “No arguments.”

Buffy raised her hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t say anything.”

Spike arched an eyebrow of his own and gave her a smirk but remained quiet.
Buffy watched as he filled his own plate and grabbed a beer, sitting on the
counter, before coming to sit next to her.

“Now that’s certainly not fair,” Buffy said, gesturing to the beer bottle.

Spike contemplated her for a second with a bemused expression. “You don’t
drink, luv.”

“It’s the principle.” Buffy smiled as she heard Spike let out a chuckle.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke. “Can I ask you a
question, pet?”

“Sure.”

“We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do after the babies are born.”

“That’s not a question,” Buffy said with a smile.

“Alright, what are we going to do?”

Buffy saw the nervous expression on his face. “I’m not going to keep them
from you. You know that, right?”

“I know…I just…there’s a lot to go over, Buffy. What are you going to do
about money?”

Buffy took a deep breath. “I’ll work something out, Spike. Don’t worry.”

“You know that I’m going to support my children.”

“Just as long as you’re not supporting me,” Buffy replied, looking at him.

“Meaning?”

“I have no problems if you want to buy them whatever you want, but you
will not be giving me an absurd amount of money each month.”

“Buffy-“

“Spike, no.”

“Alright then…what about other things?”

“Like what?”

“Cribs, changing table, a million other things.”

“I’m going to go to a second-hand store and pick up most of those things.”

“You bloody well are not!”

“And why not? There are perfectly acceptable items at those stores!”

“I’ll get it for you.”

“Spike-“

“Buffy, these are my kids. I want them to have the best, so just let me
work a few details out, okay?”

Buffy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said
softly.

“You know, I don’t hear that from you very often, luv. I like the sound of
it.”

Buffy swatted him playfully on the arm before turning to finish her meal.

Chapter 20 - You Gotta Have Friends


A few weeks later, Buffy was being dragged from store to store by an
overzealous Anya. Sundays were her day off, and Buffy was rapidly regretting
her decision of accepting Anya’s invitation to go shopping. She was swiftly
approaching her due date, and she felt as if she was growing bigger by the
day. Spike had been wonderful the past few weeks. Making sure to stop by several times a week. He had been working so much lately, that it had been difficult for the two of them to coordinate their schedules, but he had been calling at least twice a day to check on her.

“Come on, Buffy, just one more store.”

Buffy inwardly groaned but followed Anya into a store on the corner and
gasped when she entered. The store was filled with baby items. Buffy had
studiously avoided these stores since she didn’t have the money to spare at
this time to go and buy anything she wanted. She looked at Anya and had to
smile at the excited expression on her face.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing Buffy’s hand like an eager little girl.
“Let’s go pick out something for those babies.”

“Anya, I can’t right now, I don’t have the money.”

“Nonsense,” Anya replied with a wave of her hand. “I plan on buying them
something.”

Buffy gaped at her friend. “You’re going to spend money on my babies?”

“Well, of course. I’m not a tightwad, I’ll have you know.” At Buffy’s look,
she continued, “I just like to manage my money, is that a crime? Besides,
you’re practically family, and I have a right to spoil my new niece and
nephew.”

Buffy felt tears come to her eyes at Anya’s generosity. “Thank you so
much,” Buffy whispered as she hugged her.

“Okay, enough with the pregnant woman hormones. Let’s pick out something
pretty for those babies.”

For over an hour, the two girls searched through the racks of clothes,
periodically holding up an item for the other to 'ooh' and 'aah' over.

“Found it!” Anya called from the other side of the store as she made her way
back to Buffy. Once Anya reached her, she held up a tiny pink dress trimmed
in white lace with a matching pair of frilly white socks. Buffy gasped when
she saw it and gave an excited hop. “It’s perfect.”

“I know,” Anya said with a smile. “Okay, one down and one to go.”

They searched a little while longer until Buffy came across a little blue
and white sailor suit. Before she even got a good look at it, Anya snatched
it out of her hands and took it up to the register. After the items were
paid for and the woman working asked Buffy all kinds of questions about her
pregnancy, they headed out of the store. Once outside, Buffy gave Anya
another hug. “Thank you so much! It’s so wonderful to know I have your
support.”

“Of course you do, silly,” Anya said, patting her on the back. “Now, let’s
get you home.”

* * * * *

Buffy was practically giddy as she and Anya arrived at her house. Unlocking
the front door, Buffy stepped through and gasped as her friends all stood
there.

“SURPRISE!”

“Oh my God,” Buffy whispered as she took in the blue and pink streamers,
buffet table laden with food and punch, presents piled on a smaller card
table, and the banner that read ‘It’s a Boy & a Girl.’

Buffy looked at her friends and saw that everyone was here. Willow was the
first to approach her. “We thought it would be more fun if we gave you a
surprise baby shower,” she said with a bright smile.

Buffy hugged her best friend. “Thank you so much,” she said, looking around
the room before turning to Anya. “Is this why you dragged me to every store
in town?”

“No, I would have done that anyway.”

Buffy laughed as she turned to see her friends. “Cordy!” she said
excitedly when she saw her friend. Cordelia had moved to L.A. after
graduating high school and was now on a successful sitcom.

“Congratulations, Buffy! I haven’t seen you in forever,” Cordy said, giving
her a hug.

“I know, it’s been a lifetime,” Buffy said, looking around the room. She
could see Giles, Oz, Angel, and even Fred and Gunn. Buffy frowned, turning
to Willow. “Where’s Spike and Xander?”

“Oh, they’re on there way. Xander’s, uh, car broke down, and Spike offered to
go pick him up.”

Buffy nodded, not entirely convinced, but went to greet the rest of her
friends anyway.

By the time she got to Angel, Buffy was already feeling tired. “Sit down,
Buff,” Angel said, leading her to the couch.

“Thanks,” Buffy said with a grateful smile. “I’m sorry I haven’t seen you
in a while. I’m not trying to avoid you or anything.”

“It’s okay, Buffy, I know. I’m just glad you got your old job back,” he
said, taking the seat next to her.

“It’s been a crazy couple of months,” Buffy said with a nod. “I think
things are finally slowing down for the time being.”

“At least until the little ones decide to make an appearance.”

“Yeah,” Buffy agreed with a smile.

“When do you start Lamaze?”

“Next week. Three classes, and then I’m ready to go.”

“Listen, if you need a partner or even just a ride to get there, let me
know, okay?”

Buffy was about to reply when she heard a voice over her shoulder, “It’s
already covered, mate.”

Buffy turned to face Spike, glaring daggers at Angel. Before she could say
anything, she saw Angel stand up to face Spike. Feeling like she had no
other option, Buffy stood and planted herself between the two males. Trying
to keep things calm, she fixed a smile on her face. “Spike, this is Angel.
Angel…Spike.”

Buffy could feel the tension radiating off the two as Angel slowly extended
his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, though the tone didn’t
imply that it was all good things.

Spike warily eyed the hand, but catching the pleading look on Buffy’s face,
decided to try and behave for her sake. Shaking Angel’s hand, Buffy could
tell that they were both practically crushing the other with the pressure of
their mutual grips.

“Uh, guys,” Buffy said hesitantly. “Guys!” When they finally let go of
each other to look at her, Buffy sighed in exasperation before turning to
Spike. “Can I talk to you, outside?”

“Sure thing, luv,” Spike said with a smile. Turning to Angel, the smile
turned almost menacing. “See you around.” As he put his hand on the small
of Buffy’s back to lead her to the back door, Buffy could have sworn she
heard a muttered ‘Poofter,’ but she couldn’t be sure.

Walking out into the backyard, Buffy inhaled the crisp fall air before
turning to face Spike. “What’s with the pissing contest?”

“I don’t know what you mean, luv,” he replied with faux innocence.

“Save it, William,” she said sternly. “Angel’s here because he cares for
me, which means he cares for the twins, so guess what? You both have
something in common.”

“You dragging him out here to give him the same lecture?” he asked with a
tinge of anger in his voice.

“No,” Buffy replied quietly. “Because I expect you to be the bigger man in
this scenario.”

Buffy watched as Spike’s features softened as he tilted his head. “It’s important to you?”

“It is.”

“Then I guess I can try and play nice,” he said with a sigh.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Buffy stood on her tiptoes to give Spike a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Better be careful, pet,” Spike said, opening the back door and allowing her
to walk through first. “I might get used to hearing you say that.”

Spike smirked as Buffy whirled around to smack him in the chest. With a
smile, she looked at him. “I’m going to go talk to Giles. Remember, you
promised.”

“Yeah, yeah. But if he thinks he’s going to take you to that breathing
thing, he’s got another thing coming.”

Buffy giggled. “It’s called Lamaze, Spike. And you never mentioned wanting
to go.”

“Well, I’m mentioning it now, aren’t I?”

Buffy nodded. “Okay. You go play now.”

Spike groaned as Buffy walked off, turning to survey the room. “Alright,
where is the bloody wanker?”

* * * * *

Spike slowly made his way over to Angel, stopping to stand in front of him.
“Alright, Peaches, Buffy wants us to get along, so what do you say we have a
comfortable relationship of hating one another?”

“Fine with me,” Angel agreed with a scoff.

Spike raised an eyebrow at him before taking a deep breath. “Look…Buffy
told me that you were a friend of hers during…while we weren’t speaking. I
want you to know…I appreciate it.” Spike practically had to spit the words
out.

“Yeah,” Angel said with a nod. “She was having a rough time of it. Needed
an outsider's opinion.”

Spike gritted his teeth at the knowledge that this man could know so much
about his relationship with the woman he loved. “Yeah, well…good.”

As Spike turned to walk away, he heard Angel softly reply, “You know I would
give anything to be in your position.”

Spike turned around, his vision blurred as he tried to control the rage that
built up in him. “Are you in love with her?” he asked, trying to refrain
from throwing any punches.

“Love’s a strong word. I care for her, like I care for any of my close
friends.”

“Good to know,” Spike said with loathing in his voice. “Because I’d hate to
have to hurt you.”

Angel laughed. “Like you could.”

Spike took a menacing step closer. “You want to find out?”

“Spike!” Willow cried, stepping in between the two men. “I-I haven’t seen
you today. How are you?”

“Good, Red, and you?” Spike asked, taking a deep breath to control his anger, never taking his eyes away from Angel.

“Oh, good…real good. I think Oz wants to talk to you,” Willow replied
before turning to the taller man. “Angel, would you mind helping me in the
kitchen…please?”

“Sure, Willow. See you around, Spike.”

“Count on it, mate,” Spike said, grinding his teeth as he went to find Oz.

Willow led Angel into the kitchen and fidgeted around with some of the extra
food. “Angel, I’ve gotten to know you over the past few months, and I know
all you want is what’s in Buffy’s best interest.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking at Willow in confusion.

“I think if you want to keep your friendship with Buffy, you’re going to
have to get along with Spike,” Willow said, choosing her words carefully.

“I know,” Angel said with a sigh. “I just hate that he left her alone for
so long.”

“Angel, you know as well as I do that Spike didn’t know she was pregnant.”

“And that stopped him from talking to her at all?”

“Okay, I’ll give you that. But, Buffy could have just as easily have made contact with him and we all know this. Angel, these babies are going to link them together, and you need to decide if you want your friendship with Buffy to last.”

“Present time, everyone!” Anya yelled through the house.

“Just think about what I said,” Willow said, turning to go back into the
living room.

Angel took a deep breath and walked into the living room. He could see
Spike standing close to the front door with a drink in his hand and
approached him. “Okay…you win.”

“Really? Do I get to pick the prize of my choice?”

“I’m trying to apologize, Spike.”

“So sorry, go right ahead,” Spike said, adopting a higher-class British
accent.

“Look…whatever resentments we may have for one another…bottom line is, I
care about Buffy, and I know you do, too. So let’s just try and get along.”

“Sounds good to me, Peaches.”

“Glad you think so, bleach boy,” Angel said with a smile.

Surprisingly, they both shared a chuckle and watched as Buffy sat in a chair
as Anya began running back and forth, delivering presents.

“Open mine first,” she said, handing Buffy a silver bag.

“Anya, you already got the babies something, you didn’t have to do this.”

“Oh, this isn’t for the babies, this is for you.”

Buffy smiled and reached into the bag, pulling out a red lace teddy. Buffy
blushed the color of the garment as Giles took his glasses off and
frantically began rubbing them with a soft cloth. Buffy bit her lip and
looked at Spike, who had a smirk on his face and raised an eyebrow at her,
almost in an invitation.

“Um…thank you, Anya.”

“Oh, you’re welcome. I figured, you’re losing out on a number of orgasms
right now, so if you wear that to bed, you will most definitely make up for
it.”

Spike tried to hide a chuckle as he took a drink, earning a glare from
Buffy.

“I hope you like the style,” Anya continued. “That’s Xander’s favorite,
well, except for the naughty nurse outfit and-“

“Anya!” Xander yelled, getting her attention. “Remember what we’ve talked
about?”

“Oh yes,” Anya replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m not allowed to
mention the games we play.”

Everyone in the room tried to suppress a chuckle as Buffy opened the next
present.

* * * * *

Half an hour later, the living room was covered in wrapping paper and bows.
Buffy was surrounded by piles of clothes, bottles, diapers, hooded towels,
pacifiers, and teething rings.

“Thank you so much, everyone!” Buffy said with tears in her eyes.

“That’s not all, luv,” Spike said from the corner of the room. Walking over,
he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a standing position. “Come on,
everyone.”

Spike led Buffy up the stairs and down the hall, stopping in front of the
spare bedroom and opening the door. Buffy gasped at the sight in front of
her. The room was painted a soft, powder blue. A crib stood in one corner and
a changing table against the wall, while a glider rocker sat in the other
corner. Buffy couldn’t believe her eyes as she stared into the room.

“Spike, how-“

“We’ve been working on it every chance we get while you’ve been at work.”

“We?”

“Me, Giles, Xander, Oz, Willow…occasionally Anya,” Spike said with a smile.

“The crib and the-“

“Xander made them both.”

Buffy turned to face Xander, the tears finally spilling down her cheeks as
she saw the excited faces of all of her friends.

“Don’t start crying yet, luv. I may still be in some trouble.”

“Why’s that?” Buffy asked, wiping the tears from her face.

“This way,” Spike said, taking her hand again and leading her to her
bedroom. He opened the door, and Buffy looked at the bare room. The walls
were freshly painted a pretty lavender color, but the room was empty. Buffy
looked at Spike in confusion.

“We all talked it over, and we thought you should be the one in the master
bedroom.”

Buffy bit her lip as she thought about it. It was her mother’s room, but it
did make the most sense. “I can’t believe you all did this for me.”

“Well, this room’s not finished, obviously,” Xander said. “We were running
a little behind, and we’ve got the furniture in a truck outside.”

Buffy’s mouth dropped open as she looked from Spike to her friends.
“Spike-“

“You’re not turning it down, Summers,” Spike said before she could protest.
He took a step closer to her, putting his hand on her stomach. “My babies,
too, remember?”

Buffy smiled before giving him a hug. “You don’t know how much this means
to me,” she whispered as his arms went around her waist.

* * * * *

Buffy told all of her friends good-bye an hour later. Shutting the door
after giving Willow one last hug, she turned around and faced Spike.

“You did too much today, Spike,” she said, leaning against the door with a
smile on her face. The men had spent the last twenty minutes moving the
crib and changing table into the room.

“And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat just to see that look on your face,
luv,” Spike replied softly. Reaching for his coat, he pulled it on as he
walked closer to Buffy. “I better get out of here.”

“Okay,” Buffy said softly.

“Let me know when to pick you up for the class this week.”

“Will do,” Buffy said, nodding her head as she opened the door for Spike.
Watching as he walked through, Buffy called after him as he got to the top
step. “Spike.” She stepped forward as he turned and reached a hand around
his neck, pulling him down to leave a tender kiss on his lips. “Thank you
for being here,” she echoed the words she had told him so long ago.

Spike leaned forward to gently claim her lips in another chaste kiss. “My pleasure, Buffy.”

Chapter 21 - Going Out


Buffy dressed in her favorite maternity jeans and a white turtleneck
sweater. The Lamaze classes that she had signed up for were only offered on
a Friday night, and the temperature was rapidly dropping as winter
approached. Buffy had left the curl in her hair from her shower that
morning and quickly ran a brush through it as the doorbell rang. Buffy
made her way down the stairs and answered the door, smiling at Spike as he
stood nervously. They hadn’t seen each other since the baby shower, and it
was obvious he wasn’t sure how to act around her.

“You ready?” Buffy asked, grabbing her coat.

“Let’s go, luv.” Spike grasped Buffy’s elbow and helped her out of the
house and down the front steps.

“You know, everyone’s treating me like I’m made of glass,” Buffy said as
Spike opened the car door for her. “I’m not going to break.”

“I know that,” Spike replied, leaning close to whisper in her ear. “You’re
worth a hell of a lot more than glass, baby.”

Buffy felt the tingles rush up and down her spine at the feel of him so
close to her. Spike shut the door after Buffy climbed in and jogged around
to the other side. Starting the car, Buffy jumped slightly when she felt
his hand take hers in a loose hold. She stared out of the window and smiled
at the fact that he was touching her.

* * * * *

Buffy had to suppress numerous giggles as the Lamaze instructor ordered all
the coaches to perform the breathing exercises, to get a better understanding of what the women would be going through.

“Laugh it up, Goldilocks,” Spike muttered under his breath when he saw Buffy
smother yet another laugh.

“Now, Spikey, no talking,” Buffy said. “You have to concentrate on getting
that baby out.”

Spike shot her a glare as he continued the heavy breathing.

“Good job, coaches,” the instructor called from the middle of the circle.

Spike had nearly walked out when they had arrived and he discovered that the
instructor was a man. He didn’t understand how a man could properly coach the correct procedures of having a baby. Buffy had firmly held his hand, arguing that if her OB/GYN was a man, then surely it wouldn’t matter if the
teacher was. Besides, she liked Lorne. He had a friendly demeanor that made her feel at ease with any situation.

As the class ended, Buffy gave Lorne a hug.

“Now you be sure and let me know when those babies get here, cupcake,” Lorne told her. “I definitely want to see the beautiful children you and sugarplum bring into the world.”

“No problem, Lorne,” Buffy said as she grabbed Spike’s sleeve and dragged
him out of the room. “See you next class.”

As they entered the hallway, Spike looked down at Buffy. “I know he didn’t
just call me sugarplum.”

“Of course not, cupcake,” Buffy said with an innocent look.

Spike growled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she laughed.
“Have you had dinner, luv?”

“Um…not exactly.”

Spike turned her around, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist as he
stared at her. “What about lunch?”

“Yeah, I had something.”

Spike raised an eyebrow in question as she sighed.

“I did.”

She saw Spike’s jaw tick as he tried to control whatever he was about to
say. “Come on, Buffy.”

As Spike took her hand, Buffy felt herself practically being dragged down
the hallway. “Spike, where are we going?”

“To get you some food.”

Buffy sighed as he pulled her out of the building and opened his car door
for her. “I can grab something at home, Spike.”

“I know you can, but you won’t.”

“Look, I’ve been keeping a close eye on my weight to make sure I’m gaining enough. The nutritionist I talk
to at every doctor's appointment says that I’m fine, so don’t worry about me,
okay? Sometimes I would just rather sleep than do anything else.”

“Well, guess what, Summers? You’re not asleep, so we’re feeding my babies.”

Buffy knew it would be smarter to stay quiet, so she simply got in the car.

* * * * *

Buffy and Spike were soon sitting in an Italian restaurant. Spike took the
liberty of ordering a giant plate of pasta for Buffy, complete with bread
and salad. He watched Buffy carefully as she picked at what was left of her
pasta, scooting it around her plate with a strange expression on her face.

“What’s wrong, pet?”

“Hmm?”

Spike smiled gently at her when she raised her eyes to his. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh…just…a lot on my mind.”

“Such as?”

Buffy sighed, biting her lip for a moment before she spoke. “Do you think
I’ll be a good mom, Spike?” she asked with tears in her eyes.

Spike was up in an instant, sliding in next to her to wrap her in his arms.
“You’ll be a wonderful mom, Goldilocks,” he whispered reassuringly into her ear.

Buffy felt her heart speed up as Spike gently tilted her chin up before
slowly moving toward her lips.

“More wine, sir?”

Buffy had to suppress a giggle at the untimely waiter. The look on Spike’s
face was priceless. “No,” he practically growled through clenched teeth.

Buffy smiled as the man quickly rushed away before cuddling closer to
Spike. It had been so long since she was able to take comfort in anyone
this way, and Buffy relished the feel of his arms wrapping her in a snug
embrace. After a few minutes of comfortable silence and just enjoying the
feel of the other person, Buffy pulled away slightly to look up into his
eyes.

“You know, we’re going to have to pick out some names pretty soon.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure, we’re not naming our son William. Poncey
name,” he muttered under his breath.

“I like William,” Buffy said softly. The double meaning wasn’t lost on
Spike as he looked down into her shining eyes.

“So, what are our choices?” Spike asked after a few moments.

For the next hour, Buffy and Spike discussed a wide array of names, ranging
from the classics to the hilarious before coming to a decision. Anyone who
looked over at the table couldn’t help but smile at the happy couple.

Chapter 22 - Labor


Buffy woke up early the next morning with a sharp pain in her stomach. She
breathed heavily, trying to get the pain to pass. Gasping when it finally
ended, Buffy cried out as another spasm shot through her belly. This wasn’t
normal indigestion or a stomachache- something was wrong. Buffy tried not
to panic at the thought that she was in labor. She was still several weeks
from her due date, and if these were contractions, they were irregular. When
another seizing pain gripped her stomach, Buffy didn’t think as she grabbed
the phone and hit redial, not caring who she got as long as someone picked
up the phone.

“Hello?” said a sleepy voice through a yawn.

“Willow,” Buffy said in a gasp.

“Buffy, what is it? Is something wrong?” Willow asked, instantly awake.

“I think I’m having contractions,” as another pain came over her.

“Oh, Goddess, I’ll be right there!”

Buffy disconnected and crawled out of bed, doing her best to get dressed in
the few seconds she had between the pains. She was trying her hardest not
to get frightened at the speed that they were coming, but it was a lost
cause.

Buffy put on a fleece pull-over, not bothering to change out of her black
jogging pants. She ran a brush through her hair, gripping her dresser as a
wave of nausea hit her. A few seconds later, Buffy heard the key turn in
the lock as Willow came bolting in the house. Buffy was glad that she had
given her friend a spare since she didn’t think she would be capable of
making it down the stairs unassisted.

Glancing at the clock as Willow ran up the stairs, Buffy had to smile.
“How fast did you drive?”

“Only ninety,” Willow said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Are you okay?”

Buffy shook her head. “If these are contractions, they’re really irregular.”

“Okay, is your bag still downstairs?” At Buffy’s nod, Willow took her
friend’s arm and slowly guided her to the stairs. “Did you call Spike?”

Buffy took a deep and shook her head. “At this point, I don’t think I could
remember his number through the pain.”

“Okay, I’ll call him once I get you to the hospital.”

Willow breathed a sigh of relief a few minutes later as Buffy was safely
in her car. She ran around to the driver’s side and hurriedly started the
car.

“Wills?”

“Yeah, Buff?”

“Don’t go ninety, okay?”

“Is eighty okay?”

Buffy closed her eyes, tightening her seatbelt as she leaned her head back against the seat to begin
breathing through yet another contraction.

* * * * *

Once Buffy was changed and lying in a hospital bed, Willow slowly began to
relax as she went to find a phone. Quickly dialing the number, Willow
waited as it rang.

“Hello?”

“Spike, it’s Willow. Buffy’s in labor, and I…Spike?”

* * * * *

Spike dropped the phone, got dressed, and was out the door in less than a
minute, throwing his car into drive.

He arrived at the hospital less than five minutes later and ran up the
stairs to the maternity level. He saw Willow sitting in the waiting room,
nervously wringing her hands.

“Where is she?”

Willow stood up when she saw him. “They won’t let anyone in, just yet.”

“Why the bloody hell not?!”

“Spike, her contractions are really irregular. She’s weeks from her due
date, and the doctors are just trying to stabilize the labor.”

Spike felt fear rip through his chest as he dropped into a nearby chair.
“Did you call my dad?”

“Yeah, he said he’d call everyone.”

“Thanks, Red.”

“What are best friends for?”

* * * * *

Over an hour later, Willow, Xander, Anya, Oz, and Giles all sat in the
waiting room of the hospital while Spike nervously paced the floor. They
still wouldn’t let him in to see Buffy, and he was ready to throw his fist
through the window he kept walking past. Giles had closed the Magic Box
today, even though Saturdays were the busiest days of the week, in
anticipation of his grandchildren arriving.

“Are you Buffy Summers’ family?” a voice asked from the doorway.

Spike, despite being the furthest away, was the first to make it to the
door. “Yes! That’s us, how is she?”

“I’m Dr. Lindsey McDonald. Are you the father?”

Spike nodded as he waited anxiously.

“Buffy is having some very hard contractions, right on top of each other.
We’re currently giving her some medicine to take the edge off, and we’ve got
an IV drip trying to regulate them, but it hasn’t worked so far.”

“How is she?” Spike asked again.

“She’s having a tough time of it. The stress from the labor is causing her
to hyperventilate frequently, and she’s not very coherent at the moment.”

“So she doesn’t know the pain that she’s in?” Giles asked, standing behind
Spike.

“Unfortunately, no. The pain is the only thing she knows right now. She’s
not crying or yelling, presumably because she knows it would use up too much
oxygen for her to do that.”

“What about a C-Section?” asked Willow.

“If we can’t regulate the contractions or the babies start showing distress,
that will be our option. Right now, all three heart-rates are normal,
considering the stress she is under.”

“Can I see her?” Spike asked, a pleading look in his eyes.

“Actually,” Lindsey said. “Whenever she speaks, she’s asking for her
mother.”

The entire room froze.

“Dr. McDonald,” Giles spoke up. “Her mother died over a year ago.”

“Is that normal?” Xander asked worriedly.

“Buffy’s in a lot of pain,” Lindsey said. “When a person is hurting, their
natural instinct is to want their mother or a parental figure. So, yes,
it’s perfectly normal. In that case, it would be better for the father to
be in there with her.”

Spike nearly knocked the doctor over in his rush to get through the Labor
and Delivery unit. Running through the double doors, he quickly asked the
nurse at the station which room he needed. Slowing his pace as he got
closer to her room, Spike took a deep breath before walking in.

The large room was almost dark, only lit by a muted light in the corner of
the room. The TV was on, seemingly for a distraction to the woman in labor.
Spike looked at Buffy, laying on her side, her eyes squeezed shut, trying
to ward off the pain. Her legs were pulled as close to her body as she
could get them. While one hand wrapped protectively around her stomach, the
other twisted into the pillow, causing her knuckles to turn white as she
warded off another contraction.

Spike stared at her for a minute, a worried expression on his face, when he
heard the doctor’s voice behind him.

“You can go sit with her,” he said quietly. “She needs support right now.”

Spike slowly walked over and sat in the chair next to the bed. “It’s me,
baby,” he whispered softly to her.

“Spike?” she asked groggily, opening her eyes. They couldn’t seemed to
focus on him as she stared.

“Yeah, luv, I’m here,” he said softly as he took her hand in his.

He felt the tears spring to his eyes as Buffy moaned, tightening her grip on
his hand as another contraction overtook her.

He watched the doctor as Lindsey went to check a printout from one of the
machines that Buffy was hooked up to. “They’re starting to get more
regular,” he said softly, more to Spike than to Buffy. “She should have an
easier time of it for a while.”

“Doc, will the babies be okay?”

“They should be fine. A little small, but twins are normally born two weeks
early. Being a little earlier than average, we may just have to keep them
an extra night or two.”

Spike nodded, breathing a sigh of relief as Buffy tightened her grip on his
hand again. “It’ll be over soon, baby,” Spike said in a soothing tone as he
gently ran his fingers through her hair.

Chapter 23 - Delivery


Hours later, there was very little change. Buffy was more comfortable, but
the speed of the contractions was slowly wiping her out. Spike hadn’t left
her side once since he’d entered the room.

It was mid-afternoon, and Buffy had tried to get some much needed rest. She
was so exhausted that she was able to nap for five minutes between each
contraction. She had been in labor for over eight hours and was more fatigued
than she had ever been in her life.

“Spike,” she whispered hoarsely. “I can’t do it.”

Spike gave her a gentle smile. “You’re strong, Goldilocks. You can do it.”

“Maybe if it was one, but Spike, I don’t have the energy to push out two
babies.”

Spike didn’t say anything, just leaned forward and kissed her forehead
tenderly, holding her hand as she had another contraction.

“It’s almost over, pet,” Spike said quietly as he watched the monitor,
waiting for the worst of the pain to diminish. “Okay, it’s dropping,”
he murmured as she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

Spike felt like crying, knowing that there was nothing he could do for her.
He slowly propped his elbows on the side of the bed, securing her hand
between both of his and bringing it to his lips. Buffy managed a small
smile at the tender gesture when he didn’t kiss her hand, just held it
against his lips as he stared into her eyes.

“Did I ever tell you when I fell in love with you?” he asked quietly.

Buffy breathed heavily through the pain as she shook her head.

“That night that I came over to your house. Brought you ice cream. We got to know each other.”

Buffy nodded, remembering the night.

“When you were saying goodnight to me and kissed me on the cheek…I knew I would never be the same again.”

Buffy felt tears fall from her eyes at the love and affection that seemed to pour from him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

* * * * *

Spike felt helpless as he watched Buffy’s struggle several hours later. Dr.
McDonald had been in there for over an hour while Buffy tried to push
either of the babies out. She was so weak, she didn’t know how much longer
she could last, and neither of the babies had moved into the laboring
position.

“Alright, Buffy,” Lindsey said. “It looks like you’re going to have to get
a C-Section.”

Spike had to restrain himself from putting the doctor in a chokehold. “And
you couldn’t have decided this twelve hours ago?” he asked through gritted
teeth.

“Spike, I know you’re worried, but it’s major surgery. We don’t like to risk
it unless absolutely necessary. Now, follow the nurse, and she’ll show you
where you can get some scrubs so you can be with her.”

Spike turned to Buffy. “Not much longer, luv.”

Buffy nodded, attempting to smile.

“I’ll be back soon.”

As Spike went to get changed, the anesthetist came in to give Buffy the
medicine for the surgery. Buffy relaxed as it seemed to take effect
immediately. For the first time all day, she felt like she could breathe.
It no longer seemed as if something was crushing her chest with every breath
she was taking.

Buffy vaguely remembered being wheeled into a sterile room where she could
see doctors and nurses setting up the things necessary to perform the
delivery.

A few minutes later, Buffy saw Spike come in and reached for him. He was
virtually covered from head to toe, but she would recognize his eyes
anywhere.

“Okay, Buffy,” Lindsey said. “We’re about to start.”

Buffy watched as a curtain was put up over her chest so she couldn’t see the
actual surgery.

Spike held her hand as he stood next to her, trying to hide his fear as he
watched the doctors cut into the woman he loved. “You okay, pet?” he asked,
tearing his eyes away from the sight in front of him to look at her.

Buffy nodded. “Just a little pressure, but I’m fine.”

“That’s normal, Buffy,” Lindsey reassured her as he worked.

Spike watched in amazement as a tiny head appeared, staring as Lindsey
pulled out a baby. From his viewpoint, Spike couldn’t see which it was, but
he felt panic grip his heart when the baby didn’t make a sound. Biting his
tongue so he wouldn’t worry Buffy, he stared as the pediatrician stepped up
to clean off the baby, suctioning fluid out of the tiny mouth and flipping
it over to rub the neck.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as a tiny wail erupted.

“It’s a boy,” Lindsey said with a smile in his eyes as the other doctor took
the baby over to the warmer to finish cleaning him.

Buffy strained to see her son as they cleaned him while Spike tried to
alternate his gaze between Lindsey busily working to get the other baby free
and his baby boy being wrapped snuggly in a blanket.

“Six pounds, one ounce,” a nurse called happily. “Big baby, for being a
preemie.”

Spike smiled, looking down at Buffy who had tears streaming from her eyes.
A second later, his gaze shot up as he heard a tiny whimpering cry and saw
the pediatrician now working on the little girl, and Lindsey began repairing
Buffy.

Spike gripped Buffy’s hand tighter as the baby girl was carried over to go
through the same treatment that her brother had just received. A nurse
brought the boy over to hand to Spike, who in turn leaned down so Buffy
could see him. As they talked to their baby, they heard the nurse announce
that the little girl was five pounds, two ounces.

“You ate all your sister’s food, didn’t you, big guy?” Spike asked his son as
he felt tears stinging his eyes.

The baby girl was soon brought over to be placed in Spike’s other arm as
Buffy reached out to touch her children.

After a minute, a nurse approached them, telling Spike it was time to take
the babies to the nursery.

“Do you want me to stay with you, Buffy?” he asked with a worried
expression.

Buffy shook her head. “No, I’ll see you soon. You take them to show off to
everybody.”

Spike nodded. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Spike walked through the halls, staring down at his children in his arms.
Before leaving the unit, one of the nurses was kind enough to remove the cap
and mask for him since he had his hands full.

Spike stepped out into the hallway and laughed as he was nearly attacked by
his father and friends. He smiled as everyone cooed over the babies.

“How’s Buffy?” Giles asked, barely taking his eyes off his grandchildren to
look at his son.

“She’s doing fine, she’ll be out in a little while. I better get these
little bits to the nursery.”

Spike followed the nurse through a door and nearly laughed when everyone
seemed to push their noses against the glass to keep an eye on the babies.

Once they were weighed again, measured, and washed off even more, Spike
looked at his watch and realize that twenty minutes had gone by. Giving his
children a kiss, he walked out of the nursery and saw Giles.

“Any word on Buffy?”

“No one’s come out, just-“

Spike turned around to see what Giles was staring at and saw Lindsey walking
through the double doors.

“Hey, Doc, how’s my girl?” Spike asked with a smile.

“Spike, I think maybe you should sit down.”

Spike’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach at those horrible words.
“What’s wrong?”

“Spike-“

“Tell me!”

Giles put a restraining hand on Spike’s shoulder as he stared at the
doctor. “Is Buffy alright?”

Lindsey took a deep breath. “She’s lost consciousness.”

Chapter 24 - Everything


Spike felt the ground shift under his feet as he fought to stay upright.
“Buffy’s unconscious?”

Lindsey nodded. “We were closing her up, and her blood pressure skyrocketed.
We did everything we could to keep her pressure stabilized and try and keep
her awake, but…”

Spike gasped for air as his father kept a firm hold on his arm. “Will she
be okay?”

When Lindsey didn’t answer right away, Spike would have felt the intense
satisfaction of throwing a punch at him.

“She’s not in critical condition,” Lindsey said. “But the sooner she wakes
up, the better.”

“Can I see her?”

“We’re getting her moved to a private room. Once she’s situated, you’ll be
allowed to stay.” Spike nodded as Lindsey continued, “Right now, you should
go spend some time with those babies of yours.”

Spike took a deep breath as he trudged back to the nursery. Giles filled in
everyone else as Spike went to go see his children. Speaking briefly with
the nurse, he wheeled the two small bassinets that his son and daughter
were sleeping in, out into the hallway.

Giles smiled as he picked up his granddaughter. “What’s her name?”

“Lauren,” Spike replied. “Buffy decided to forego any family names and…”

Spike trailed off as he got choked up at the thought of Buffy lying in a
cold room, unable to open her eyes.

“What about him?” Willow asked as she and Anya leaned over the other
bassinet to get a closer look at the little boy.

“Brandon.”

“So no matching names?” Xander asked with a smile.

“Yeah,” Willow said with a smile. “Lauren and Laurence have a nice ring.”

“Or Brandon and Brandi,” Oz spoke up.

Their playful tones brought a smile to Spike’s face. “That was another of
Buffy’s stipulations-no matching or rhyming names.”

The group smiled when Dr. McDonald approached them again. “Spike? You can
take the babies in to see her when you’re ready.”

“She’s awake?” Spike asked with hope in his voice.

Lindsey shook his head. “No, but it’ll be good for her to have the twins
around her. I think sometimes mothers can sense when their babies are
close by, and it comforts them.”

Spike nodded as he wheeled little Brandon after Lindsey, Giles and the gang
following with Lauren. Walking into Buffy’s room, Spike paused as he looked
at her. Lying on the bed with formerly golden skin, now as white as the bed
sheet she was laying on, and dark circles shaded the skin under her closed eyes. She looked peaceful, if not entirely comfortable.

Spike vaguely noticed Giles wheeling Lauren into the room and shutting the
door behind him to give the new family some privacy. Spike slowly
approached the bed, sitting in the chair closest to Buffy, as he lightly took
a hand to trail over her cheek.

“Hey, baby,” he whispered. “You need to wake up. We’ve got two beautiful
babies in here who are waiting to meet their mother.”

Spike broke off as tears sprung to his eyes. He gently took her limp hand in
his, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her skin as he stared at her. “Come
on, Buffy. You told me you’d see me in a few minutes, and I know you don’t
want to break the promise. Open your eyes, luv. Open your eyes, look at
me…look at the twins.”

Spike rested his head on top of her hand as he let his tears fall.

* * * * *

A few hours later, Spike was still sitting at Buffy’s bedside. A nurse had
come to collect the babies a while ago to let them have a bottle, and his
father and friends had left a short time ago.

Spike heard the door open, but didn’t turn around, figuring it was another
doctor or nurse.

“How is she?”

Spike turned, hearing the quiet question uttered from the doorway. He was
surprised when he encountered Angel standing there. He took a deep breath
before replying, “She’s strong. She’ll be fine.”

Angel slowly crossed the room to sit in the chair on the other side of the
bed. “And you?” he asked upon seeing Spike’s bloodshot eyes.

Spike looked down at the hand he was holding as he bit his lip. “I’ll be
okay when she wakes up.”

Angel nodded, looking at the young woman on the bed. “Have you eaten
anything today?”

Spike slowly shook his head.

“Go,” Angel said quietly, motioning toward the door. “I’ll sit with her.”

Spike vehemently shook his head. “I can’t…what if she wakes up?”

“Spike, you’re not going to be any good to her if you’re too weak to stand.
You’ll be gone twenty minutes. Go get something to eat, see your babies,
just take a break for a while.”

Spike looked up and saw the genuine concern on Angel’s face. Contemplating
his decision for a minute, Spike nodded. “Okay…I’ll be back soon.”

Angel watched as the other man leaned forward to leave a tender kiss on
Buffy’s forehead before turning and walking out the door.

* * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, Spike re-entered the room, wheeling one of the
bassinets with his daughter snuggled in her blanket, fast asleep. He looked
at the bed and sighed, wishing desperately that Buffy would wake up.

“No change, then?” he asked Angel.

“No,” Angel replied solemnly as he walked over to look at the beautiful
little girl. “She already has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t
she?” he asked Spike with a smile.

“The second I saw her.”

“I guess she’ll be a daddy’s girl.”

“Just as sure as Brandon will have Buffy trained,” Spike said with a smile.

“She’s beautiful,” Angel said, looking at the baby girl.

“She looks like her mommy,” Spike replied.

* * * * *

Spike tried to get some sleep a few hours later, resting uncomfortably in
the hard recliner that was in the hospital room. Hearing a noise, he opened
his eyes and was off the chair in a split second as he saw Buffy’s hand
move.

“Buffy?” he asked quietly. “Buffy!”

Spike watched as her eyelids quivered before slowly opening a sliver.

“Buffy, open your eyes. Look at me, baby.” Spike was aware of the
desperate sound in his voice but didn’t care as he watched her struggle to
wake up. “Come on, luv. Show me those beautiful emerald eyes of yours.”

Spike felt as if he would collapse from the stress of the day as he stared
at Buffy, watching as she slowly opened her eyes.

“Spike,” she whispered in a throaty voice. “What’s going on?”

“Everything’s fine, luv.”

“The babies?”

“They’re fine, too. I’ll have someone bring them in whenever you’re
feeling better.”

“I want to see them, Spike,” Buffy said as she tried to sit up, only to hiss
in pain as an excruciating flood of throbbing soreness began in her lower belly and
seemed to explode through her body.

“Easy, baby,” Spike said in a soothing tone as he helped Buffy lie back
down. “You had a C-section, do you remember?”

Buffy seemed to think for a minute before nodding.

“Okay, you’ll need to move around a bit, and it’ll be sore. But right now, I
don’t want you to do anything until a nurse sees you,” Spike said as he
pushed the call button.

Buffy nodded again as she tried to relax her muscles. Lifting up the
blankets and moving the hospital gown aside, Buffy saw less than a dozen
staples holding her stomach together.

“They stapled me?” Buffy asked with as much indignation as she could muster.

Spike chuckled. “Well, pet, I haven’t inspected it myself, but from what I
hear, they work better than stitches for this kind of procedure.”

“You haven’t been hitting on the nurses, have you?” Buffy asked, hiding a
grin and raising her eyebrow.

“You know it, baby,” Spike said with a chuckle.

They both turned as the door opened, and in walked a nurse who was easily
seventy years old. Buffy looked at Spike, raising both eyebrows in question as he
violently shook his head. She had to suppress a laugh as the nurse came to
check her over, asking her all kinds of questions and taking her
temperature.

Spike slipped out of the room during the procedure, making his way down to
the nursery and asking a nurse to help him take the twins to the room.

Buffy gasped as he wheeled baby Brandon through the door, eagerly stretching
out her arms to hold him. Spike gingerly placed the baby in her arms as the
nurse walked through the door with Lauren.

Spike watched as Buffy’s eyes filled with tears as he picked up the baby
girl and sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle Buffy, as she
gently touched their tiny noses. Buffy giggled when Brandon opened his eyes
and gave his parents a huge yawn. Spike smiled and then looked up to meet
Buffy’s eyes, his smile turned softer. Leaning forward, he met her lips in
a tender kiss, slowly deepening it as her eyelids fluttered shut. Pulling
away after a moment, Spike gently leaned his forehead against hers.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“For what?”

“Everything.”

Chapter 25 - Going Home


Spike walked through the hospital a few days later to pick up Buffy and the
babies. He made sure to be with her as much as he could, though usually, she
was sleeping, trying to revitalize her energy from the long labor.

Spike smiled when he turned into the hallway and saw that Giles had beaten
him there. His father stood at the nursery window, smiling at his
grandchildren.

“So,” Spike said, walking up behind him. “I guess I don’t exist anymore,
now that these two are here,” he finished with a smile.

Giles turned and smiled at his son. “That about sums it up, yes,” he
replied.

Spike chuckled as he looked through the window to see the nurses preparing
the babies to leave.

“How’s Buffy?” Giles asked a moment later.

“She’s doing better. Still tired, but that’s to be expected.”

“And how are the two of you?”

“Dad, don’t start, okay?”

“I’m merely asking a question, not voicing any opinions…even though it would
be nice if my son was actually with the woman he loves.”

“Dad,” Spike said in a warning tone.

“I’m not saying anything, son,” Giles replied, a smile playing on his lips
as he cleaned his glasses.

“I’m going to see if Buffy’s ready.”

“Good idea.”

Spike shook his head as he walked down the hallway. Standing in front of
Buffy’s door, he gently tapped on it before walking in. He saw her
tentatively getting to her feet, clutching her abdomen in pain. Spike
quickly made his way to her side, holding her arm to support her as she
settled into the wheelchair that was left.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “You know, I didn’t want to have to leave
in this thing, but now, I think it’s a pretty good idea.”

“Probably so, luv,” Spike said, steering her out in the hall. “I’m going to
leave you in my father’s capable hands while I load up the bags, alright?”

“Okay…and thanks again for picking us up, Spike.”

Spike stopped the wheelchair and turned it, kneeling down in front of her.
“Buffy, you know I’m going to be there, right?”

“Of course,” she said with a soft smile.

“I think we need to talk later, luv.”

Buffy frowned at the serious tone. “Okay.”

* * * * *

Spike helped Buffy through the front door an hour later as Giles trailed
behind them, holding a car-seat in each hand. Both babies were asleep, and
he gently set them next to the couch.

Spike helped Buffy sit down before dropping to his knees to begin unbuckling
the babies. Buffy eagerly reached for Lauren as she was removed from her
seat, while Giles took Brandon before Spike could make a move for him.

Spike frowned when he realized he didn’t have a baby. “Maybe we should have
had triplets, luv.”

Both men laughed at the glare that Buffy sent his way. “You would have had
to carry it to term, because there was no way a third was fitting in my
stomach.”

Spike smiled, sitting down next to her and tenderly playing with his
daughter’s foot as she slept.

“Well, I best be off,” Giles said, handing Brandon to his son.

“You’re leaving?” Buffy asked. “You know you’re welcome here, right?”

“Of course, Buffy, I just need to get back to the shop. I’ve left Anya in
charge far more than I would have liked.”

Buffy smiled. “Okay, I’ll see you later, though?”

“I’ll drop by tomorrow.”

“Alright, thanks again, Giles.”

Spike slowly stood up, careful not to wake the sleeping baby, as he made his
way over to one of the matching bassinets that Buffy had gotten at the
shower. Gently placing Brandon in one, he turned and took Lauren from
Buffy, smiling when she pouted at him for taking the baby.

Spike walked back over to the couch, sitting down and taking Buffy’s hand as
she looked at him curiously. “I don’t really know how to say this, so I’m
just going to say it…I want to stay here, Buffy.”

“You are here.”

“That’s not what I mean. I want to be with you. I want to wake up with you
every morning and help with our children. I want us to be like we were
before.”

Buffy took a deep breath as the grip on her hand tightened. “Spike-“

“Please, don’t say no,” he whispered. “I know what you’re going to say-
you’re not sure about my feelings for you- but you know I love you. I have
for years, and I’ve never stopped. Please don’t shut me out.”

“And if we don’t work out? What about them?” she asked, gesturing at the
two sleeping babies.

“The only reason we didn’t work out was because we didn’t try. You kept me
at a distance, and I ran away too fast. We both should have tried harder,
but I know that now, Buffy. And I think you do, too.”

“I want to be with you, Spike,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. “I
want us to be us again.”

Spike felt tears enter his eyes as he stared at her. Lovingly, he reached
out and tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear. “I want to start
again, Goldilocks.”

She smiled at the name before nodding. “Let’s start over.”

A brilliant smile lit up Spike’s features as his hands cupped Buffy’s face
to bring his lips to hers. As their lips met, both felt that they were
complete again. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck as her mouth opened
slightly, accepting his tongue as it brushed against hers. Both felt the
electricity that seemed to flow through them as the kiss deepened. Buffy
pulled away after a minute as the kiss escalated. Spike looked at her
quizzically. “What’s wrong?”

Buffy smiled and reached out to trace his defined cheekbones. “Nothing, I
promise,” she whispered. “But if this went much further, I would be
willing to do something that I’m not supposed to be doing for several
weeks.”

Spike smiled. “Sorry, pet. What about dinner?”

“Spike, it’s not even noon.”

“I mean, just the two of us, sometime soon.”

“You want me to leave the babies already?” she asked, slightly panicked at
the thought.

“I guess not,” Spike replied, looking at her curiously.

“I’m sorry,” Buffy said, looking sheepish, before turning her gaze to the
sleeping twins. “It’s just, they’ve been inside me for so long, and now that
they’re not, I don’t want to be away from them very long.”

“Understandable,” Spike said, softly kissing her forehead. “What if I make
you dinner? We can have Dad come over and watch the kids so we can eat in
peace.”

“Now that I can live with,” Buffy said with a smile.

“Plan for Friday night,” Spike said, getting up and heading to the front
door to get the bags and gifts out of the car. “Oh, and Buffy?” He waited
until she turned around to face him. “I’m staying the night.”

Spike ran out of the house before she could argue, chuckling to himself as
he shut the door behind him.

Chapter 26 - Dating


True to his word, Spike stayed the night and every consecutive night
thereafter for six weeks on the couch. He made sure to wake up as often as
he could with the babies, but Buffy insisted she be the one to wake up the
most since Spike had to go to work every day. The two had a standing
Friday night dinner date, with Giles coming over to watch the babies.

Slowly, Buffy was more willing to leave the house one night a week. The
first night that Giles insisted they get out and go see a movie, Spike was
certain he would have to sit on Buffy in the theater since she kept trying
to jump up and call home to check on the babies.

Spike hadn’t made a move to push the relationship. The most intimacy they
had was a tender good-night kiss on their most recent date. Now, as they
strolled through the park, hand in hand, on their standard date night, both
enjoyed the soothing cool December air. Stopping at a picnic table, Spike
leaned against the flat surface and pulled Buffy into his arms, tenderly
kissing her forehead.

Buffy sighed and rested her face against his strong chest. “This is nice,”
she murmured quietly.

“Yeah,” Spike said softly, resting his chin on top of her head as his arms
tightened around her body.

“I missed you,” she whispered, pulling away slightly to look into his eyes.

Spike smiled down at her. “I’m right here.”

Buffy shook her head. “I mean before. I missed you so much, and it was all
my fault that you weren’t there.”

“Why’d you push me away, Buffy?” he asked softly, his voice full of concern.

Buffy nervously played with the lapels of his jacket before answering. “I
was scared. I thought that…everyone has always left me…in one form or
another. I thought it would be better to push you away than wait for you to
decide to leave me.”

“And now?”

“Now…I’m not grieving anymore. I still miss my mom, but I have Brandon and
Lauren. I have you,” she said quietly, looking into his eyes. “Don’t I?”

“You’ve always had me, Goldilocks,” Spike said with a smile.

Buffy felt tears burn her eyes as she smiled. “I never meant to hurt you.
I should have just told you what I was thinking, but I had so much going on
in my head that I just didn’t. I’m so sorry, Spike,” she said in a choked whisper.

Spike tightened his hold on her. “That ever happens again, I want you to
talk to me. I don’t care if you don’t make any sense- I want you to get it
off your chest. No matter what, I’m here to stay, Buffy.”

Buffy tilted her head to look into his eyes. “I promise.”

Spike breathed a sigh of relief before leaning forward to meet her lips in a
soft, tender kiss. Neither made a move to deepen it, both enjoying the
contented feeling of being together again.

Pulling away after a few moments, Spike smiled as Buffy snuggled closer to
him. “Move in with me.”

Spike felt his smile broaden. “I’ve been there every night for over a
month, luv.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, turning to look at him again. “You should
just move all your stuff in. I know you don’t want to go back to your place
and leave the twins.”

“Or you,” he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling
when he saw the blush rise to her cheeks.

“What do you think?”

“Are you sure?”

Buffy nodded. “I’m not ready for you to not be here.”

“I’ll be moved in by tomorrow.”

Buffy squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling as he lifted
her in the air to swing her around in a circle. Coming to a stop, Spike sat
Buffy on the table and stood close to her, never unwrapping his arms from
her body.

“Are you sure about this?” Spike asked softly.

“I’ve never been more sure about anything,” Buffy leaned forward to claim
his lips once again before pulling back to stare into his eyes. “I’m going
back to school,” she said softly.

“That’s great, luv,” Spike said with a smile. “What about the twins?”

Buffy glanced down, biting her lip. “If it’s okay with you, I was going to
put them in daycare. It’s just for three days a week. I’m only taking a
few classes, but I didn’t know how you’d feel about it.”

Spike seemed to consider it for a moment before answering. “What about me?”

“Spike, you work.”

“Depends on the days. I’m also being pushed back onto the nightshift more,
so I could work something out. That is, if you feel okay with it.”

Buffy smiled. “Spike, of course I feel okay. I just didn’t think you’d
have the time.”

“We’ll work something out,” Spike said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll talk to
my boss tomorrow.”

Buffy hopped down from the table, grabbing his hand and began walking out of
the park. “Come on,” she said, pulling his hand like a little girl. “All
this talk about the babies makes me want to get back to them.”

Spike chuckled before dropping her hand and breaking into a run. “Race
you!”

Buffy took off after him. “No fair!” she shouted. “My legs are shorter-
little people should get head starts!”

Spike laughed and turned around, jogging backwards as Buffy tried to catch
up with him. “What’s the matter, Summers? I thought you were faster than
this.”

Putting on a burst of speed, Buffy was able to catch up to Spike, but he
kept a level pace with her. Several minutes later, both stopped on her
street as they took in deep gulps of air. Walking up the porch steps, Spike
took Buffy’s hand before she could open the door. Giving it a little tug,
Buffy smiled when she found herself in his arms. “I had fun tonight,
Goldilocks,” he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

“Me, too,” she said softly, tilting her head to give him better access.

Spike lazily trailed kisses up to her jaw line before meeting her lips in a
tender kiss. Pulling away, he looked into her eyes, brushing the hair away
from her flushed face. “We’re going to make this work this time.”

“I know we will,” Buffy said with a smile.

Chapter 27 - Loving


Buffy and Spike said goodnight to Giles before bolting up the stairs to
check on the babies. Both were sound asleep in their bassinets. Though
they were still sleeping in their bassinets, Spike had convinced Buffy to
start putting them in their separate rooms to make it easier on them in the
long run.

Spike went to check on Brandon while Buffy went into Lauren’s room. She
jumped slightly when she felt strong arms encircle her waist. Spike stood
next to her, looking over her shoulder at their sleeping daughter.

“She looks just like you, you know,” he whispered into Buffy’s ear.

Buffy smiled, leaning back to rest her head against his strong chest. “Is
that good or bad?”

Spike turned Buffy around to face him, pushing her hair away from her
shoulders to gently cup her face. “That's very good,” he said with a soft
smile. “Until she starts dating, and then we’re going to have some problems
when she starts bringing boys home.”

“What if they’re like you?”

Buffy tried to suppress a laugh as Spike’s eyes nearly bugged out of his
head. “They bloody well better not be like me,” he said, more loudly than
he intended.

“You turned out alright,” Buffy said with a smile, glancing back at the baby,
who was beginning to squirm from the noise. Taking Spike’s hand, she led
him out into the hallway.

“I only turned out alright because I had you there to straighten me out.”

Buffy giggled. “So, you’re saying you’d be okay with it, as long as she
could straighten him out?”

Buffy laughed as Spike let out a growl, backing her into the wall as he put
one of his hands on each side of her head. “She’s not dating till she’s
thirty…or I’m dead. That might work out better for me.”

“I’m sure she won’t argue about that,” Buffy said sarcastically as she
wrapped her arms around his waist, propping her chin against his chest.

Both noticed the change in mood at the simple gesture. Spike’s hands left
the wall to soothingly run along her upper arms, staring deep into her eyes.
Leaning down, he captured her lips in a soft kiss, one hand slowly coming up
to her jaw as his lips glided over hers. Pulling away after a few moments,
Spike pressed his forehead to Buffy’s, breathing heavily as he tried to
control his arousal.

“Stay,” Buffy whispered, staring up at him.

“I always stay, luv,” he said quietly, not wanting to misinterpret the
meaning of her words.

“Spend the night with me...please,” she added, looking at him with hopeful
eyes.

“Are you sure, Buffy?”

Her hands slowly began sliding up his chest, coming to lock behind his neck.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” she said softly, pulling his head
down to hers for another kiss.

* * * * *

Spike watched as Buffy slowly sat down on her bed, taking him by the hand to
pull him toward her. He hadn’t felt this nervous since his first time, and
he couldn’t figure out why. He had obviously been with Buffy before, but
something about tonight felt different.

Spike crawled the length of her body and lay down at her side, facing Buffy
and rubbing lazy circles along her back, both enjoying the intimacy of just
being with each other. Slowly, her lips met his in a passionate kiss as she
pushed away from the bed, never letting her lips leave his.

Spike moaned as Buffy straddled him, his hands automatically going to her
thighs and gripping them harder than he intended as her body arched against
his. Both were still fully clothed, but the friction they were causing each
other was slowly making them crazy with lust.

Buffy’s hands traveled to the buttons of Spike’s shirt, slowly working on
each one until the shirt fell away from his chest. Her hands began stroking
the strong muscles, smiling against his lips when she felt the effect she
was having on him.

Before Buffy knew what was happening, she found her shirt stripped off as
Spike flipped them to lay on top of her. Sitting up slightly, he let his
own shirt fall to the floor as he slid Buffy’s pants down her legs, leaving
her in a black lace thong and bra.

Spike frowned when he saw Buffy try and modestly cover her body. Quickly
meeting his lips with hers, he pulled back and stared in her eyes. “What’s
wrong, luv? You don’t have to be nervous with me.”

Buffy looked down, embarrassed as she traced a finger along his chest. “I
look different now.”

Spike’s eyes widened in realization before pulling back to gently run his
hands over her exposed skin. “You look beautiful,” he whispered, kissing
her again as he let one hand slip around to unhook her bra. “You’ve never
looked more desirable, Buffy,” he said, his voice thick with emotion as he
moved further down to remove her thong. Spike stood from the bed to rid
himself of the rest of his clothes as he stared at her nude body. It was
true- she had never looked more beautiful to him. Her breasts were more
full, her hips had a slight curve to them that hadn’t been there before, and
her skin seemed to glow.

Spike lay back down, letting his hands follow the direction of his eyes as he
glided him over her body, smiling when she moaned and arched against him.
Settling himself between her legs, he tenderly caressed her cheek. “No
chance of getting pregnant this time?” he asked with a slight smile.

Buffy smiled as she shook her head. “No, not this time.”

Spike bent his head to kiss along the column of her neck. “Good,” he
whispered between kisses, pulling back to look at her again. “Because I
love those two, but I don’t want another one in nine months.”

Buffy giggled, pulling him back down for a kiss as her hands ran through his
hair, loosening it from the confining hold of the gel and freeing the curls.

Breaking away for air, Spike tried to control his breathing. “It’s safe?”
he asked in a worried tone.

“Spike, I just told you-“

“No,” Spike said, shaking his head. “I mean, is it safe for us to be doing
this? Because of the surgery?”

“It’s safe,” she said quietly, arching her hips slightly to meet his, both
gasping as they felt him begin to penetrate her folds.

Spike slid forward, dropping his head to rest on Buffy’s shoulder, as he
tried to control his desire. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in
this woman, but he had to force himself to wait.

Buffy moaned as she raised her body, effectively imbedding him fully inside
of her as they began rocking slowly together. Spike pulled back to stare
into her eyes as they both tried to regulate their breathing. He tightened
his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to delay the orgasm that was
already building.

Buffy reached up to gently touch Spike’s cheek, causing him to open his eyes
again. Both stared at each other, never feeling this amount of intimacy
before as they moved together. Spike began to steadily pick up his pace,
feeling satisfaction course through him at the obvious pleasure he was
causing her.

Buffy’s hands clutched at Spike’s shoulders as she struggled to maintain eye
contact, neither wanting to lose the connection to the other. Spike let his
hands slide around to her back, pulling her closer to his body, not wanting
to let go.

Spike smiled when he felt her fingernails dig into his shoulders as she
gasped, throwing her head back into the pillow, clenching her inner muscles
around him as a mini-orgasm coursed through her body. She panted for air as
her eyelids fluttered open, meeting his gaze again.

After a few more minutes, Spike began pushing harder into her body, knowing
he wouldn’t last much longer but wanting to send her over the edge one more
time. Meeting her lips again in a tender kiss, Spike pulled back to press
his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he whispered.

Buffy’s eyes widened before pulling him back down for another kiss. After
a moment, they broke away. “I love you, too,” she said softly, seconds
before she felt the explosion course through her body. Writhing underneath
him as Spike sped up his thrusts, she cried out in ecstasy as he spilled
himself within her.

Spike felt his body go limp, careful not to crush Buffy as he rolled them
slightly, still connected to each other as they lay side by side. Buffy
stared at him with glazed eyes as he traced her cheeks, letting his hand
trail down her body to rest on the curve of her hip.

“I love you, so much,” he said, delighting in the smile that lit up her
face.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Spike smiled, neither making a move to separate themselves, both enjoying
the closeness they were sharing. Spike wrapped his arms around her body,
pulling her closer as she snuggled closer to him. After a few minutes, they
both drifted off to sleep, each feeling more content than they had in a
year.

Epilogue


5 Years Later


“Giles, are you sure you’re gonna be okay?”

“Buffy, we’ll be fine, go on and have a good time.”

“Mommy! Brandon put Play-Dough in my hair!”

“Daddy! Lauren wouldn’t stop bugging me! I told her to leave, but she
didn’t listen!”

“Don’t make me come up those bloody stairs, because you don’t want me up
there! You’re mother and I are about to leave and you two better be good!”

“Spike, don’t say ‘bloody’ in front of the kids.”

“Will you two please leave me alone with my grandchildren? Go! Have a good
time. We’ll be fine.”

“Okay, Giles, all the numbers are on the refrigerator. We’re just going to
dinner and a movie-“

“Buffy, will you be quiet and come on. We’re going to be late.”

“I know. The kids need to eat in about half an hour. Emily’s bottle is
ready to be warmed-“

“Buffy!” Spike yelled from outside. “If you don’t leave that bloody house
in five seconds, I’m celebrating our anniversary alone. Dad’s kept the kids
before, he can handle it.”

“Go, dear,” Giles said, pushing Buffy toward the door. “Have a good time.
Don’t worry about a thing. This is the first night you’ve had out since
Emily was born, so enjoy it.”

“Okay, thanks, Giles. You two be good for Pop-pop!” Buffy yelled up the
stairs.

“We will,” two falsely innocent voices traveled down to her ears.

“Oh, and one more-“

Buffy was abruptly cut off as Spike appeared behind her, wrapping his arms
around her waist he lifted her into his arms and started out the door.
“Good night, kids,” Spike called up the stairs. “Bye, Dad.”

Giles chuckled as he watched his son carry his daughter-in-law out of the
house.

“Spike! Put me down!” Buffy squealed.

“Not until the woman I married comes back.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Dad’s kept the kids before. He can handle it,” he said, putting her in the
car before walking around to the other side and getting in.

“I know. It’s just the first time he’s been alone with all three, and you
know the twins are probably plotting something.”

“Buffy, they’re only five,” Spike said as he pulled the car out of the
driveway.

“Only five? Spike, when they were four, you stepped out of the shower with
hot pink hair.”

“So they did a little experimentation with the shampoo. No big deal, and
besides, Dad won’t be taking a shower- they’ll be fine.”

“You weren’t that calm when you looked in the mirror to see your new
hairstyle.”

“I’d feel better about it if you’d tell me where you’ve hidden the soddin’
pictures.”

Buffy giggled. “Now, why would I want to do that?”

Spike growled in frustration before a smile spread to his lips. Reaching
over, he steered the car with one hand and interlaced Buffy’s fingers with
his. Buffy smiled as he brought her hand to his lips, leaving a tender kiss
on it and smiling at her out of the corner of his eye.

“I love you, Spike.”

“I know, baby. I love you, too.”

Both stayed quiet as they watched the Sunnydale scenery flash by. They were
celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary tonight, but it was also
Buffy’s first night away from their new daughter Emily. The baby was only
three weeks old, but through the persuasion of both Spike and Giles, she had
been convinced to take a much needed night off.

Buffy had graduated from UC Sunnydale and gotten a job as a Guidance
Counselor at Sunnydale High. The hours were perfect since she had to be
there an hour after she dropped the kids off at their school, and she was off
work a half hour before the end of the school day.

Spike was no longer the manager of the restaurant- he was now the owner.
Setting his own hours, he spent most nights at home with his wife and kids,
choosing to work during the day instead.

Spike parked the car and got out to jog around and open Buffy’s door for
her. Helping her out, Spike shut the door behind her and gently pushed her
against it, kissing her lovingly before pulling back to stare into her eyes.
It still shocked him how much love and adoration he saw reflected in them.
Although, he knew the same emotions were mirrored back from his own.

“Happy anniversary, Spike,” Buffy whispered, wrapping her arms around her
husband’s waist.

Spike smiled before leaning in for another kiss. Pulling away, he tenderly
rested his forehead against hers. “Happy anniversary, Goldilocks.”


THE END