Disclaimer: Drat, you've figured me out. I am Joss in disguise. Ha ha! Oh, wait, what's that? Well, my therapist is saying that no, I'm actually not Joss, and she needs to up my medication. Damn. "Breathe" is Faith Hill.

Rating: NC-17 (yeah, like that's a surprise with my fics…)

Summary: Buffy and Spike are expecting their first child and planning their wedding. What could make their lives even better? How about yet another apocalypse… (sequel to my fic "Daylight")

Spoilers: This takes place post-:"Chosen" and "Not Fade Away," so anything and everything.

Author's Note: This is the sequel to my fic "Daylight," and also ties in with my whole post-Chosen series. You don't necessarily have to read the rest of those to understand this, but it would probably help, since I have expanded the storyline past what was presented on the show. To find those fics in chronological order, go here: http://dark-desire.org/blood/subpages/post-chosen.html

Feedback and Archiving: I live for feedback, so send me lots. And I usually okay archiving, but if you haven't archived any of my fics before, please ask before you do. addie_logan@yahoo.com

Shameless Website Plug: For my other fics, go here: http://www.dark-desire.org/blood


*** *** ***

I can feel the magic floating in the air
Being with you gets me that way
I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've
Never been this swept away

All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms
The whole world just fades away
The only thing I hear
Is the beating of your heart

'Cause I can feel you breathe
It's washing over me
Suddenly I'm melting into you
There's nothing left to prove
Baby all we need is just to be
Caught up in the touch
The slow and steady rush
Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be
I can feel you breathe
Just breathe

In a way I know my heart is waking up
As all the walls come tumbling down
I'm closer than I've ever felt before
And I know
And you know
There's no need for words right now

'Cause I can feel you breathe…

*** *** ***

Prologue:

May 20, 2003

"Come on, Emma, you really don't have to do this."

Emma ignored her friend's pleas, not breaking her stride for a moment. "Have you seen your face, Katie? I think I kinda do."

"Bobby just got mad, Emma. He's not anymore. You know how me and him fight."

"I know how he beats on you, and it's time for it to end."

"Emma, please! He'll just hit you, too!" Katie tried to grab her, to make Emma stop, but she couldn't keep up.

"Yeah, well, I'm hoping I can get a few of my own in," Emma replied, making her way up the gravel walk and pounding on the door. "Open the hell up, Bobby! I know you're home!"

The door swung open, and Bobby looked down at her, a sleazy grin on his face. "Well, if it ain't just the classiest girl in this whole great state of Texas. To what do I owe this pleasure, Miss Rawlings?"

Emma decided the best answer she could give was her fist connecting with his face.

"You little bitch!" Bobby roared, wiping the blood off his mouth. "I'm gonna teach you some better manners than that, girl."

"What, like you taught Katie?"

"Woman oughta know her place." Bobby grabbed Emma by the arms, slamming her against the outside wall by the door. "And now you're gonna learn yours."

"No!" Katie yelled from behind them. "Bobby, let her go. She ain't got no part in this!"

"Shut up, Katie! You'll get yours next." Bobby raised one hand from Emma's arm, bringing it down across her cheek. When Emma responded by giving him a hard glare and spitting in his face, Bobby roared, throwing her back into the gravel.

Emma heard Katie scream, felt the gravel scrape her skin, and then…something. Like a click and then a surge of power. She could feel it flowing through her, connecting her to something that felt both new and familiar at the same time. She looked up at Bobby, a slow grin spreading across her bloodied face.

It looked like he was going to be the one learning the lesson…

*** *** ***

Chapter One

"You're being no help. Why do you do this? Do you like tormenting me?"

Spike looked up at the glaring Slayer, noting that the look on her face was one he hadn't seen much of since the days when they wanted to kill each other. "I told you my opinion, Buffy."

"You only said that because it's what I want!"

Spike stared at her for a moment in disbelief. "And this is bad because…"

"Because you're not taking an active role!" Buffy exclaimed, tossing the magazine she was holding to the ground.

"I am taking an active role. I'm actively telling you to go with the flower arrangements you like."

"Ah! You are just as bad at this as you were when we were under that spell!" Buffy stormed out of the living room, shutting herself in the bedroom with a loud slamming of the door.

Spike sighed, looking at the mess of bridal magazines and wedding how-to guides scattered on the floor. He'd thought Buffy had been a handful before… Spike was quickly learning that the only thing more difficult than a Slayer was a pregnant, hormonal Slayer planning her wedding. And honestly, how could him telling her to do what made her the happiest where their wedding was concerned be the wrong thing to do? He trusted her not to do anything completely insane, and it wasn't like the little details of the day really mattered anyway.

What mattered was what the day meant. He and Buffy were making a public statement of their relationship. From this point on, there'd be no more lies and secrets, no more hiding what they felt. They were going to be married—were going to be parents. That's what was important to him. Not whether or not the bridesmaids wore cerulean of aquamarine…

A loud and persistent beating at the door pulled Spike back to the present moment and he cursed under his breath as he went to answer it. He found an angry-looking teenaged girl he assumed to be one of the way too many Slayers mulling about. "What?" he snapped, far from in the mood.

The girl seemed unphased by his gruffness. "I wanted to talk to Buffy," she said.

Spike glanced back towards the bedroom door. "She's, uh, not available right now," he replied. There was no way he was going into that room with the mood she was in…

The girl put her hands on her hips. "Then can you do something about this?"

"About what?" Spike asked.

"My roommate is playing her music too loudly and won't turn it down."

Spike's scarred eyebrow rose slowly. What did he look like, the den mother? Sometimes he seriously questioned his sanity when he agreed to Buffy's plan of moving here to help oversee the training of the new Slayers. "Can't you just go somewhere else?"

"It's my room, too, and I'm not leaving because she doesn't know how to play well with others," the girl snapped in response. "And she's breaking the rules."

"Can't have that," Spike muttered. With a resigned sigh, he followed the girl towards her room. He knew if you'd told him not too long ago that someday he'd be playing hall monitor for a bunch of Slayers, he would've laughed. Now that that day was a reality, however, it didn't seem as funny as it once could have been.

There's no point in asking you'll get no reply
Oh just remember I don't decide
I got no reason it's too all much
You'll always find us out to lunch

He could hear the music long before they reached the girl's door, and Spike figured that would've been possible even without his superior hearing. The walls were reverberating…

But in his opinion, the Sex Pistols were supposed to be played at that volume. Didn't this girl know anything?

Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty we're vacant
Oh we're so pretty
Oh so pretty we're vacant
Ah but now and we don't care

"See!" the girl shouted, pointing towards a closed door. "She's been doing this all afternoon. Make her stop."

Spike couldn't believe this was actually happening to him. He'd signed up to teach these girls how to fight, not to commit such crimes as telling someone to turn off the Sex Pistols. But the girl beside him looked about ready to kill something, and despite the fact she was far from his Slayer, she was still a Slayer. Best not to piss her off. He knocked as loudly as he could, hoping he could be heard over the music.

Apparently he could, because a few moments later, a young woman opened the door and leaned casually against it. Her dark brown hair was streaked with red, orange, and hot pink, and she was wearing a t-shirt from a tour the Clash went on probably long before she was born. "What seems to be the problem, officer?" she asked with wide eyes that seemed anything but innocent.

"You know what the problem is," the other girl snapped. "Your music is too loud. He wants you to turn it off."

In all honesty, that was the last thing Spike wanted. He peered into the room, noting the marked contrast between the two sides. It wasn't hard to guess who had put up the scarily-large poster of the vapid pop star that seemed to dominate the space. He shivered to think about having to live in a room with that thing watching you all the time. Made him pity the brightly-tressed Slayer.

"Right, the music," Spike said quickly, his mind made up on how he was going to handle this. If he were lucky, them maybe he could use it to solve another problem he was having, too. "It's entirely too loud. And it's quite clear from your appearance that you're incapable of ever being a good roommate to anyone. Pack your things. I'm going to have to move you into a private room."

"What!" the first girl yelled. "She gets a private room? That's so unfair! She can't get a private room for breaking the rules. Besides, I've been here way longer."

"Yes, but you're the one who is able to behave properly in society," Spike said. "You, Rude Girl, get your stuff together and then come down to my apartment. You know where that is?"

"Yeah. You're General Buffy's fiancé, right?"

Spike suppressed a snort of laughter. General Buffy? That's what they called her? "Uh, yeah. That's me. Be there when you're ready to move."

"You got it."

"Good." Spike walked away from the two Slayers, whistling to himself as he ignored how the first one was glaring at his retreating form.

*** *** ***

Buffy was out in the living room when Spike came back to their apartment, and it was obvious from her face that she'd been crying. "Where'd you go?" she asked softly, looking up at him with wide, red-rimmed eyes.

"Couple of the Slayers were having a row. Had to mediate."

Buffy sniffed. "I came out, and you'd left, and I thought I'd made you mad, and…" Buffy trailed off, bursting into tears again.

Spike rushed over to the couch, sitting beside Buffy and wrapping his arms around her. "Shh. Wasn't leaving you, kitten. Never would. Love you."

Buffy pulled up, wiping her eyes. "I know. I'm just such a wreck. My moods are all over the place, I'm so tired, and morning sickness—really a misnomer. Should be like all-the-time sickness."

Spike ran his hand over her hair. "I know, baby. But I'm right here for you, anything you need."

"I know." Buffy moved closer to him again, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I'm sorry about earlier. I know you weren't trying to be disagreeable."

"Yeah, with the whole me agreeing with you and all…"

Buffy sighed. "I know. I'm just afraid that you don't really want any of the stuff you're saying you do, and then the day will come, and you'll hate everything and be all miserable."


"Buffy…" Spike took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up so she was looking at him. "Hey. Me miserable? On our wedding day? Not possible. I'm going to be marrying the woman I love. No place for misery in that, pet. Doesn't matter to me what sort of flower arrangements there are or if we serve chicken or fish at the reception. Because when it's all said and done, you're going to be my wife."

Buffy stared at him silently for a moment before the crying started anew. "Did I say something wrong?" Spike asked, his brow wrinkling.

"No. You said something right." Buffy threw her arms around him.

"So happy tears then." Spike croaked, suddenly missing the days when he didn't have to breathe.

"Happy tears," Buffy replied, her grip on him loosening.

Spike pressed a kiss against her hair. "Good."

"I love you," Buffy said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Love you, too," Spike replied, content to have her there in his arms.

*** *** ***
 

Chapter 2:

Buffy frowned when she heard a knock at their front door and pulled herself up from where she'd been resting against Spike on the couch. "Who could that be?"

"Probably the loud Slayer," Spike said, standing up.

"The 'loud Slayer?'" Buffy asked, eyebrow arched.

"Yeah. That was the problem earlier. Couple of roommates weren't getting along. I'm moving one of them to her own room."

"Just like that? Couldn't you have tried some mediating first?"

"Do I look like a teen counselor? The two of them were obviously mismatched, Buffy." Spike went to answer the door.

Buffy came up behind him and peeked out the door as Spike opened it, wanting to see who this "loud Slayer" was. She frowned, realizing she wasn't one of the ones Buffy already knew.

And that she was absolutely gorgeous.

"So, um, Spike, right?" the other Slayer asked, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah. Didn't catch your name earlier." Spike said.

"Emma Rawlings," she replied, holding out her hand.

Spike shook it. "Nice to meet you then, Emma."

Buffy pushed forward, standing slightly between Emma and Spike and resting her hand possessively on her fiancé's shoulder. "And I'm Buffy," she said.

"Yeah, I know. It's good to finally meet you. You're like a legend around here with the other Slayers. Is it true you battled a god?"

"Yep. And the root of all evil, too. So tell me, Emma, how long have you been a Slayer?"

"I got Called a year ago, when most of the girls did, but I've only been here about a month. That's when Mr. Giles found me and told me I was a Slayer."

Buffy swallowed. Spike was arranging for special accommodations for this girl and Giles had brought her here himself? Visions of a Faith sequel danced through her head… "So is Giles your Watcher now?" Buffy asked, trying to keep her tone as conversational as she could.

"Oh, no. I haven't even seen him since I left home. I don't have a Watcher," Emma said.

"You don't have a Watcher?" Buffy asked. "I know we're a little short on them, what with the explosion and all, but…"

"Oh, I had one," Emma said quickly. "But she asked that she be placed with someone else."

"Did she now?" Buffy asked, eyebrow arched.

Emma shifted, her nervousness apparent. "I didn't work well under her training guidelines."

"I'm sure she'll have a new Watcher soon enough, pet," Spike said. "You didn't have one for a while either, if memory serves. Nor do you have one now."

Buffy shot Spike a look. "Well, are you going to show her to her new room?" she asked briskly.

Spike glanced at Buffy for a moment, trying to figure out what was up with her before he decided she must be having another one of her weird mood swings. "Yeah. Come on, Emma. We need to go get the key first."

"It was nice to meet you, Buffy," Emma said, smiling at the older Slayer.

"Yeah, you, too."

Spike frowned, able to tell Emma had picked up on Buffy's less-than-sincere tone. Even with her hormones going all wonky, this wasn't like Buffy. "All right, then," he said. "I'll be back soon, luv."

"Uh huh," Buffy replied, turning around and walking off.

"She doesn't like me," Emma said once the door was shut behind them and they were making their way down the hall.

"Don't take it personally," Spike replied. "Baby's making her act all buggy. Hormones and whatnot."

"She's pregnant?"

Spike stopped, rolling his eyes skyward as his jaw clenched. "Bloody hell." He let out a deep breath, looking back at Emma. "I wasn't supposed to say that. We found out right before we came here, and I'm the only person she's told so far."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone I know—not even Buffy. I'll just forget it all together."

"Thanks," Spike replied. "She wouldn't be at all happy if she knew I was blabbing that to any of the Slayers."

"Got it. Your secret is safe with me."

"Great. Now let's go get you that key."

*** *** ***

"Okay, this isn't a room," Emma said as she looked around the place Spike had taken her. "This is an actual apartment. Furnished and everything. And is that an entertainment system?"

"Yeah. It was one of the guest rooms. This is still part of the faculty wing."

Emma turned sharply, her brow furrowed. "I'm not…"

"I know." Spike cleared his throat. "Actually, I was thinking maybe you could help me out with something."

Emma looked at him skeptically. "This isn't about to get creepy is it, because despite my rep around here, I…"

"No!" Spike said quickly, seeing where she was going. "Not that at all."

"Good. I mean, no offense, you're a definite hottie, but I'm so not the type to move in on someone else's man," Emma said.

"And I'm very much someone else's," Spike replied. "This is…well, there's this girl next door to you—Dawn. She means a lot to me, and she's been really down lately. I think it's something about a boy, but she won't talk to me about that."

"So you want me to what, pump her for information and report back?"

"No. I want… Well, I want you to be her friend. She doesn't really know anyone her own age, and I think she's lonely. Thought maybe it would help her, having another teenaged girl to hang out with."

"And you chose me because…"

Spike shrugged. "Dunno. Though your excellent taste in music may have had something to do with it. But Dawn, well, she's Buffy's sister, and she tends to have sort of mixed feelings towards the Slayers. You obviously weren't exactly fitting in out there, so I thought maybe she'd like you better."

"You have a very strange sense of logic," Emma replied. "But hey, people tell me the same thing, so it works for me. Can I meet her?"

"Yeah, come on." They walked back out into the hallway and Spike knocked on Dawn's door. "Bit, it's me. Open up."

The door opened a few moments later, Dawn smiling slightly at Spike. "Hey." She caught sight of Emma. "Who's this?"

"Emma Rawlings. She's your new neighbor."

"Didn't think any of the newbie Slayers got to live up here," Dawn said, eyeing Emma warily.

"I annoyed my way out of the dorms," Emma replied.

"Well, I'm just going to go check on Buffy," Spike said backing away from the two girls. "See you both later."

"Okay, he can be such a freak," Dawn said when Spike had left.

"He thinks you're lonely and elected me to be your new best friend," Emma explained.

"Oh god," Dawn replied, burying her face in her hands for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said when she looked up again. "He just gets all…big brother-y and way overprotective. You really don't have to hang out with me if you don't want to."

Emma shrugged. "No, it's okay. I've spent the past month in a foreign country where I know all of no one. I could use a friend myself."

Dawn looked Emma over for a moment. Usually—unless he was training them—Spike avoided all non-Buffy-shaped Slayers like the plague. If that wasn't the case with this one, maybe she wasn't all that bad. "All right," Dawn said with a shrug. "Wanna get some lunch? I found a place the other day that's really good."

"Works for me," Emma replied.

*** *** ***

"So where'd you put Amy?" Buffy asked when Spike came back.

"Emma," he corrected her.

"Whatever."

"I put her in the apartment next to Dawn," Spike replied. "And what is with you?"

"You what? Spike, she's been here a month. This is going to set a precedent—a bad one." Buffy gave him her angry Slayer glare.

"Look, Dawn hasn't been exactly adjusting since we came here. She seemed okay the first couple of days, but now she's withdrawn, barely talks to either of us—or anyone else for that matter. Emma seemed all right. Thought maybe she and Dawn could hit it off."

Buffy stiffened. Her fiancé, her Watcher, and now her sister? This girl was wasting no time working her way into her life… "How long have you known her?"

"Emma? Just met her."

"And you've already decided she's perfect best friend material for Dawn?" Buffy asked, hands firmly planted on her hips.

Spike bit the inside of his mouth to keep from snapping. Whatever had gotten into Buffy, he was really hoping her mood would hurry up and swing the other way. "Just thought she could use someone around her own age, is all."

"Yeah, and Rainbow Brite's evil twin is just the right person for that." Buffy threw her hands up. "God, this is going to be like Janice all over again."

"Oi! No need for that now. She seems like a nice enough girl to me."

"What was that you called her when she came to the door today? 'Loud girl?'"

"Didn't mean that as a bad thing," Spike explained. "Just didn't know her name yet, and she was blaring the Sex Pistols when I met her."

"Oh, the Sex Pistols," Buffy snapped, her hands going back to her hips. "Well, why let Dawn be her friend? I bet you two are like kindred spirits or something."

"Buffy, what…" Spike stopped, Buffy's behavior suddenly making sense. "You know, Slayer, if you weren't such a pain in my arse, you'd be adorable."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Spike…" she said, her tone one of warning.

"You're jealous, pet. I'm touched," Spike said with a small chuckle.

"You're about to be touched in the nose by my fist."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Please. You and I both know you don't do that anymore.

"I may take it up again."

"Buffy, as strangely flattering as you actually being jealous where I'm concerned is, there's no need for it. I'm not even attracted to her."

"Please. I saw her, Spike. With her big brown eyes and pouty lips and her sexy punk girl style."

Spike raised his eyebrow. "Maybe I'm the one who should be jealous." He reached down, taking Buffy's hands off her hips and holding them in his own. "Seriously, kitten, I was just thinking about the bit. You're the only woman I want—that I'll ever want. You're the love of my life, and hell, you were the love of my unlife, too. No other woman could come close to changing how I feel about you, Buffy. Ever."

Buffy's shoulders slumped, his words making her anger drain away. "I know. And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go all psycho on you. I'm just so tired, and my brain hasn't been its most functioning today."

"It's okay, princess." Spike kissed her forehead. "Want me to run you a bath?"

Buffy looked up from under her lashes. "With bubbles?"

Spike smiled, glad to see that the storm seemed to have passed. "'Course, sweetling. Anything you want."

*** *** ***

Buffy practically purred as Spike ran a brush through her hair, wondering why she hadn't taken advantage of this particular skill of his years before.

He'd come into the bathroom after allowing her some time to soak away the day's soreness and helped her wash all those hard to reach spots. Then he'd carefully dried her off with a soft, thick towel before rubbing lotion all over her body. Now with the hair brushing on top of that, she was putty in his very talented hands.

He made her feel so pampered, so cherished.

So loved.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch earlier," Buffy said. "I know you'd never cheat on me, Spike."

"I know you do, kitten. It's all right." Spike set the brush down before lifting up her hair and pressing a kiss against the nape of her neck, making a shiver run up Buffy's spine.

Buffy stood up, a slow smile forming on her lips as she tugged on the belt of her robe. "Still, you've been so nice to me despite how much trouble I've given you today. There must be some way I can show my appreciation."

Spike's expression quickly became a leer as the silk of her robe pooled at Buffy's feet. "I'm sure you can think of something."

Buffy kneeled at the edge of the bed between Spike's legs, undoing his belt and unbuttoning his jeans. He cock sprung eagerly into her hands, and Spike groaned as Buffy gave the tip a light lick. "Maybe I could kiss you here and make it all better," Buffy said, her hand barely moving up and down the hard shaft.

"Buffy, please…" Spike moaned as he thrust his hips forward, desperate for more of her touch. She leaned in again and took the head in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it before hollowing out her cheeks and sliding down as far as she could go.

Spike groaned again, fisting his hands in the hair he'd so painstakingly brushed shortly before. The feel of Buffy's touch was the most wonderful thing he'd ever known, and he didn't know how she could think for even a moment he'd ever want anyone else. Even with over a hundred years of experience under his belt before her, Buffy could make him feel things he'd never known were possible.

Buffy pulled up slowly, massaging the underside of his cock with her tongue as she did. "Need to feel you against me," she said breathlessly. "Need to feel you inside me." She reached down to take off his boots as Spike pulled his t-shirt over his head. She then moved to his jeans, pulling them the rest of the way off before nudging him back on the bed. Spike moved to rest against the pillows, watching Buffy as she crawled up to him.

The couple cried out in unison as Buffy slid down on top of him, taking all of Spike inside with one stroke. Spike gripped Buffy's hips, guiding her movements as she set her pace. She never failed to drive him wild when she rode him like this, her untamed sensuality what had drawn her to him in the first place.

He wondered sometimes if she'd known that first night that she was dancing for him—if she'd been able to sense her the way he could her.

But he knew for certain that this particular dance she was doing now was all for him, and god, it drove him bloody crazy.

As she drew nearer to her peak, Buffy's movements grew more frantic, and Spike reached between them, working her clit with the pad of his thumb until Buffy wailed in release. Spike followed her over, his hips bucking as he called her name.

When his surroundings became clear again, Spike reached down and pulled up a blanket, bringing it around the two of them. Buffy moved slightly to the side, resting her head against his chest. Spike slid his hand between them, pressing it against her stomach. "Hope we didn't jostle Baby too much."

"Baby's been jostling Mommy all day."

Spike chuckled. "You been the one causing all this ruckus, Baby?"

"It can't hear you. Doesn't even have ears yet."

"Aw. She doesn't need ears to hear her daddy, do you, Baby?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You are such a freak."

"Please. I've heard you talk to her plenty of times."

"Have not."

"I may not be a vampire anymore, kitten, but I still have the hearing."

"Unlike our currently earless baby," Buffy muttered.

Spike chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "And you call me a freak."

"Mmm…We can be freaks together," Buffy said, nuzzling closer to him.

"I think the sex fried your brain, Slayer."

Buffy's eyes drifted shut. "Tends to do that. You're quite adept at the brain fryage."

Spike held her tightly as he heard her slipping into the telltale signs of sleep. Even with her unpredictable mood swings to contend with, Spike couldn't imagine anything better than life with the woman he held in his arms.

*** *** ***
 

Chapter 3:

Buffy wondered if waking up with the sound of Spike's heart thumping in his chest would ever seem commonplace. She'd stayed awake for hours before, just listening to it beat. She could feel his breath stirring her hair, and the knowledge that it was needed breath and not merely an echo of the man he'd once been made her happier than she ever would've imagined it could.

She knew without a doubt that she'd still love Spike if he were still been a vampire. She'd told Angel as much when he'd asked her if her choice would've been the same had the Shanshu Prophecy not been about Spike, and she'd meant it. But getting to have a real life with the man she loved, to get to start a family with him, made everything all the more wonderful.

And that family-in-progress made its presence known with a sharp turn of Buffy's stomach. She put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom.

When Buffy came out again, Spike was waiting for her, glass of ginger ale in hand. Buffy took it from him with a small, grateful smile. "You're so wonderful."

"I try."

Buffy sat down on the couch, taking small sips of her drink. "This better be one damn good kid, 'cause this part sucks."

Spike sat beside her, frowning at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes. "Why don't you go back to bed, sweetheart," he said, rubbing gentle circles against her back.

"Can't. I have meetings all morning."

Spike frowned. "Buffy, I know we agreed to come back here to help train the new Slayers, but that was before we knew you were pregnant. Maybe you should take a little time off, at least until the baby is born."

"I took enough time off, Spike. These girls need me. So many of them have died already."

"Not your fault, pet."

"I don't know, Spike. After what happened in Sunnydale, I just abandoned them, and maybe if I hadn't…" Buffy trailed off as she began to cry.

Spike took the glass of ginger ale from her hands and set it down before pulling her against his chest. "Shh. Don't cry, sweetling. You didn't abandon anyone. You took some well-deserved time off after seven years of guarding the Hellmouth. Nothing to be ashamed of. And they were Slayers, luv. Most tend to die young—and stay that way."

"But I didn't. I could've taught…"

Spike nudged her chin up gently, looking into her eyes, "What you are, Buffy, that strength inside you—it can't be taught. You're unique. Even with the hundreds of Slayers around now, you're still the One."

Buffy took a deep, shuddering breath, wiping her eyes. "You and your sweet talk…" She gave him a watery smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Spike replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay, I have got to stop being all crazy hormone girl now," Buffy said, sitting up. "Do you have anything you have to do today?"

"Not until tonight. I'm taking a few of the girls on a supervised patrol."

"All right. I'll come home after my morning meetings, because we really need to make a decision about the catering."

Spike refrained from telling her he didn't particularly care what the caterer brought, remembering how well that had gone the day before. "All right. We can have a nice, long discussion about it, and I promise to disagree with everything you say."

Buffy gave him a playful swat. "Jerk."

Spike leaned closer. "Going to have to disagree with that, too."

"Figured you would," Buffy replied, meeting him for a kiss.

*** *** ***

"It seemed to me like the whole thing was just a pathetic attempt to make one of the worst managerial attempts in the history of music look like a success. Besides, I could've gone my entire life without seeing that much of Malcolm McLaren."

Buffy froze in the entryway of the apartment, Emma's voice hitting her as soon as she walked through the door. She looked at where the other Slayer was sitting cross-legged on her couch, facing Spike.

Buffy cleared her throat and Spike turned quickly. "Hey, pet."

"What is she doing here?" Buffy asked, pointing at Emma.

Emma got to her feet. "And that would be my cue to leave."

"No," Spike said quickly as he stood as well. "Buffy, Emma just came over here to let me know she and Dawn were getting along."

Buffy crossed her arms in front of her. "Looks more like she's getting along with you."

Spike sucked in a breath. "Buffy, stop being so bloody ridiculous! We were talking—that's it. I don't go off every time I see you talking to some other guy."

"You never liked Xander."

Spike paused for a moment before replying with, "That's 'cause he's a git, not because I don't want you having any male friends."

"You can have female friends," Buffy said. "Just not her."

"Really, I'm just going to go," Emma said. "I'll see you later…" She caught the glare Buffy shot her. "Or not."

"Emma…" Spike called after the girl, but she didn't stop. He turned his gaze back on Buffy. "I'm sorry you're feeling bad, pet. I really am. And if you want to take it out on me, fine. Yell, scream, punch me in the sodding nose again. But don't take it out of her. She hasn't done anything. A month ago, she had to leave behind everything she knew. She's alone and painfully homesick. Cut the girl some slack."

"I took a look at her record, Spike. She's been here for a month, and she's already gone through three roommates and scared off a Watcher. She's caused nothing but trouble ever since she showed up."

Spike shut his eyes, his head turned slightly, the gesture one Buffy knew meant he was trying to control his temper. When he looked at her again, his eyes made it clear that the reign he had on it was far from tight. "Your record wasn't exactly spotless at her age either, Summers."

"Why are you defending her like this? You know I don't like you seeing her."

"I'm not…" Spike stopped, his jaw ticking. "It's because you're being a right bitch about her. If you want to be jealous, go right ahead. But don't treat that girl the way you just did ever again." He walked past Buffy on his way to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Out," Spike replied, not looking back. "Tell the caterer to go with the chicken."

Buffy shook as the door slammed.

*** *** ***

Spike knew in front of Emma's door was probably the last place he should be standing, but at the moment, he really didn't care. He loved Buffy more than anything in the world, but he wasn't going to tolerate this. Despite what Buffy had gotten into her head, Spike knew Emma was a decent girl, and he seriously doubted she was interested in anything from him beyond friendship.

He'd been around long enough to know when a woman was interested, and he was getting none of the usual signs from her.

Emma was wiping her eyes when she answered the door, and Spike could tell she'd been crying though she was most likely trying to fight it. "You shouldn't be here," she said.

"Yeah, I know. But I wanted to check in on you."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

Emma sniffed. "That's because I'm really not. But I've already got you in enough trouble with Buffy, so you should just go."

"Things between Buffy and me have been worse than this in the past, believe me. And it isn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Please," Emma replied with a snort. "I'm always doing something wrong."

"You're not here," Spike assured her. "Buffy's just…Buffy's gone insane. She's not normally like this. She's been jealous before, but that was all of once." He added with a shrug, "And we were broken up at the time, so I did that on purpose anyway."

Emma chuckled lightly, then sobered. "So it's just me she hates."

"No. Like I said, Buffy's not being herself. We've only been here for a couple of weeks, and she's adjusting. Plus the crazy-making hormones."

"I still feel bad that she hates me so much," Emma said softly. "I wanted to be good at this. My life has been one fuck up after another. And then when that Giles guy came and told me I was a Slayer and what that meant, I thought maybe that was why nothing had worked before. Maybe my life couldn't go right because I was meant to be doing something else, meant to be someone else. But then I came here, and I can't get along with anyone, and I'm just as much of a wreck as I've always been."

"Hey now. You're not a wreck. You've had to make a huge adjustment in your life. And you can be a good Slayer, Emma. I can see it in you."

Emma shook her head. "I really don't think so."

"Trust me. I've known a few Slayers in my day." Spike cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. "You up for a spar?"

Emma's eyes widened. "With you? But you train the girls with a lot more experience than me. I've only been on one group patrol, and when I fought with the vampire, I missed the heart, and he knocked me on my ass."

"Don't worry about that. Same thing happened to Buffy her first time out."

Emma eyed him suspiciously. "Really?"

"Yeah. Takes a bit of practice, ducks, but you'll get the hang of it."

"Or end up with my throat ripped out," Emma muttered.

"Don't talk like that. You just need more practice is all. This Slayer stuff, it'll come naturally to you as soon as you let it."

"I don't know…"

Spike smiled at her. "Well, I do. Come on, change into something you don't mind getting sweaty in, and I'll give you some private training."

"I'm not sure if I should…"

"You need the practice, and to be honest, I could use the work out."

Emma decided he was right. "Okay. Just give me a few minutes."

*** *** ***

Buffy had spent most of the time since Spike had left the apartment feeling horrible. He was probably right. She knew the idea of him cheating on her was ludicrous. After everything they'd been through together, why would Spike throw it all away to be with some other woman? He wouldn't—no matter how attractive that other woman was.

And now that she was thinking about it rationally, Buffy realized Emma really hadn't seemed to be flirting with Spike. She'd probably judged the girl too harshly, going all crazy-pregnant-lady.

It hurt to fight this way with Spike, especially now. She had been rude to Emma, and Spike, too, in the process. She needed to find him and patch things up.

Knowing Spike, Buffy figured he'd probably gone down to the training rooms. It was a good place for him to work off his aggression. She made her way over there, stopping at the front desk. "Hey, Kim," she said to the girl sitting there. "Is Spike down here?"

Kim looked up. "Yeah. He's giving a lesson. Training room five."

"Thanks," Buffy said, walking past the desk. She frowned slightly. Spike hadn't said anything about giving lessons today, only supervising a patrol after dark.

She stopped short outside the training room, her blood running cold as she saw inside through the window.

Spike was sparring with Emma—and from the looks of it, having quite a good time.

Buffy turned around and ran, tears in her eyes.

*** *** ***

"Buffy, kitten, are you home?" Spike waited a moment, frowning when she didn't answer. He knew she was there. Her scent was too strong for it to be otherwise. He went to their bedroom, stopping short when he saw her. "Buffy, what are you doing?"

"I'm packing your things," Buffy said, shoving a black t-shirt into a bag.

"And why are you doing that?" Spike asked, staring at her with a mix of shock and confusion.

"Because you're moving out," Buffy said tersely.

Spike took a step backwards. "Sweetheart…"

"I saw you with her earlier," Buffy said, not turning around to look at him.

"Buffy, there's nothing you could've seen that would warrant throwing me out."

"You were sparring with her," Buffy replied as she moved on to packing his jeans.

"Yeah, I was," Spike said. "What of it?"

"Do you have any idea what it felt like to see you fighting with another woman?"

Under any other circumstance, Spike would've found that at least a bit funny. Getting angry over your fiancé fighting with another woman… He was pretty sure only Buffy would be capable of such a thing. But the humor was lost on him as he watched her preparing to throw him out of their home. "That's my job, remember?"

Buffy spun around, her eyes flashing with anger. "She wasn't just another Slayer, Spike. And this was not a scheduled training session."

"You're being ridiculous. You're out of sorts and not thinking clearly."

"Don't try to pin this all on my hormones," Buffy snapped. "You were the one sparring with her."

"Bloody hell, woman! I was training her, the same way I would any of the junior slayers."

"I know how you can get when you spar, Spike," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing.

"No, you know how I get when I spar with you. It's being with you like that that gets me hot, Buffy. The way you move…how passionate you are…"

"She looked like she had quite a few moves herself," Buffy snapped in response.

Spike walked over to the bag she'd been packing, zipped it up, and grabbed it from the bed. "You know, if this is how little you trust me, maybe you're right about me needing to leave."

"Good. I don't want you here."

Spike turned around and walked out.

*** *** ***

 

Chapter 4:

"Geez, Spike, you look horrible. And you have…luggage?"

Spike stood in the hallway outside Dawn's apartment, his shoulders drooping. "Your sister asked me to leave."

"Oh my god! Spike, I…wow."

"I know there are guest apartments where I could stay, and I really shouldn't be asking you this but…"

"You don't want to be alone and want to know if you can crash here?" Dawn guessed.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Of course!" Dawn stepped back. "Come in. Are you hungry? Emma and I were just eating pizza."

Spike paused when he saw Emma sitting on Dawn's living room floor. "I didn't know you were here," he said.

"Dawn and I were having dinner," Emma replied. "But I could leave if…"

"No, don't do that," Spike said. "You're eating and all..."

"Okay." Emma's eyes widened as she noticed he was carrying a large bag. "Did Buffy kick you out?"

"Yeah," he replied simply.

"Spike, I'm so sorry," Emma said quickly. "This is all my fault."

"No, pet, it isn't," Spike assured her.

Dawn stepped up to Spike's side. "Wait, why is this all Emma's fault?" she asked.

"It isn't," Spike replied quickly.

"Yes, it is," Emma insisted.

"Okay, why does Emma think it's all her fault?" Dawn amended.

"Because Buffy's gotten it into her head that she needs to be jealous where Emma's concerned," Spike replied with a heavy sigh. "She thinks…well, honestly I don't know what the hell she thinks right now, but it's not good. Or anywhere in the neighborhood or accurate."

"It'll be okay," Dawn said softly, resting her hand against Spike's arm. "Buffy loves you. She'll cool down and want you to come back. It's probably just the baby making her nuts anyway. I mean, Buffy's crazy enough without extra wacky-making hormones."

Spike was startled. "You know she's pregnant?"

"Saw the box for the test in the garbage right before we left Rome. Besides, you two suddenly insisting I have my own place when you're living in a three bedroom apartment? Please, it's so obvious you're making room for baby…"

"Weren't really trying to keep it from you, bit," Spike said. "Buffy just wanted to get more settled in here before she made the announcement."

"I figured. But anyway, come in. Have some pizza."

"Yeah, all right. And get me one of those beers you have in the back of the fridge, will you, nibblet?"

"I don't…" Dawn stopped, her arms crossed in front of her chest defiantly. "I'm old enough to drink in this country, you know."

"Yeah, and I'm not getting on your case about it. Just need a drink is all." Spike walked past Dawn, dropping his bag on the couch before sitting on the floor with Emma. Dawn rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen.

Spike watched for a moment as Emma picked at the toppings on her pizza. "This really isn't your fault, you know," he said softly.

"You don't have to be nice to me," Emma replied. "Your fiancée kicked you out. It's okay to hate me."

"Emma, you haven't done anything wrong."

"I'm sure I have somewhere. Hell, my own mother hated me because of the way my step-father looked at me." She paused to glance up at him before adding quickly, "Not that you look at me any way, just…" Emma sighed, looking down at the pizza again. "I know I'm pretty. Not being vain about it, I just know. Women get upset if I'm around their men. I should've just stayed away from you, and then Buffy wouldn't have had a reason to get jealous."

"Em, Buffy doesn't need a reason to get cranky," Dawn said as she walked into the living room, sitting next to Spike and handing him his beer. "Reason's got nothing to do with it. She'll come around. If anything, she'll start missing the wild, kinky sex."

"Dawn!" Spike exclaimed, after fighting to keep from spitting his beer all over the carpet.

"What?" Dawn replied. "I heard the two of you in Rome. All sorts of noises coming from that bedroom at all hours. It was like someone left the Playboy channel on in there." Dawn giggled, gesturing towards Spike. "He's so adorable when he gets embarrassed. He turns all pink."

"You're evil," Spike said. "You do know that, right?"

Dawn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I learned from the best, Big Bad."

"So Buffy won't stay mad?" Emma asked.

"Nope. She'll be taking him back in no time," Dawn replied. "Besides, it's really not you. Probably just her Faith complex acting up again."

"Her what?" Emma asked.

"Her fear of another Slayer trying to move in and take over her life—again." Dawn explained.

"Oh," Emma said. "So you mean Faith as in Faith Lehane?"

Dawn nodded. "Yep. She and Buffy don't have the best past together."

"That reminds me," Spike said, standing up. "I need to call her."

"Faith?" Dawn asked. "Why do you need to call her?"

"Need to see if I can get her to take over patrol duties for me tonight. I could probably use a fight, but I'm not too up for Slayer-sitting."

"Phone's on my bed," Dawn told him.

"Thanks, nib." Spike went into the bedroom, leaving the girls alone again.

"You weren't just saying they'll be okay for Spike's sake, were you?" Emma asked.

"Nope," Dawn replied, opening the pizza box between them and pulling out a slice. "Buffy and Spike, they've got the big Love. Meant to be and all that." She bit into the pizza.

Emma relaxed a little, hoping what Dawn was saying was true. She hadn't known Spike very long, but she liked him. She'd hate it if she caused a permanent rift between him and woman he loved—especially when that woman was carrying his child. The last thing Emma needed in her life was more guilt.

"Hey, would you be terribly offended if I went in there and talked to him alone for a few minutes?" Dawn asked. "I don't plan on badmouthing you or anything like that, it's just…"

"No, it's fine," Emma replied. "You guys can't talk freely about this with me here. I get that. I'll just go over there and turn on the TV."

Dawn smiled. "Thanks." She hopped up, going into the bedroom and closing the door behind her. She plopped down on the bed, and when Spike hung up from his conversation with Faith, she said, "Okay, what's up?"

"With Buffy?" Spike asked.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah. 'Cause you and Buffy have been back together barely over a month and she's already kicking you out?"

Spike sighed, sitting beside Dawn. "I told you, she's jealous of Emma, which makes all of no sense."

"Sure it does," Dawn said with a shrug. "Buffy's got a jealous streak a mile wide."

"Not with me she doesn't," Spike muttered.

"Oh, please. You should've heard her that time she came down to the basement and found Faith on your bed. She ranted forever about that."

Spike looked at her, startled. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. So seeing another woman—another Slayer—with you? Not saying she's right, 'cause the idea of you cheating on Buffy is just so ridiculous it's laughable, but, well, recipe for jealousy there."

"Yeah, I guess. Although anything I feel towards Emma is very far from what Buffy's thinking." Spike lowered his voice, aware that Emma was still in the apartment, albeit on the other side of a closed door. "I feel sorry for her. I saw her in that room, with that roommate she had, and I don't know... She looked…trapped. And something in her eyes… She tries to hide it, but I know that look. She's…"

"Haunted," Dawn said.

"Yeah. You've caught it, too?"

Dawn nodded. "She seems really sad."

Spike sighed. "I wasn't trying to hurt Buffy. And I tried to reassure her. I thought we'd resolved it last night. I told her there was nothing going on between Emma and me, and she seemed like she accepted that, but then today… Buffy has to know she's the center of my world. Bloody hell, I died for the woman. But I can't…" Spike turned away from Dawn's eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if she went back to treatin' me like she used to. Never trusting me, makin' demands that everything be her way all the time. We were supposed to be past that. I can only do so much. I want to make her happy, but when she's back to flyin' off the handle with me and never wantin' to talk about anything…"

Dawn rested her hand against Spike's leg. "She won't get like that again. She loves you. You're going to get married and have a baby together. She'll get over all this with Emma soon enough."

"God, I hope so. Fighting with Buffy like this—it's just too much for me to handle right now. Bloody nerve-wracking." Spike took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Didn't want to hurt Buffy. Emma was real down, talking like she could never be much of a Slayer. So I told her I'd train her a little, tryin' to get her spirits up. If I'd know Buffy was going to get this upset about it… But that, with Emma, that wasn't about Buffy. It was about tryin' to show someone that she's worth something. I know how Emma feels, all out of place. Like she doesn't belong. I can't just sit idly by and watch someone go through that."

"Did you explain that to Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"She never gave me the chance," Spike said, shaking his head. "I was too mad to try to have a rational conversation with her after she flipped on Emma, and then when I came home, she was packing me a bag."

"Give her time. She'll come around, listen to your side of things," Dawn said.

Spike arched an eyebrow. "Have you met Buffy?" He held his arm out to the side. "'Bout yay high, blonde hair, hits like a Mack truck?"

Dawn smirked. "Yeah, I know. But she isn't going to let herself lose you, Spike. Not again."

"I need her, bit. Love her so much…"

"I know. And she needs you, too. Just wait for her to calm down some, and you two can talk."

"I figure things would probably be okay if I agreed to stay away from Emma, and I will if it's the only option, but I do like the girl. She's been nice to talk to. Most of the mini-Slayers stare at me like I'm a bleedin' curiosity. Nice to have one of them around that doesn't."

"They talk about you," Dawn told him. "Call you Mr. Hottie."

"I've heard," Spike replied, sounding less-than-thrilled. "It's usually punctuated by high-pitched giggles."

Dawn patted his arm. "Cheer up. Buffy will come around. Maybe she could talk to Emma, see that there's no threat there. Might make her relax about everything."

"Except every time she's in a room with Emma, she goes off on the poor girl. If that's how it's going to go, then it's probably best to leave them separated. I love Buffy, but watching her treat someone like that… Been on the receiving end too many times."

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you want. My couch is quite comfy. But something tells me Buffy will be wanting to work things out soon. She'll miss you. Probably does already if she's through being all pouty."

"Hope so, bit."

Dawn stood. "You wanna go watch a movie? Take your mind off things for a while?"

"As long as it's not some Hollywood drivel starring Heartthrob-of-the-Month."

"This coming from the man who watched Passions and Dawson's Creek." At Spike's glare, Dawn chuckled. "Fine. Movie choice for the night goes to you."

*** *** ***

Buffy couldn't sleep. She'd gone to bed early, hoping with a little extra rest, she could feel more like herself. But all she could do was lay awake, her eyes refusing to stay closed. The bed was too big, too cold, for her to get comfortable.

Buffy sighed, facing up to the truth. She needed Spike.

She sat up, placing her hand against her belly. "Okay, sprout. Time for Mommy to go get your daddy back."

Buffy dressed and made her way out of the apartment. She knew without a doubt where Spike was. He easily could have gone to any one of the empty apartments on this floor, but she didn't think for a second that he had. That would be too much like moving out. No, he'd go some place where he wouldn't question his welcome, but at the same time, he'd know everything was just temporary.

Which led her directly to her sister's door.

"You do realize you're a total bitch, don't you," Dawn said as soon as she opened the door, scowling at Buffy.

Buffy nodded. "Coming to that conclusion myself."

Dawn stepped out into the hallway with Buffy, shutting the door behind her. "Spike's here, but I don't want you wigging, because so is Emma."

Buffy didn't want to wig either. And rationally, she knew there wasn't a reason to. She knew that Dawn and Emma had been hanging out, and if Emma was there, it was most likely because of Dawn, not Spike. But something about thinking about Spike and that other Slayer made "rational" go right out the window. After all, shouldn't Emma be Spike's type? She looked like she should be…

"Okay, before you start with the 'Slayer smash,' listen to me," Dawn said. "Emma was here when Spike got here. When she found out you had Spike leave because he'd been spending time with her, she was really, really upset. Worried that you wouldn't take him back. Not exactly the behavior of a homewrecker waiting to make her move."

"Maybe she was acting."

"Buffy, I've been hanging out with her for two days now, and not once has she pumped me for information about Spike. She knows I know him. If she was interested in him, she'd be asking about him. She hasn't been." Dawn paused to meet her sister's eyes. "I've been watching them all night. He acts the same way with her that he does with me."

Buffy sighed, slumping a little. "Ugh. I don't know what's gotten into me, turning me into mega-bitch Buffy. Looking back on it, throwing him out was definitely a little extreme."

"Just blame it on all the crazy pregnancy hormones," Dawn said with a shrug. "It's like a nine-month get out of jail free card."

Buffy's eyes widened. "You know? Did Spike tell you?"

"I figured it out on my own, Buffy. I'm not a total doof." Dawn stepped forward and hugged her sister. "Congratulations. Now go say you're sorry."

"Can I just claim pregnancy amnesia?" Buffy asked as she pulled away.

"Does that exist?" Dawn asked.

"I have no idea. But I bet he doesn't either. Or demonic possession. I'll tell him I was possessed by a psychotic jealousy demon."

Dawn arched her eyebrow, her hands firmly planted on her hips. "Or you could go in there and apologize to both of them."

"Yeah, I guess that would be the best thing to do. Although jealousy demon…"

"Buffy…"

"Yeah, yeah I'm going," Buffy grumbled, walking into the apartment with Dawn following close behind.

Emma and Spike were watching television in the living room, Spike on the couch and Emma stretched out on the floor, her chin resting in her hands. They both jumped up when they saw Buffy, and Emma immediately began to speak. "We weren't…we just…I swear, it's nothing. Don't be mad at him, 'cause…"

"I know," Buffy said, stopping the other Slayer's nervous rambling. "I've been acting like a real crazy person these past couple of days, and I'm sorry. Emma, you must think I'm the biggest bitch in the world."

Emma shrugged, Buffy's apology causing her to relax. "Not really. You saw a threat and you wanted to protect your own. I get that."

Buffy gave her a small smile. "Thanks for being so understanding," she said. "I probably don't really deserve it, the way I treated you. And I was wrong there. Very, very wrong."

"Excuse me a minute," Spike said. "I have to go call Hell and ask them if the need some skis."

Buffy gave him a dirty look. "Ha ha."

Spike moved closer to her. "You throwin' me out, like that—just decidin' the way things were gonna be without talking to me first, the way you used to? That really hurt, Buffy," he said softly, the joking tone gone form his voice.

"I know. And I'm so sorry, Spike. If you're not ready to come home, I'll…"

Before she could finish, Spike pulled her to him, silencing her with a kiss. "Don't wanna fight with you, kitten. Want things to be okay with us."

Buffy sighed happily, feeling the tension draining from her now that she was back where she belonged. "So you'll come back home then? I can't sleep without you…"

"All you had to do was ask."

"See. I told you you didn't have to try to blame it on a jealousy demon," Dawn said, approaching the blond couple.

Buffy glared at her sister. "Shut up, you."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and a flash of bright light, and the four occupants of the room were gone.

*** *** ***

Chapter 5:
Dawn pulled herself up groggily, looking around her. The sky was pitch black with swirling clouds of red energy, the ground beneath her feet dark sand. Wind whipped around her and she hugged herself tightly. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," she muttered.

"I don't think we're on Earth anymore," Emma replied, getting to her feet beside Dawn. "What is this place?"

"Looks like a demon dimension," Spike said from behind them. He gasped when he saw Buffy lying on the ground and ran to her, kneeling beside her prone body. "Buffy? Talk to me, sweetling, please…"

Buffy groaned, trying to pull herself up. "Baby doesn't like interdimensional travel. Oh, god…" She got up on her hands and knees, turning away from Spike as the contents of her stomach made their way back up. Spike moved quickly, taking hold of her hair and keeping it out of the way.

When her stomach had stopped convulsing, Buffy rose shakily to her feet, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Spike put his arm around her, helping her stand. "Sorry," Buffy said. "That was really gross, I know."

Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out a stick of gum. "Here."

"Thanks," Buffy said, taking the gum with a small, grateful smile before unwrapping it and popping it in her mouth.

"So how exactly did we get from Dawn's apartment to here?" Emma asked. "That shouldn't even be possible…"

"Says the one person here who never lived on a Hellmouth," Dawn commented.

"Something must've brought us here," Spike said. "Question is what."

"I did."

The four of them turned towards the unfamiliar voice to see a man standing a few feet away. He was covered in robes, his face shadowed by a hood. Spike stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Care to tell me why you did that?"

"I require the services of the Slayer," the robe figure replied.

"Yeah, well, the Slayer ain't rental property," Spike said. "Send us back."

"I'm afraid I cannot. Were I to do so, it would put everyone at a very great risk."

Spike started to respond, but he stopped when he felt Buffy's hand on his arm. It was obvious she was still feeling the effects on the trip, and it made him want to hurt the man in the robe for doing this to her. But the look on her face at the moment was telling him to let her be in charge, and he took a step back.

"I'm the Slayer," Buffy said. "Who are you?"

"I am Aiden, Guardian of the Sacred Amulet of Theringal."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Okay…. So what exactly do you need from me Mr. Amulet-Guardian Guy, 'cause I have to tell you, you didn't exactly catch me at the most convenient time."

"And for that, I am sorry. I had wished for there to be another way; however, I was forced to act with haste. It is not safe for us to speak here. The storms will roll in soon. Please, accompany me to shelter, and I shall explain everything."

"Why should we trust you?" Spike asked. "You've already brought us into a demon dimension against our will."

"For that, I do apologize, but I did what I had to do in order to prevent what is coming," Aiden replied.

Buffy pulled on Spike's arm, getting him to turn towards her. "I think we should go with him," she said softly enough so only Spike could hear.

"It's not safe. With your condition and those girls with us…"

"I know." Even with the circumstances surrounding them at the moment, it clicked in Buffy's head that Spike had just linked Emma and Dawn together, and she didn't miss the implication there. "But we don't have a lot of choice. We can't stay out here, and there's not really a wide variety of places to go. We're going to have to take out chances with him."

"And what if we're walking into a trap?"

"Then we'll fight out way out, just like we always do."

Spike knew Buffy was right. He didn't like it, but what choice did they really have? The sky looked beyond ominous, and he really didn't want to be around to find out what the storms there were like. "Right then. So we follow the escapee from a bad 80's music video."

Buffy gave him a look. "Yeah." She cleared her throat, turning back towards Aiden. "All right. We'll go with you. But try anything to hurt me or any of these people with me, and I will kill you."

"I would expect no less," he replied before turning his back to them. "Follow me."

The small group exchanged glances before they started to walk after him. Aiden had gone only a few paces before he stopped, waving his hand over the ground in front of him. A patch of sand swirled for a moment before disappearing, revealing a long staircase going down into the ground. "The entrance to the Temple of Theringal is guarded. That is why I could not bring you directly there." He stepped down on to the stairs, leaving the others to follow.

The stairway was dimly lit, and Buffy held on to Spike as they made their way down, trusting his eyesight more than her own. She was still feeling woozy from the trip there, and the last thing she needed was to take a tumble down the stairs.

Spike was aware of Buffy's small hand on him, and he stepped slowly, letting her use him as a guide. He knew the other two were behind them, but they were keeping a few steps back, giving Buffy some room, and he was grateful for that. Buffy was having a hard enough time just being pregnant without this, too. She needed to be home where she could rest.

When they got to the end of the stairs, they were in a long corridor, lit by torches on the wall. Aiden continued to lead them, his pace quick. Buffy started to walk, but felt a wave of dizziness hit her after only a few steps. Without a word, Spike picked her up, cradling her against him as they went. Part of her wanted to rebel against being carried like a child, but it felt too nice pressed against his warm body to complain.

The corridor eventually ended in a large cavern that Buffy assumed was the temple Aiden had referred to. It was decorated with white marble columns and statues, a raised marble dais in the center.

"Pretty fancy place for a hole in the ground," Spike whispered to Buffy before kissing her forehead and putting her back on her feet.

Aiden stopped and turned around, pushing off his hood. Buffy's eyes widened at the sight of his chiseled features, long, thick black hair, and dark blue eyes. He was certainly better looking than she had expected, and when she looked back to see the two girls gaping, she guessed the same could be said for them.

"This is the Temple of Theringal," Aiden said. "It has been my home for over a millennium as I have guarded the sacred amulet."

"Not another bloody amulet," Spike muttered, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Buffy.

"I was able to fulfill my duties as Guardian until recently, when the temple was attacked by the armies of Chalchicomehuel," Aiden continued. "How they were able to breech the temple's defenses, I am still unsure of, but with their surprise attack, they were able to overpower me and seize the amulet."

"And I'm going to guess that that's not the sort of thing that leads to hugs and puppies," Buffy said.

"The amulet is an object of great power," Aiden said. "Whether that power comes from darkness or light depends on the wearer."

"And let me guess, 'cause I think I know this one," Buffy said. "It's fallen into the hands of great evil, hell-bent on making the world go ka-boom?"

"In a manner of speaking," Aiden replied. "Chalchicomehuel plans to utilize the power of the amulet to allow his armies to invade your world, claiming it as his own. From there, he plans to mount an offensive against the Higher Realms themselves."

"The amulet is that powerful?" Buffy asked.

"It can be," Aiden replied. "Although from the information I have been able to gather, I believe that Chalchicomehuel plans to augment it with something called 'the Key.'"

Dawn's gasp was audible in the large chamber, but Buffy spoke quickly. "Do you have any idea where this Key is?"

"No, only that Chalchicomehuel plans to use it. I am not even sure if it is in his possession yet."

"Do…do you know how he plans to use it?" Dawn asked, taking a couple of steps forward.

"To my knowledge, the Key coupled with the amulet would allow him to punch a hole through the fabric of reality large enough to allow his armies to travel first to your world and then on into the Higher Realms."

"So what do you want to do about the Key?" Dawn asked.

"If it has not fallen into Chalchicomehuel's hands, I wish to locate it."

"And then what?" Dawn's voice fell. "Would you destroy it?"

"No. To attempt to destroy something that powerful would only be foolish. The Key must be guarded, kept safely away from Chalchicomehuel."

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief at that. He didn't want to kill her. Unless, of course, he knew already that she was the Key and he was only trying to lull her into a false sense of security. She moved closer to Spike.

"So why did you bring us here exactly?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I'm guessing it has something to do with this Chachi guy, but I like to have specifics."

"For two reasons," Aiden replied. "Although to be honest, I only meant to bring the Slayer. It is difficult to be exact with interdimensional travel."

"That's nice," Buffy said, her expression belying her impatience. "Reasons?"

"Well, I have heard that you battled the vile hellspawn Glorificus in your own dimension, and in the stories of this battle, the Key is mentioned. I thought you may be of some help where it is concerned."

"The Key is safe. I'm not telling you any more than that," Buffy said tersely. "Second reason? 'Cause you said you had two."

"I require the assistance of a great warrior, a Champion. Your deeds are legendary. It is not often that a vampire Slayer survives long enough for her name to even be known, but yours—it is not only known but spoken with reverence by those on our side and with fear by those who are not."

Buffy couldn't help but puff up a little at that. "Really?"

"Yes. I am honored to be in your presence."

Buffy tugged on Spike's arm. "You hear that, honey? Being in my presence is an honor."

"I could've told you that, luv," Spike replied with a wink.

Buffy turned back to Aiden. "So, this evil guy with a name I'm not even gonna try to say is going to bring about yet another apocalypse, and you need me to help you kick his ass? Is that the deal?"

"Yes," Aiden replied. "I was going to ask your assistance in locating the Key, but you can assure me it is safe and out of Chalchicomehuel's hands?"

"It is," Buffy said.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me where it is."

"Can't," Buffy replied. "I don't trust you enough for that."

"I understand. You have just met me, and the Key is something that requires much safekeeping. It would be unwise to reveal its location to a stranger. Though as far as trusting me is concerned, I can tell you that I am incapable of saying anything that is not truth."

"I knew a bloke like that once," Spike said. "Went by the name of Drogyn. Didn't care much for questions."

"He is my cousin. And yes, he has always resented that aspect of our job. He was unaware of that stipulation when he accepted his guardianship and, well, there have been…incidents."

Spike's expression clouded over. "You haven't heard have you?"

"Heard what?"

"Drogyn died. Couple months back."

Aiden paled. "I didn't… News is slow to reach here. How?"

Spike debated how much to tell Aiden. He didn't necessarily feel the need to protect Angel, but he wasn't sure this was quite the time or place for a detailed account. "Got caught up in some mess with the Circle of the Black Thorn. They killed him." Spike let out a deep breath. "I tried to protect him, but I guess it wasn't enough."

"If you tried at all to protect my cousin from an enemy such as the Circle, then you have my respect and gratitude. And while the news you have brought of Drogyn's passing saddens me greatly, I haven't the time to mourn properly now. There is much at stake and very little time to act."

"So what's the plan then?" Buffy asked. "'Cause if there's an apocalypse, I'd just as soon get it over with so I can go home."

"We need to retrieve the amulet, though we cannot travel with the storm raging. It is three days' journey to Chalchicomehuel's stronghold, and from there we will need to enter and locate where he is keeping the amulet. The window of time he has to execute his plan is small, and if we can recover the amulet and prevent him from gaining access to the Key, then he should not be successful."

"How come I'm doubting it's gonna be as easy as you just made it sound?" Spike asked.

"I'm sorry if I made it sound easy," Aiden replied. "It shall not be. While most of Chalchicomehuel's forces are stationed beyond his stronghold, it will still be heavily guarded. We will have to fight our way in. As I stated earlier, I meant only to bring the Slayer. If any of the rest of you are unprepared for combat, then it will be best if you stay behind."

"Would they be protected here?" Buffy asked.

"In the past, I would have said yes, but I can no longer offer such a guarantee," Aiden replied. "Not after Chalchicomehuel has already breeched the temple once."

Buffy felt torn. On the one hand, if this guy was after the Key, she should keep Dawn far away from him. But on the other hand, it wouldn't be any safer to leave Dawn somewhere where she couldn't protect her. "They stay with me," Buffy said. She gestured to each person as she spoke their name. "Spike is a Champion in his own right. Dawn has proven herself in battle already. And Emma, she's a Slayer—like me."

Aiden blinked. "I was under the impression that there could be only one Slayer at any given time."

"You weren't kidding when you said news traveled slow around here," Buffy said. "That rule sorta got tossed. Not that certain people felt like abiding by it in the first place, but hey…"

"So I have the help of two Slayers then?" Aiden asked.

"I don't have anywhere near Buffy's experience," Emma said. "I'm new to the whole Slayer thing. But I'll…do what I can."

Aiden looked at her, his dark blue eyes locking with her large brown ones. "I have no doubt that you will live up to the title that has been bestowed upon you."

Emma swallowed, his intense gaze seeming to pull her in. "Thanks."

"You said we can't travel until the storm passes," Spike said, pulling Aiden's attention back to him and Buffy. "Is that going to be a while?"

"Several hours, I'm sure," Aiden replied. "These storms are rather unpredictable, and when they show up, they don't leave quickly. My advice would be for all of you to rest. There are rooms, behind the temple, where you can sleep."

Buffy found herself trusting Aiden more than she normally would a virtual stranger. Not that he had her trust completely, but she wasn't sensing anything particularly off about him, and Spike seemed to be warming up to him since they'd had the brief conversation regarding Drogyn. "Okay. But don't try to split us up completely," Buffy said

"I have two rooms, across the hall from each other. One with two beds for the young women and another for you and…Spike, was it? Unless I am wrong in my assumption that he is your companion."

"You're not wrong there," Buffy said, lacing her fingers with Spike's. "And that will be fine."

"Follow me then," Aiden said, leading them out of the main room of the temple.

*** *** ***
 

Chapter 6:
Aiden showed Buffy and Spike to their room first before bringing Dawn and Emma across the hall to theirs. It was decorated similarly to the temple itself, with a heavy use of white marble. Two beds were on the far side of the room. "Will the accommodations suit you?"

"Yeah. It's a really nice room," Emma said. She turned, finding herself only inches away from Aiden, and her face flamed. "Really nice."

Aiden gave her what could have been the beginnings of a smile. "I am glad. If you need anything tonight, my sleeping chamber is but two rooms down."

"Okay," Emma said, unable to form the words to say anything else.

Aiden nodded. "Sleep well." He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh my god, that man is seriously gorgeous," Dawn said after a moment. "And you know he's got some serious muscles under that bulky robe."

"Kinda makes you want to rip it off and lick 'em."

"Emma!" Dawn exclaimed, though she couldn't suppress a girlish giggle.

"What? The man is hot. Did you see his eyes? They're just…wow." Emma shook her head. "Did he really say he's been guarding the amulet for like a thousand years?"

"Over, I think," Dawn replied.

"Damn. He looks good for his age."

"He looks good for any age."

Emma cleared her throat. "So yeah, way hunky but way old guys aside, this apocalypse thing—pretty normal occurrence around the Summers household?"

"Oh yeah," Dawn replied. "Back in Sunnydale they used to happen every year around May. It was like, well, it's almost summer—must be time for an apocalypse."

"Really? That many?" Emma asked. "'Cause I was sorta under the impression that the apocalypse only started up once."

"One would think," Dawn replied. "Although I'd thought we'd gotten it out of the way for the year with the big battle Buffy and Spike fought in L.A." Dawn frowned. "Although, come to think of it, it seemed like Angel always got a big Maypocalypse, too, so maybe that was his and this one's ours."

"It's July," Emma pointed out.

"So it's a little late." Dawn went over to one of the beds, sitting down on the edge. Emma followed, sitting beside her.

"You look worried," Emma said.

"Well, yeah, we were just told someone's trying to end the world. Old hat or not, it's really not something I like to hear," Dawn replied.

"I know, but…" Emma looked at her for a moment. "You seemed to get extra wigged when Aiden started talking about that Key thing. And Buffy knows about it, so I guess it's something you've run into before. Is it something really bad?"

"Yes and no," Dawn replied. "It's…complicated. I can't really go into details right now, but the last time the Key was an issue, I almost died. So hearing that someone's trying to use the Key makes me a little jumpy. Glory was after it before, and she was relentless about it. And then there were these knights, and…" Dawn's eyes widened. "Oh god, what if the Knights of Byzantium come back?"

"The what of what? Emma asked, looking confused.

"They were knights who wanted to destroy the Key. They attacked us when Buffy wouldn't give it to them. It was bad," Dawn explained.

"Didn't Aiden say the Key couldn't be destroyed?

"I think so," Dawn replied. "But I don't really know… Something bad could still be done to it."

Emma frowned. "Done to it? Is the Key something that can be hurt?"

"I…I can't really talk about this," Dawn said. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just with this situation, and…"

"You've only known me for two days, Dawn," Emma said. "You don't have to apologize for not telling me big secrets. If I were in your position, I wouldn't trust me either."

"Thanks, Em."

"We should probably both just get some rest," Emma said, standing up. "I'm tired, and I'm sure you are, too."

"And something tells me tomorrow is not going to be a stroll through the park," Dawn remarked.

"Guess it's time for me to prove I've got what it takes to be a Slayer," Emma muttered.

"Hey. You'll do fine," Dawn said.

"Or I'll be dead and then it wouldn't really matter anymore."

"Emma, don't…"

"It's okay, Dawn," Emma said, cutting her off. "I'm okay. Just tired. And a little shaken up from the whole being pulled into a demon dimension thing."

"Yeah, me, too," Dawn replied. "We should get some sleep." She gave Emma a mischievous grin. "Or you could take Aiden up on his almost-subtle offer and go down to see him."

Emma blanched. "What are you talking about?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Please. He said if you 'needed anything' to come down to his room. That's like universal code for 'if you want sex, come down to my room."

"He was just trying to be hospitable."

"While standing two inches away from you and giving you smoldering eyes? I don't think so."

"Okay, you can just have your crazy theories," Emma said. "I'm going to bed.

Dawn smirked. "Whatever you want to do, but you're passing up the chance to get it on with a major hottie."

"Sleeping. Now," Emma said, hurrying over to the bed.

Dawn kicked off her shoes and got under the covers of the bed. "Have sweet dreams of tall, gorgeous men with lickable muscles."

Dawn laughed as the only response she got was in the form of a thrown pillow landing over her face.

*** *** ***

Spike sat next to Buffy on the large bed in the room they'd been given for the night. "Feeling any better, kitten?" he asked softly.

"A little," Buffy replied. "My stomach's not as flippy. But I am really not looking forward to another apocalypse. We have how many active slayers now, and I'm still go-to girl for when someone wants the world not to end."

"It's 'cause you're too good at what you do," Spike said. "You need to throw a couple, let the world come to an end two or three times. They'll leave you alone after that."

Buffy nudged him gently. "Very funny."

Spike gave her a small smile before leaning in to kiss her. The kiss started out soft, but soon grew in passion until Spike had guided her down on to the bed his body pressing on top of hers. He finally broke away, panting for air. "Sorry, pet. Got a little carried away," he said, starting to get up.

Buffy wrapped her arms and legs around him, bringing him back down against her. "Stay. Want you."

"You don't feel well," Spike said. "You need your rest."

"Need you," Buffy replied. "I don't know what's going to happen when we leave here. Need to feel you now."

Spike kissed her again, knowing what she was feeling because he was feeling it, too. They undressed each other quickly, almost frantically, as the gravity of what they could be facing fueled their need. He slipped his hand between them, dipping his fingers inside of her and finding her ready for him already. He entered her quickly, knowing that she needed the closeness, the connection, as much as anything else.

"Spike," Buffy gasped, holding him tightly. "I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Buffy," Spike replied, dropping his head to kiss her along the neck and shoulder. "Love you so much. Only you. Never…never want anyone but you."

"I know," Buffy said, her hands moving from his back to his hair and down again. "I know."

Neither of them spoke again as they made love, letting their bodies say the words instead. Buffy cried out as Spike moved his hips and found the spot inside of her that only he had ever touched. The tension inside of her spiraled higher and higher, and Spike moved faster, his hips meeting hers with a near-bruising force. Her body trembled lightly, and he turned his head, locking his eyes with hers.

Buffy's orgasm tore through her just as she felt the first bursts of him inside of her, and she knew they'd reached the peak together. Their eyes never moved away from each other as they rode out the tremors, pleasure engulfing them both.

Buffy cradled Spike against her for long, silent moments, still needing to feel him near her, even when the aftershocks had passed.

Spike stirred, kissing her neck. "Love you so much," he murmured against her skin.

"I love you, too."

As the chill in the air began to hit their cooling bodies, they moved, getting under the covers. Buffy rested against Spike's chest, a smile playing on her lips despite the circumstances they found themselves in. She knew if he was with her, they'd be all right. Dawn, their baby—they'd be safe. Spike was her strength, the one person she could count on, even when she had nothing else left.

"You know I'd never cheat on you, don't you Buffy?" Spike asked, breaking the silence in the room.

"I know," Buffy assured him.

"When I was sparring with her, I wasn't…"

Buffy propped herself on her elbow and pressed her finger to his lips. "I know, baby. I trust you. I really do. I just…seeing you with anything Slayer-like that…" She took a deep breath. "They're my issues. Don't worry about them."

Spike took hold of her hand and kissed it softly. "They're not just your issues, Buffy. Something affects you, then it affects me, too. This is a partnership we have here. No reason for you to hold anything in or try to fight it on your own. You just gotta let me in, pet. Gotta let me talk to you, know what's going on in that head of yours."

Buffy felt her eyes tear up as she rested back on his chest. "I know. I've just…never had that before. Never really had a partner. Not Riley and certainly not Angel. With both of them, there were always so many secrets, so much hidden. And they never really cared about what I felt, what I wanted. I think most of the time they didn't even care about me. It was never about who I am. It was always about who they wanted me to be. So having a man who loves me exactly the way I am and wants to be at my side instead of always trying to push me behind him? Kind of a new Buffy experience."

Spike pulled her closer to him. "Just as long as you know you're it for me, pet. I can give you time to get used to the fact that I'm the one who isn't going to leave."

"Not even if I tell you to and then punch you in the nose a lot," Buffy added.

Spike chuckled. "That's because you're bloody sexy when you throw a punch."

"You're such a perv," Buffy said, her eyes rolling.

"You know, you're always saying that, but then you’re my partner in perversion."

"That's because your perviness has rubbed off on me," Buffy replied.

"Probably because I rub against you so much." Spike said, running his hand down her hip.

"Behave," Buffy chastised, though she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped. It was times like this that she had to wonder why she had ever kept herself so closed to Spike. Even in light of what they faced once the storm passed, she felt at peace now, just being with him like this. She wondered how many trials in her life would've seemed easier if she'd let his love make her stronger.

But at the same time, she knew they may not have ended up where they were now if they'd taken a different route. They'd both made mistakes where their relationship was concerned, but they'd emerged with a love that was stronger than anything she'd known before. It was a love strengthened by time and trials. She pressed her hand against her stomach, knowing that soon they'd have tangible proof of that love, a baby to hold.

"We'll be all right, pet," Spike said, his hand moving up to rest in her hair. "We'll beat the baddies just like we always have in the past."

"I know," Buffy replied. "And I'm not letting anyone try to use the Key again. They're not laying a hand on her."

"No, they're not," Spike agreed. "I won't let someone hurt either of my girls."

Buffy warmed at the conviction in his voice. It meant so much to her that he was not only willing to fight for her, but for her sister as well. She pulled up slightly, running her hand along the side of his face. "You're a good man, William."

Spike pulled her up to him, crushing his mouth against her.

*** *** ***

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