Chapter 8: At least it's not Shawshank

2 months later, the Summer's residence...

“GOD I am SO fat!” Buffy whined as she waddled down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Good morning to you too.” Dawn giggled. “You want some eggs?”

“Sure. Do we have any chocolate syrup?”

Dawn grimaced but fished it out of the fridge and set it in front of her sister, along with a plate of scrambled eggs.

“Have we heard from Giles yet?” Dawn asked as she sat down with her own plate of eggs.

“Not yet.” Buffy sighed as she took a bite of her chocolate syrup covered eggs. “I’m so sick of just sitting here doing nothing. If I don’t hear something soon though I’m going to fly over to England and rescue him myself.” Buffy unsteadily got out of her chair and started rooting around in the refrigerator for some pickles.

“Right, like that would happen.” Dawn rolled her eyes. Buffy threw her a glare over her shoulder.

“Angel called though. Wanted the non-update. Color me surprised that he actually sounds concerned for Spike.” Buffy said as she opened the jar and started stabbing at the pickles with a fork. “At least I get to stake these little guys.” She muttered to the pickles.

“Buffy! They’re pickles, not Vampires! Sheesh.” Dawn took the jar of mangled pickles and delicately speared one with a fork and handed it to Buffy. “He probably just wants to kill Spike himself for telling Xander all of those stories about his sordid past.”

“Hm, your probably right.” Buffy shrugged and ate her pickle.

“So how is Angel anyway? Not getting smoochy with Cordelia I hope?”

“Nah. Cordy and I had a little chat before they left, and she wasn’t too keen with the idea of getting murdered after giving Angel a happy, so they’re cooling it.”

“Oh good…’Cause I was wondering…notice the nice segue, I talked to Angel and Connor the other night…Angel already said it was okay if you said it was okay…can I spend the weekend up in L.A. with Connor?” Dawn asked hopefully.

Buffy gave Dawn a flustered look. “Weekend? L.A.? Connor? With the sleeping over and the not being here???”

“Buffy please? Can I? It’s just for two days…come on, what could possibly go wrong?” Dawn pleaded.

“Well…I guess it’s okay…” Buffy reluctantly agreed and Dawn squealed and hugged her sister.

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!” Dawn said as she ran up stairs to start packing.

“He’s picking you up right?” Buffy yelled up the stairs.

* * *

London, England...

Giles paced his flat, telephone pressed tightly to his ear. “You can’t be serious…” He said into the receiver. “Are you positive that will work? No, no, I’m not questioning your tactics Celia…It’s just…No, no, I see. I suppose you’re right. How is he doing? ….That bad then? So when do we move? Oh…I see. Yes, I will be prepared. Give me a call when the time is right. I trust you will remember to call on a secure line again? All right then. Good night.”

Giles set down the receiver and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a generous glass of Scotch. He quickly drank the glass’s contents and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes wearily.

“It’s a damned crazy idea, but it might just work.” He muttered out loud to himself, throwing his glasses down on the counter. He filled the glass again, and promptly emptied it.

“At least they wont be expecting it.” Giles sighed as he set down the glass and turned in for bed.

* * *

Sunnydale, California...

Buffy, Willow and Xander walked out of the Grocery store, all three of them carrying two heavily loaded bags in each arm.

“Thanks for helping me with the groceries tonight guys. Dawn usually helps, but she bribed me into letting her stay in L.A. with Angel and Connor.” Buffy pouted from behind her two bags as they walked toward Xander’s car.

“Hey no prob. I mean, we kinda had a different idea when Xander and I said, “hey lets go do something, just the three of us”, but this is fun too.” Willow said as she struggled to carry the bags in her arms. They came to a stop in front of Xander’s car, and Willow gladly set her bags down on the pavement.

“Well between buying food and Slaying, food gets my vote.” Xander said as he set his bags down so he could unlock the trunk.

“Hey, I miss Slaying.” Buffy pouted, still holding her bags as if they weighed nothing.

“You heard Giles. No Slaying until after the baby is born.” Willow softly chided her. Xander unlocked the trunk and started piling in the grocery bags.

Buffy groaned in frustration. “I’m going to be horribly out of shape.”

“Well you’ve been training a bit, and going to those Lamaze classes, right? That should help a little.” Willow said.

Buffy flushed a bit. “Well actually…I stopped going to the Lamaze class.”

“WHAT?! Buffy!” Willow shrieked.

“It was a waste of time…besides, I don’t have a partner.” Buffy added meekly.

“Buffy, you could have asked us! Xander or I would have been happy to go with you. You need to go.” Willow said, resolve face set.

“What? Me? Lamaze class?” Xander looked pale.

“Buffy, you’re due in a little more than a month! Why hasn’t your doctor asked you about it?” Willow asked.

“Um, cause I haven’t seen him?” Buffy said like a little girl who knew she was in trouble.

“Buffy!!” Willow shrieked in dismay. Buffy opened her mouth to make an excuse, but a familiar growl of a Vampire cut her off. Buffy sighed at the interruption.

“Sunnydale is the only town I know that has a supermarket and a Graveyard right next door to each other.” Buffy muttered and pulled a stake out of her pocket.

“Buffy! No Slaying!” Willow rushed forward with her own stake, while Xander fumbled for his.

“Guys! Hello! Slayer here! Stupid destiny and all that!” Buffy sighed in frustration as she watched her friends fight off the Vampire for entirely too long by her Slayer standards. She crossed her arms and watched with a scowl.

One… Buffy counted. Willow was trying to stake the Vampire in the back while Xander was fighting it.

Two… Xander got in a good punch, and Willow almost staked it, but it dodged out of the way just in time. Xander got hit, and Willow was trying to fight it on her own while Xander recovered.

Three…Oh bugger this!

“Willow! Duck!” Buffy called out, and Willow ducked down quickly on her friends command. Buffy had a clear shot. She threw her stake expertly into the Vampire’s heart, dusting him. Willow coughed a bit from some inhaled dust, but stood and dusted her clothes off.

“Buffy, you Slayed.” Willow blinked in surprise.

“Yeah well…you two were taking too long.” Buffy said lamely.

“We were only fighting him for a minute!” Willow put her hands on her hips.

“Oh that was SO more than one minute…more like five…” Buffy said, but Willow was giving her a look. “…Three? Okay fine! It was only one minute…but I didn’t fight him or anything, I just threw a stake! No danger there!”

“Just get in the car.” Willow sighed and they all three piled in the car, Buffy with a perpetual pout.

* * *

L.A...

“You’ve GOT to be kidding me.” Dawn grimaced as she climbed down the sewer latter and dropped down into the tunnel. “Oh gross. I don’t want to know what I just stepped in.”

Angel had climbed down first, Dawn second, Connor third, Fred and Gunn last.

“You’ll get used to it.” Gunn told her as they headed down the tunnel.

“Are you sure Buffy said this is okay?” Angel asked.

“What, the walking down a dark, dank, smelly germ infected sewer tunnel…or the Slaying?”

“The Slaying.” Angel said.

“Oh, yeah, totally. As for the sewer part…not so much.” Dawn curled up her nose as she noticed some green slime coating the wall next to her.

“Looks like our demon went that way.” Fred said, pointing down the tunnel with the green slime trail. The group took the turn and continued walking.

“So…ever killed a kvortak demon before?” Connor asked Dawn conversationally.

“Uh, no. I usually just get vampires…and the occasional demon.”

“Kvortaks are really kind of interesting. They’re a parasite demon- it feasts on the host from the inside and wears its body like a shell.” Connor said.

“Okay, eww. Not liking the imagery.” Dawn curled up her nose.

“What, it’s educational.” Gunn said.

“Yeah, that’s what I came here for. The education.” Dawn said wryly.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to kick some demon ass too.” Gunn said reassuringly.

“I’m thinking right about now would be a good time to start.” Angel whispered drawing their attention to the group of Kvortak demons fifty feet down the tunnel. The demons were human looking enough to pass at first glance, but if you looked closer you would notice their skins were slightly translucent and their eyes were pure black.

“Oh god, they stink.” Dawn covered her nose with her hand.

Just then the four Kvortak demons turned and snarled at her.

“Did I mention they have *really* good hearing?” Angel sighed.

The demons appeared to have a quick conversation amongst themselves in their own demon tongue- which sounded like a combination of screeching and whimpering.

“What are they saying?” Dawn turned to Angel. The Kvortak demons quickly started lumbering toward them.

“I don’t know, but I’m guessing it was something like ‘Kill them’.” Angel said as he rushed forward to start the fight. Connor was seconds behind him, grinning at Dawn as he passed her.

Gunn hefted up his ax and glanced at Dawn. “You should probably sit this one out. There are a lot of them.”

Dawn raised her broad sword. “I can hold my own.” She said with a gleam in her eye as she joined the fight. Gunn looked after her incredulously, and turned to Fred.

Fred just shrugged and patted Gunn on the arm. “Five against four, I think she’ll be fine.”

“Whatever.” Gunn said with a shrug and the two of them raced into the action.

“Angel duck!” Dawn shouted, and Angel crouched down. Dawn expertly sliced off the head of the Kvortak that was sneaking up behind him.

“Thanks kid.” Angel said in a bit of awe as he slammed his fist into another Kvortak’s face.

“Don’t mention it.” Dawn replied as she turned to fight another Kvortak that Connor was already fighting. He kicked it in the stomach, kneed it in the jaw when it bent over in reflex and did a sweep kick to its knees, sending it splashing into the sludge on the floor.

“Oh yuck.” Dawn grimaced as some of the sludge splashed onto her jeans. The Kvortak got up quickly and turned to Dawn, forgetting about Connor. The demon screeched and lunged for her, unaware that she was just as good of a fighter than the rest of them.

She slammed the heal of her palm into it’s nose, bloodying it, kicked it in the ribs with a loud crack, breaking it’s ribs and making it screech out in pain. Connor joined back in the fight and kicked it in the back, grabbed it by the back of the shirt and slammed its forehead into the sewer wall. It screeched again and lashed out with it’s arm, catching Dawn in the stomach, making her drop her sword and sending her flying into the opposite wall.

“Dawn!” Conner rushed forward at the demon, pulling out a hidden blade in his boot and stabbed the demon in the back, twisting it and pushing it down, making a deep and jagged fatal wound. The demon screeched so loud everyone covered their ears, and Angel was sure he’d be deaf for a couple of hours.

Dawn had recovered by then and with an angry glint in her eyes she quickly picked up her sword and decapitated the demon in mid screech, ending its cry in a bizarre gurgle/squawking noise.

There were only two demons left, Gunn and Fred quickly dispatched their demon by slicing it in half, while Angel snapped his demon’s neck.

They all just stood there for a minute looking around at the gory mess they had made.

“See, what did I tell you? Educational.” Gunn said to Dawn, breaking the silence.

* * *

Watcher's Headquarters, deep underground...

Celia had her timing right. Quentin Travers, along with almost every other Watcher in the headquarters were off on their little Watcher’s retreat, leaving only the underlings and the essential staff to run the place. Luckily Celia qualified as one of the ‘essential staff’, so no one was suspicious of her presence.

She and Rupert had been good friends while they were training to become Watchers. After his ‘Ripper’ phase she had helped him with his emotional traumas. Nothing romantic had ever transpired, but Celia couldn’t help but think about it sometimes. Quentin was one year their’ senior, and he took macabre pleasure in taunting Rupert daily. Quentin’s father had been something of a legendary Watcher, and Quentin demanded the same kind of respect and worship without ever earning it. It was a well-known fact that Rupert despised Quentin and vice versa, but no one except Celia ever knew the real purpose. It all boiled down to the fact that Quentin was a fascist, over-bearing, gloating, tyrannical prick. The two of them butted heads more times in a single day than rams ever do in a lifetime. Quentin had made it impossibly hard for Rupert to recover from the whole Eyghon experience in his youth. He kept bringing it up and rubbing Rupert’s face in his guilt, goading him into scuffles. It was all a game to Quentin, to see how fast he could get Rupert kicked out. Unfortunately, Rupert was so hot-headed at the time, he usually fell for Quentin’s tricks and resorted to violence. Rupert got suspended regularly, but because of Quentin’s high position he often got off with no more than a slapped wrist. The two of them acted like immature teenagers, really. Celia tried her best to keep the two apart, but the day that Quentin was appointed to be Head Watcher produced the nastiest fight the pair ever got in. Celia hadn’t been there when the fight took place, but she had been there for the aftermath.

Grimacing at the memories, Celia shook them off and continued down the dark stone spiral staircase until she reached the dungeon. It smelled foul; the air here was thick and dank with dust and mold. No living person could stay alive down here for very long without falling deathly ill…which is what made it ideal for imprisoning a Vampire. Celia frowned at that thought. How much of the dust on the ground was Vampire dust? How many more cruel games had Quentin played? True Vampires weren’t exactly an innocent lot, but doing what Quentin was doing to Spike was quite inhumane. Besides, from what Rupert had told her, Spike was different from other Vampires.

Celia was quite reluctant to believe Rupert’s story about the Vampire at first. A Vampire falling in love with a Slayer? Absurd! Her Watcher instincts kept screaming: Vampire= Evil. Period!

But the more Rupert told her about Spike, the more she believed him. And maybe the tiniest bit of her hopeless romantic self wanted it to be possible.

Regardless, what Quentin was doing to Spike was wrong. It was cold hearted and cruel- something that Quentin seemed to excel in.

Celia was just a regular Watcher, not high up enough to know what Quentin’s motives were for keeping the Vampire locked up instead of just killing him-but Rupert had divested as much information to her as possible. She hadn’t asked him to explain anything more, she had the sneaking suspicion that if he told her it would only make her wish desperately to drown herself in a bottle of scotch.

For a week.

Rupert had that way of dropping huge end-of-the-world crises’ on her.

Celia walked further down the darkened passageway, her eyes adjusted to the dark and she could see the heavy steel door at the end of the passage. She unbolted the huge bolts and swung the door open.

“Spike? It’s me.” She announced into the eerily dark room. The room was *completely* devoid of light.

She heard Spike moan in the corner. “Spike, are you okay? I brought you some more blood.” She told him as she took out three bags of blood out of the pockets of her coat.

“Buffy?” Spike moaned in a half-dreamlike state.

“No, Spike, it’s Celia. You’ve got to wake up. It’s time… I’m going to get you out of here.” Celia told him as she sliced a small hole in the packet of blood with her pocketknife and pushed it in his general direction. It had the desired affect. His demon smelled the blood and it woke him up instantly, snatching the bag from her hands. He quickly drained it and she handed him the other two. She sat there quietly and waited while he drained the bags.

“Celia?” He asked when he was finished, sounding in more control of himself.

“Yes. It’s time to go home.” She said simply.

“You mean…I didn’t make you up? You’re real?” Spike asked, sounding a bit like a lost child.

“Yes Spike, I’m real. It’s time to go home, back to Buffy.”

“Buffy…how do you know about Buffy?” Spike growled, suddenly on the alert.

“I’m a friend of Rupert Giles. He’s contacted me to rescue you.”

“So you know… about me. Why should I trust you?”

“Because this is your only chance to escape. If you want to get out of here, you’d better do as I say, or you can just rot in here. What’s it going to be?”

Spike sighed and agreed, but then grimaced. “I’m not going to have to crawl out of a sewer pipe or something, am I?”

* * *

Sunnydale, Summer's residence...

Buffy sat on the couch, trying not to cry. The house was empty. It was a beautiful day outside, but Buffy was stuck inside. She had laundry to do. The house needed straightening up. She was hungry but she had already eaten everything they had bought the day before. Her shoe was untied but she couldn’t reach it to re-tie it. And last but not least the stupid phone wouldn’t ring.

Buffy glared at the offending object, and just for good measure, she stuck her tongue out at it as she stubbornly crossed her arms over her over-inflated boobs. She also cursed Giles’ name just because she felt like it.

God I feel disgusting. Buffy thought as she looked down at her body. It’s like a parasite has taken over my body. It’s not mine anymore. Like those stupid Kvortak demons Dawn was telling me about when she called earlier. Note to self, KILL Angel.

Buffy sighed and decided to get up to and do something, but when she tried to get up, slayer strength or no, her over-sized stomach wouldn’t allow her move like that. Normally she had Dawn take her hands and pull her up, but Dawn was up in L.A until later tonight. Buffy tried again, but only succeeded in making herself off-balance, so she had to pin-wheel her arms to try and correct her balance, sending her crashing onto the sofa once again. Buffy whimpered in despair and tried a different approach. She lay down on her side and used the armrest for leverage, pushing herself up to her feet. She swayed for a moment, her balance threatening to send her tumbling back onto the couch again, but her feet stayed steady and she remained upright.

Yay, score a point for the house-sized Slayer. Slayer one, Gravity zip.

Buffy looked around the living room and saw the present that Willow had dropped by earlier that morning sitting on the coffee table. Buffy sighed and figured she might as well see what it was.

She unwrapped the all-purpose wrapping paper and frowned at the unmarked videotape. Curious, she popped it into the VCR. She groaned when the overly cheery Lamaze instructor came on screen.

“Damn you and your resolve face Willow.”

* * *

Watcher's Headquarters...

Colin Weasley hated his job. He also hated the fact that he wasn’t considered a good enough Watcher to be attending the Annual retreat. He sat in the obscenely large Library scouring the texts for translations to the Ahmse’ir prophecy. Well, at least he wasn’t the only Watcher deemed ‘unworthy’ to attend. The library was scattered with the other ‘rejects’, all of them researching the same assignment: Translate the prophecy at any cost.

Colin sighed in annoyance as he flipped another page of the large Tome he was reading. His superior, Professor Broody had descended upon his underlings after his meeting with the Head Watcher, Mr. Travers. He had ordered them to crack the encryption on the Prophecy…something that was entirely un-like the quiet professor.

Colin sighed as he sipped his tea, and continued leafing through the Tome.

This is ridiculous. He thought, No one is ever going to crack that Encryption. I know a Mage lock when I see one. Short of using blood magics to draw up enough power to ‘break’ the ‘lock’, nothing will crack it.

Every mage that was working for the council knew about that little conundrum. No one wanted to bring it up though…blood magics were…awful. They were incredibly powerful…and incredibly stupid to use. You either had to be extremely in control of yourself to use the power that can easily corrupt you…or you had to be completely insane to try and harness it. Blood magics are *rarely* used for good, even if the original intent was a pure one.

Professor Broody knew…but so far he hadn’t said anything to Mr. Travers.

And the rest of us are willing to keep that secret as well. Lest we find ourselves being offered as the sacrifice!

Now there was something to think about. If the blood Mage’s sacrifice was another mage…

God no, don’t even think it! The Council would never allow such a thing to occur. That would be suicide.

It would also transform the blood Mage into the most terrifying Mage on the planet…everyone’s worst nightmare. Nothing would be able to stop them. Blood Mages were extremely powerful…and *never* sane. If a blood Mage were to ever drain an extremely powerful Mage…

Colin nervously sipped his tea once more, his hands shaking as he set the cup back on the saucer.

Such thoughts made him wish he wasn’t the most adept Mage within council walls.

* * *

Sunnydale, the Summer's residence...

“Buffy, I’m home!! Just in time to go patrolling too!” Dawn called out as she closed the door behind her, tossing her backpack on the floor in the foyer.

“Buffy?” Dawn called out again, hearing the silence in the house.

“Dawn…! Help.” Buffy whimpered from the living room.

“Oh my God, Buffy! What happened?” Dawn rushed forward and saw her sister lying on the floor in front of the TV.

“Willow and her stupid resolve face, that’s what! And the fact that I’m too fat to get off the floor now!” Buffy nearly cried.

Dawn couldn’t suppress the giggle at the sight her sister made sprawled out on the floor, helpless. “What are you doing on the floor?” Dawn asked as she grabbed her sister’s hands and heaved her to her feet.

“Willow was making with the guilty because I haven’t been going to my Lamaze class, so she brought over a tape this morning. I decided to try it but I’m too fat to get off the floor now!”

Dawn started cracking up laughing and Buffy shot her a glare.

“It’s not funny!” Buffy whined.

“It is when you’re wearing two different colored socks.” Dawn pointed out.

Buffy’s eyes widened and she looked down at her feet, but couldn’t see past her swollen stomach. She tried to balance on one foot while holding the other out so she could try and see it, but she kept loosing her balance and Dawn had to grab her before she fell on her butt. Dawn couldn’t stop laughing.

“Oh you think this is funny, wait until YOU get pregnant some day!” Buffy gave up and all but stomped her foot in frustration. She made tracks to the kitchen, Dawn trailing behind her.

“Buffy, I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you, I was laughing at the situation…really!.” Dawn gave her sister a sheepish look.

“S’ok. I guess I’m just stressed out. It’s been over a week and we still haven’t heard anything from Giles.” Buffy sighed as she glanced at the telephone forlornly.

“Don’t worry. He’ll call… soon…ish.” Dawn tried to sound confident but ended lamely.

“So did Angel feed you dinner?” Buffy asked, changing the topic to a less heart-wrenching one.

“Oh yeah! We got Chinese before we left L.A. It was pretty cool, we got it free because the place was terrorized by a demon while we were ordering, so we Slayed it. The owner was like, really great full. He kept trying to give us free Chow Mein.”

“Great. Call Jonathan if you want to see about patrol. I think it’s your guys’ turn tonight.”

“Yeah it is. Thanks Buffy, for letting me hang out in L.A. this weekend, I actually learned a lot. I now know how to kill five new demons, and Gunn taught me a lot about weapons!” Dawn told her sister excitedly.

“And to think I ever wanted you to have a normal life.” Buffy sighed.

“Oh please, that would be so boring. Slaying is so much fun.” Dawn grinned. “Speaking of, I’m going to go call Jonathan.” Dawn said as she grabbed the phone and bounced off into the living room.

Buffy sighed and opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat, occasionally tossing glares over her shoulder at the phone that refused to ring.

* * *

The Watcher's Headquarters...

Celia used her pocketknife to pick the locks of the manacles that chained Spike to the wall like a dog. Even though it was extremely dark, she managed to feel her way through it.

“There, you’re free.” Celia announced to him as she removed the last manacle.

“Thanks.” He said quietly, unsure of what to do now.

“Here, put these on.” She handed him a pair of sunglasses. “You haven’t seen any light for a very long time… your could be temporarily blinded as your eyes try to adjust to seeing light again, and that’s the last thing we need right now. Come on.” She said, grabbing his arm and leading the way to the door. She opened the solid steel door, ushering him out into the dimly lit hallway.

Now that she could actually see him she had to stifle her gasp of horror. His skin was horribly white, so white in fact it had turned ashen, his eyes looked dead, his hair was messy and it had grown out past his ears, the ends frosted white where his bleached ends remained. His skin was loose on his bones, and he obviously had muscular atrophy because he was wincing with every step he took, walking on unsteady feet.

Christ, what did that bastard Quentin do to him?! Celia thought angrily. No one deserves this!

“I must look like a bleeding Holocaust victim.” Spike muttered, and she found herself silently agreeing. They walked down the stone passageway as quickly as they could and climbed up the stone stairs, his poorly mistreated muscles protesting every step of the way.

“How far do we need to go?” He asked as he winced in every movement he forced his muscles to make.

“Not that far. Just up these stairs, down a hallway to the lift, three floors up and…then out.” Celia replied.

“I’m that bloody close to the outside?”

“Appearances can be deceiving.” She replied as they finally made it to the top of the stairs. “Okay, a little farther.” She said as she slung his arm over her shoulder and had him put his weight on her as they walked.

“What are the chances of us getting caught?” Spike asked as they made it to the elevator doors. She pressed the button and the doors opened.

Celia actually smirked at him. “I’m very resourceful.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Spike said as she shuffled him inside and pressed one of the unmarked buttons. Spike didn’t try to figure how she knew which one was which since they were all unmarked.

“I know.” Celia replied cryptically. They were silent for a few moments as the elevator transported them to the ground level. Spike closed his eyes behind the sunglasses, his eyes already strained from the constant light. The doors opened and Celia poked her head out the door to make sure the coast was clear.

“Okay, come on.” She placed his arm across her shoulder again and walked him down another deserted hallway. In fact, it looked as if it hadn’t seen a duster for ages.

“Where the bloody hell are we?” Spike asked.

“Where no one will see us. No one uses this hallway anymore so I knew it would be safe to use.”

“Okay, so where’s the exit?” Spike asked.

“Down.”

“Down?”

“Yep. This is where we say goodbye.” Celia said as they stopped in the middle of the hallway.

“Hu?”

“Rupert is waiting for you, he knows the rest of the way out. Good luck Spike. And I’m sorry for what Quentin did to you.” Celia told him sincerely.

“Erm…thanks. But uh, where am I supposed to go?” Spike asked as he looked around the hallway. There was nothing but dusty old paintings and draperies. There weren’t even any doors within twenty feet of them.

Celia pointed behind him and he spun around.

“The laundry chute?!”

Celia raised an eyebrow at him. “Of course. Quentin would never think of it. He’d be expecting a showy rescue…The Slayer running in, guns-a-blazing or casting a spell or something. He wouldn’t think it would be something as boring as an unguarded laundry chute. Besides, you’re skinny enough to fit down it, no problem.” Celia shrugged.

“You’re crazy…but it’s bloody brilliant.” Spike said, grinning at the logic. “Thanks.”

She held the flap open for him as he climbed in feet first.

“Just be sure to return the favor by saving the world or whatever the hell you’re supposed to be doing.” Celia said.

“Hu?” Spike replied stupidly, but Celia gave him a shove and he went sliding down into darkness, his questions unanswered.

* * *

Giles walked into the Watcher’s Headquarters like he owned the place. Security at the doors checked his credentials, and he was admitted. His excuse was that he needed to use the vast library the Council boasted, and since that was available to all Watchers, he was let in. The guards didn’t even need to ask why Rupert wasn’t with the other Watchers at the retreat…it was a well-known fact that Quentin despised him.

Giles ascended up the large grand staircase to the third floor and took a right, walking down a beautifully decorated hallway that lead to the library. He passed a few Watchers along the way, nodding courteously in greeting to them as he passed. Giles knew his way around the Watcher’s headquarters pretty well, but the place that he was headed wasn’t in his known territory. Thankfully he studied the blueprints Willow and Nigel had conjured, so he could find his way around the Watcher’s Headquarters blindfolded. At least in theory.

But this was the part where it got tricky.

Instead of taking a left into the Library, Giles took a right, heading to a place that most Watchers avoided. He glanced around making sure no one saw him and then took the ‘servants’ staircase down four flights of stairs. From here on out he had to be extremely careful.

Alright Rupert old boy, steady now. Don’t bollix this up. Giles thought to himself as he crept in and out of shadows walking down the Hallway. The intense smell of bleach made his nose itchy and his head feel light, but he continued down the hall, passing a room that was thankfully sparse of employees tending to the wash. He crept past the ironing and mending room, and made his way into an extremely large dark, shadowy room at the end of the hall that had several large baskets full of clothes waiting to be washed. Above his head several networks of laundry chutes all pointed to the ground with laundry bins positioned underneath them.

Rupert checked his watch.

I hope you know what you’re doing Celia. Rupert thought as he searched out the laundry staff’s ‘locker room’ and stole a worker’s blue uniform, putting it on. He felt utterly ridiculous, dressing in disguise, but it was the only way to leave out the back door without any suspicion.

He stood where Celia had instructed him to stand, just in time to hear loud bangs and muffled curses down one of the thankfully straighter laundry chutes. Spike landed in a mountain of clothing inside a laundry bin placed below the chute.

Rupert casually leaned over the edge of the bin and looked down at the vampire entangled in clothing. He opened his mouth to crack a joke, but he was so shocked to see Spike’s haggard appearance, he gasped, “Good God man! Spike?? Is that really you?”

Spike wearily cracked open an eye and focused in on the watcher through the heavily blackened sunglasses. Spike groaned in pain, for both his body and the small level of light that was hurting his eyes. “Unfortunately.”

Giles was appalled. The man he was staring at hardly looked like Spike at all. Good God, he looks like hell twice over!

It took Rupert a moment to realize he said the last bit out loud.

“You look smashing your self Ruppies. Are you moonlighting as a wash-boy now?” Spike said wryly as he climbed out of the bin slowly as Giles held it steady for him.

“Ha ha. No, I’m wearing this so we can escape this dreaded place without suspicion.” Giles squinted down at the faded blue work-jumper he was wearing.

“Great, and I’m supposed to just walk out of here with you? In to the sunlight no less?” Spike asked as he picked a sock off of his shoulder with a grimace.

“For the walking part, no. You’ll see. As for the sunlight …” Rupert pulled out of his pocket the Amulet of Bytanor and handed it to Spike. “I believe this belongs to you.”

Spike took it with an unsteady hand and examined it for a minute, bringing forth memories of happier times back in Sunnydale. Tears were threatening to spill as he felt a wave of intense home-sickness.

“Spike…there are a lot of things I need to tell you about what has been going on back home… but right now we need to stop standing around and get out of this blasted place while we still have the chance.” Giles said.

“Right then. After you Ruppies.” Spike nodded, putting on the Amulet of Bytanor.

“And do stop calling me that.” Giles sighed.

* * *

“Aye there Mate! Need any help with that?” A laundry worker smoking a cigar called out.

“No thanks, I’ve got it.” Giles called back.

“Bloody Christ Ruppies, don’t sound so…Watcher-ish.” Spike hissed from beneath a pile of neatly folded clothes. He was hiding inside the bin that Giles was pushing into a large laundry delivery service van.

“I beg your pardon?” Giles hissed back.

“Don’t sound so proper mate! They’ll suspect somethin’.”

“Oh, right.”

“You the new blood?” The man with the cigar walked up to Giles, getting in his way.

“Er, yes…uh, mate.” Giles stammered, trying to sound uncouth. From beneath the pile of clothes Spike rolled his eyes and suppressed a groan.

The man with the cigar gave Giles a penetrating glare, and to Giles’ credit, he never broke eye contact. The two had a staring contest for several moments.

Finally the man with the cigar broke. “Alright then mate. Best get to it, don’t want to be late now do ye?” He said with a grin, showing a couple blackened teeth.

Giles said nothing as he maneuvered the laundry bin around the man and to the back of the delivery truck. He pushed it up the ramp into the van.

“What the bloody fuck was that all about?” Spike hissed.

“Shut up Spike, there are workers everywhere out here.” Giles hissed back and jumped out of the back of the van.

“That’s a full one. Take ‘er out.” One of the workmen closed the back of the van. Giles got into the driver’s seat and started the ignition.

“’Aye mate!” The Cigar man called out. Giles groaned.

“Yes? Er, I mean, yeah?” Giles switched his accent again.

“You know the route?”

“Yeah.” Giles gave the man a ‘of course I do you bloody pillock’ look.

“Good. Off you go then.” The man slapped the side of the van twice, and Giles put it in reverse. Putting the van back into drive, he headed for the gate, pulling out the fake credentials Celia had gotten him to show to the guard. He was let through without incident.

Giles found himself letting out a sigh of relief he didn’t realize he was holding.

* * *

Sunnydale, Summer's Residence...

“I’ve got it!” Dawn called out as she ran to pick up the phone. “Hello? … GILES!!” Dawn squealed.

Buffy came barreling down the stairs and into the kitchen where Dawn was holding the phone. “Gimme!” She ruthlessly grabbed the phone from Dawn’s hands. “Hello?! Giles?”

“Hey!” Dawn pouted as she leaned in closer to hear what Giles had to say. Finally Buffy relented and half held the phone between her ear and Dawn’s so they could both hear the conversation.

“Hello Buffy. How are things?” Giles asked.

“Giles! Is he alright?” Buffy asked. Giles chuckled.

“He’s resting right now. He’s…well, he’s safe now.” Giles told her.

“Giles…I don’t like the sound of your voice. What’s wrong?” Buffy asked worriedly.

“Buffy, he’s been through hell… twice, I think. He’s in horrible shape. I fed him a short while ago, but it will take him a couple days, maybe even a few weeks to recover…physically at least.”

“…And emotionally?” Buffy asked in a whisper.

“I can’t really say. He seems to be doing okay though. I think he might do better once we get home.”

“When?” Buffy asked, tears threatening to spill.

“Soon. We’ll take a day here for him to get some strength up, and we’ll take a flight tomorrow. I’m going to call Angel tonight to see if we can stay the night at the Hyperion after our flight gets in. Is that alright with you?”

“Oh…yeah, sure. Of course. I just…I just really want to see him..”

“And you will…but I don’t think you want to see him in the state he is now. In fact, I don’t think *he* wants you to see him like this.”

“It’s that bad?” Buffy asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a lengthy pause before Giles replied.

“Lets just say that I would like nothing more than to kill Quentin with my own hands…as painfully as possible.” Giles said through clenched teeth.

* * *

Later that night...

“No….NO!!”

Giles awoke from his sound sleep to hear Spike shouting. He fumbled for his glasses on the Hotel’s nightstand and ran into Spike’s room.

“You can’t have her! No!! GET AWAY!!” Spike was thrashing about on his bed, sheets tangled around him.

“Spike!! SPIKE! Wake up man!” Giles grabbed him about the shoulders to steady him so he wouldn’t go flying off the bed. Spike was fighting him off in his dream-state so Giles had no other choice. He punched Spike. Hard.

Spike woke up, but he still seemed to be trapped in his dream. He was looking directly at Giles, but he seemed to not really ‘see’ him.

“You can’t have her! I made this, and she’s mine! The one thing I did right…”

“Spike, snap out if it! No one’s trying to steal anything from you.”

Spike blinked several times as if to clear a vision. “Rupert?”

“You were having a nightmare.” Giles sighed in relief.

“But…they were chasing me…trying to get her.” Spike shook his head, still trying to discern the dream world from the real one.

Giles chuckled a bit and pointed to the tangled sheets on the bed. “Your phantom attackers. Between you and the sheets, I would have bet on the linen.”

“But…I saw her…I was holding her.” Spike looked down at his hands in confusion.

“Holding who?”

Spike frowned but then shrugged indifferently. “S’nothing. It was just a dream.”

“Spike…maybe now would be a good time to update you on what’s been going on back home.” Giles said, sitting down.

* * *

TBC.....

Chapter 9: 241 Days

London, England, Gile's hotel room...

“S-she…She’s…” Spike stammered.

“Yours, Spike.” Giles said the words Spike couldn’t get out of his own mouth. “It was just a cover-up so the Council would never know about her true origins.”

Giles had just finished telling Spike everything that had happened after he was abducted. Including the baby.

Spike swallowed heavily fighting back the tears that threatened to surface as he stood and walked to the window of the hotel room they were staying in. They had booked a room under false names and safe credit cards-all provided by Celia. They didn’t want the Council to track them down after getting this far.

“But they told me...” Spike said, but then shook his head to try and fight the anger that came boiling to the surface. “I’ll kill that bloody bastard.”

“Yes, well, there seem to be a lot of us that would like to see that happen. However, now is not the time for revenge. You have a family to get back to now.”

Spike was silent for a long time, just looking out the darkened window, watching the sky light up as the sun began to rise.

“I dreamt of her…and they were coming after her.” Spike said quietly. “I’ve had so many dreams of her…I thought that I was just…” Spike shook his head again and looked up at Giles. “Will they try and take her? Like in my nightmare?”

“The council?” Giles asked.

Spike nodded.

“To be completely honest…I don’t expect anything less of them.” Giles said morosely.

* * *

Back in Sunnydale, Pleasant Glade Cemetery...

“Dead boy Jr.’s coming back?” Xander sounded surprisingly happy.

“That’s great news Dawnie!” Willow said.

“When?” Tara asked.

“They have a flight tomorrow, but they’re gonna stay overnight at Angel’s because the flight gets in late. And then, home.” Dawn informed them as they walked through the cemetery, patrolling. Once the news was passed through the Scooby grapevine that Giles had called, everyone (except Buffy of course) decided they needed to go patrolling with Dawn and Jonathan tonight to hear all the juicy details.

“Why the late flight?” Willow asked.

“It was cheaper.” Dawn shrugged.

“Oh! Money!! This is great! I can hire Spike back again! He always gets the young girls to buy more things because they think he’s sexy.” Anya said happily as she toyed absently with her stake.

“Umm, great An.” Xander flashed her a fake smile, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“I’m glad he’s coming back. Now we all won’t do that awkward silence thing whenever someone mentions his name.” Anya continued.

“Yeah, and I can ask him why Vampires-“ Jonathan started to say, but off of everyone’s glares he quickly shut up. “Never mind.”

“Hey, speaking of, Vampire, Twelve O’ clock.” Xander pointed. About ten headstones down a fledgling was just crawling out of his grave.

“I got him.” Dawn stepped forward, pulled out her stake and staked him before he had a chance to crawl out all the way. She put the stake back in her pocket and joined the group again as if nothing had happened. They continued walking.

“I wonder if Giles has told him about what’s been going on.” Tara said.

“Well maybe he’s just told him the important stuff, like the fact that he’s going to be a father.” Dawn chuckled.

“Oh Goddess, I bet he’ll flip out.” Willow said.

“Question is will it be the good kind of flipping?” Xander pointed out.

“I hope so. Giles did say he was a bit emotionally unstable right now…but I’m sure he’ll be okay…right?” Dawn frowned.

“Sure Dawnie. He’ll be okay. We’ll all help him.” Tara said, rubbing Dawn’s shoulder.

“I miss him.” Dawn said quietly. There was a beat of silence as the group walked on.

“Oh great, here we go with the awkward silence again.” Anya muttered.

* * *

(The next day) Summer's residence...

Buffy was keeping herself busy. She cleaned the kitchen… twice. She vacuumed every available inch of carpet within the house. She polished all the wood furniture. She Windex’ed all the windows, and cleaned the bathrooms until they were sparkly. She washed and folded all the laundry…including Dawn’s.

Now she was packing up all of her stuff in her room to move it into Willow and Tara’s old room. The room had remained empty after Willow moved into Tara’s, so Buffy was going to move into their old room (it was bigger anyway), and make her old room the baby’s room. She was doing anything to keep from dwelling on her anxiousness to see Spike.

There was a knock at the door.

“Coming!!” Buffy called out and walked down the stairs as quickly as she could without tipping over. She opened the door and saw Xander standing there.

“Hey.” Buffy smiled and opened the door all the way so he could come in. “What brings you by?”

“I come bearing wood-type products. See, when you assemble them, voila, instant baby crib.” Xander said, directing her attention to the disassembled baby crib parts he was holding.

“Wow! Xander that’s so sweet of you.” Buffy gave him a hug. “I was just gonna buy one of those cheap-y cribs from the baby consignment store, but now I don’t have to!”

“Well, just think of it as an early birthday present for the mini-buffster. I’m already working on a play pen for the little tykette for when she gets older.” Xander said as he came inside the house.

“Wow, it sure does pay to have a best friend that’s a carpenter. Come on, let’s put it upstairs. I’ve been cleaning out my room for the baby.”

“And from the lemony freshness aroma wafting from every available surface, I’d say you’ve done more than just clean out your room.”

“Did I go over kill on the Lysol?” Buffy grimaced as they walked up the stairs.

“I’ll let you know when my sinuses recover.”

* * *

Over the Pacific Ocean...

The airplane had just taken off and Giles and Spike unbuckled their seatbelts as soon as the little sign went off. Spike looked better, but still completely different. He had pulled his hair back with a hair tie so he didn’t look so…well, scraggly. He looked a bit healthier because he was eating regularly again, but was still paler than usual and he had to don the sunglasses so that his eyes wouldn’t be strained.

Spike was anxious…or nervous. Or maybe both. He had never been on an airplane before… his allergies to the sun made it kind of fatal. But with the amulet he had no problems. Besides, it wasn’t just the flight that made him feel on edge. He was going home. A place he never thought he’d see again.

“That little Watcher friend of yours is quite the document forger.” Spike muttered quietly to Giles, mindful of the other passengers that could over-hear them.

“It was a... t-talent of hers I w-was unaware of.” Giles stammered. “She’s always so damn secretive about everything.”

“How long have you known her?”

“We trained as Watchers together. We were very good friends, but when I got assigned to Sunnydale, our friendship…well, drifted.” Giles said, adjusting his glasses.

“Long distance relationships and all that?” Spike said, more of a statement than a question.

“Er, yes…well, not that we ever had a ‘relationship’…W-we’re just friends.” Giles took off his glasses and began to polish them. Spike chuckled and closed his eyes, resting his head against the seat.

“Whatever you say Ruppies.”

* * *

Watcher's Headquarters, Quentin's personal conference room...

“Gentlemen…I am not happy.” Quentin said grimly to the men sitting around the large wooden table. The leather armrest on his chair was groaning as Quentin clenched it in anger. One of the Councilmen stood up.

“Sir…we-“

“Sit down Hawkins.” Quentin interrupted tersely. “William the Bloody has escaped…and *none* of you know how?” Quentin asked angrily.

Silence fell across the room as Watchers looked around at each other expectantly, hoping one of them would miraculously explain it.

“Well let me offer this…the records show that Rupert Giles was allowed on the premises…to use the library. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that Mr. Giles helped him escape!!” Quentin shouted. “What I want to know is WHY THE BLOODY HELL WAS HE ALLOWED THROUGH THE COUNCIL’S DOORS!?!”

The room was quiet again.

Quentin growled low in his throat. “Professor Broody, how much of the prophecy has been translated?”

Professor Broody hesitantly stood, “Regretfully, nothing new, sir.”

Quentin was even more irritated. “Why not?”

“Sir, the texts are mage-locked. They cannot be opened. We’ve tried everything within our resources.”

Quentin swallowed his anger and fell silent for a short amount of time.

“Set up surveillance in Sunnydale. I want the Slayer and the Vampire watched. I have no doubt William the Bloody returned to Sunnydale. We are under the assumption that the Slayer’s child is in fact the Vampire’s offspring. We begin the strikes immediately... That child will not be allowed to survive.”

* * *

Summer's Residence...

Dawn closed the door behind her and instantly felt light-headed. She went up the stairs and found Buffy putting away her stuff in Willow and Tara’s old room. “Why does it smell like a lemon factory in here?”

“Hey Dawnie. Sorry about that, went on a bit of a cleaning frenzy today.”

“So I see. Don’t like the view from your room anymore?” Dawn asked as she picked up a picture frame of Buffy, their mom and her at the beach.

“Turning it into the nursery, and this room has more closet space anyway. Besides, anything to keep my mind off of…you know who. Go check out the deluxe crib Xander brought over today.” Buffy said, putting an armful of clothes on hangers into the closet.

Dawn turned and went into the new nursery, and Buffy followed behind her.

“Wow, he made this?” Dawn asked, running her hand along the smooth intricate carvings decorating the crib.

“Yeah, he must have been working on it for months. Said it was an early birthday present for the baby. So how was school?”

“Ugh. I got a B- on my English test. I had to listen to Nigel scold me on the way home.” Dawn grumbled.

:: I don’t see why you got such a low test score after all the tutoring I’ve been giving you.:: Nigel said. ::You should have gotten at least an A- by my calculations. You’ll just have to study harder next time.::

Dawn rolled her eyes and made the international hand-sign for a ‘blabber-mouth’.

::I may not be able to see what you are doing young Ms. Summers, but you forget I can read your thoughts.:: Nigel said wryly and promptly disappeared from their minds.

“Boy, he’s been getting cranky lately.” Buffy commented as they returned to Buffy’s new room to continue to unpack her things.

“You don’t know the half of it. He insists on acting as my Watcher while Giles isn’t here. He makes me ‘report’ to him after we patrol. He talks to me more than anyone, although I suspect he talks to Willow and awful lot too.” Dawn grumbled.

“Willow? What would they talk about?” Buffy asked.

“Magic I guess. Nigel’s all ways going on about ‘that young Miss Willow’ and her talents.” Dawn rolled her eyes, mimicking Nigel’s upper-crust accent.

“Talents?”

“Her power. Apparently Nigel knows a lot about magic and stuff… said he was the best Mage on the Council. And that he ‘sees a lot of power in that young Miss Willow’.” Dawn mimicked his accent again. “He got real quiet after I told him about her little forget spells and stuff though.” Dawn grinned a bit mischievously.

“Hm, I bet that really took the wind out of his sails.” Buffy grinned, but then winced. “Ow. Sheesh, she can really kick.” Buffy said, clutching her stomach.

“I bet she’s going to be super strong like you guys.” Dawn smiled as she placed her hand on Buffy’s stomach so she could feel her niece kicking.

“My bruised insides agree with you. I just hope she takes after me more than Spike…“ Buffy abruptly stopped, realizing she was about to give voice to one of her greatest fears, but Dawn had already guessed.

“Buffy, it’ll be okay. Don’t you think Nigel would have said something if the baby would be vampy? Besides, look at Connor. BOTH his parents were Vamps, and he’s human.”

“I guess your right. Just that big irrational fear thing talking.”

“It’ll be fine. Really. Now let’s get out of this house before I pass out from the lemony freshness.”

* * *

L.A., outside the Hyperion Hotel...

Giles took his suitcase out of the trunk and then paid the cab driver. He and Spike stood outside the Hyperion Hotel. The sun had set an hour before, and the low levels of light reminded Spike of the darkness of his imprisonment.

“Are you going to be alright?” Giles asked Spike, worried about the haunted look on the Vampire’s face.

“Yeah.” Spike said shortly and started to walk to the main entrance. Giles sighed and followed.

They walked through the double doors and saw Fred behind the counter working on the computer.

“Hi, welcome to Angel Investigations-Oh hi Giles!” Fred looked up from her computer screen. “And Spike?” She said in shock.

Spike smiled faintly. “Hey.”

“My God, you look…” Fred was going to say ‘horrible’, but quickly changed her mind. “…Different. But a good different!” She smiled nervously at him.

Spike chuckled. “No need to walk on eggshells around me, luv. I know I look like shit.”

“So, ah, were is everyone?” Giles asked.

“Oh, they got called out on a case. Lorne is here though. Want me to go get him?” Fred gestured up the stairs. Spike just grinned and shook his head.

“HEY KERMIT!!!” Spike shouted, his voice echoing throughout the building. Both Fred and Giles winced at the volume.

A few seconds later they heard Lorne walking down the hall.

“I know those pipes anywhere…even if they’re screaming for me at the top of their lungs in an empty hotel. Not to mention the lame nick-name.” Lorne called out as he appeared on the balcony with a grin. “Hey blue eyes! Glad to see you home.” Lorne greeted Spike as he descended the stairs.

“Thanks. It’s good to be seen.”

“Hm, and by the looks of you there isn’t much to see. How about we warm you up a mug or three while you sit down and take a load off?” Lorne gestured for him to sit on the gray round chair thingy in the center of the lobby.

“I’d love a cuppa, thanks.” Spike said, taking Lorne’s advice. Lorne took a bag out of Angel’s refrigerator, poured it in Angel’s mug and popped it in the Microwave.

“So Angel said we could stay here tonight…?” Giles prompted.

“Oh, yeah. Angel said before they left, quote unquote, ‘they can have any of the rooms that aren’t taken.’” Fred told them. The microwave beeped and Lorne took out the mug, handing it to Spike.

“How about you? You want something thinner or stronger?” Lorne asked Giles.

“I’d love some tea, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Not at all. I’ll make it.” Fred volunteered and went into the back office.

“So, how was the flight?” Lorne asked.

“Enough to convince me never to fly again. 16 bloody hours in the air? No thanks. Getting through security to get on the plane was fun enough, but getting off was a real treat.” Spike muttered as he sipped his blood.

“Yeah, security is real tight now a-days.” Lorne nodded.

“Yes, it was quite amusing to explain to the security guards why Spike had no body temperature to speak of when they frisked him…lets just say it’s oddly comforting that people in L.A. are just as oblivious as the people in Sunnydale. ‘Cold hands’ are enough explanation for these people.”

“Yeah, that river in Egypt gets around.” Lorne chuckled.

Just then Fred walked in with Giles’ cup of tea and gave Lorne a funny look. “River in Egypt?”

“Never mind, Kitten.” Lorne said. Just then the doors to the Lobby opened and Angel, Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, Connor and Wesley all walked in, stringy pieces of black-ish green goo strewn all over their clothes...and they were wet from head to toe.

“Hey guys, how did the…slime slaying go?” Fred curled up her nose as some of it plopped onto the floor of the lobby.

“Oh wonderful. Who knew that ‘the Blob’ was an actual demon, not just a cheesy B horror film character? Oh, and FYI, the only way to kill it is with water.” Cordelia had a perpetual grimace on her face from the stickiness that covered her.

“Hey guys, you made it.” Angel smiled when he noticed Giles and Spike sitting on the gray round chair, but then did a double take when he saw Spike. “Spike?”

“Here we go again.” Spike sighed.

* * *

The next morning in L.A., The Hyperion Hotel...

Spike came out of his room, dressed and showered, looking a bit more like himself, minus the short bleached hair and about ten pounds. But his semi-long hair was pulled back, the honey blonde only marred by the bleached white ends. Spike muttered to himself to remember to get his hair cut.

Cordelia, Fred, Gunn and Angel were already downstairs, talking amongst themselves about a case. Angel was the first to notice him walking down the stairs.

“Hey Spike.”

“Peaches.” Spike nodded in greeting.

“Morning Spike, did you sleep well? Was the bed comfortable enough?” Fred asked.

“Pet, after sleeping on the cold ground for eight months, any mattress would feel like heaven.” Spike chuckled. “So where’s the rest of the crew?”

“Mostly still asleep. I’m surprised you’re up this early.” Angel gestured to the clock on the wall. It read 6:30 AM.

Spike shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Mind if I borrow a baggie?” Spike changed the subject, pointing to Angel’s refrigerator.

“Help yourself.”

“Just don’t use the green, white, purple or blue mug.” Fred listed off.

“Right then, black it is.” Spike said as he took the only cup she left off of her list and poured the blood into it and put it in the microwave. He didn’t have to search for the ‘beverage’ button, because he found a very familiar looking sticker covering it. He pressed the button and the microwave started to heat his blood.

“The Nibblet was here?” Spike asked quietly as he watched the cup spin in lazy circles inside the microwave…looking, but not really seeing.

“Oh, yeah, she spent last weekend here. She’s quite the little demon hunter too.” Angel said, catching on that Spike had seen the ‘blood’ sticker Dawn had stuck on his beverage button as a joke.

“Yeah…we trained her real well.” Spike closed his eyes against the intense feeling of home-sickness that washed over him. It was always there, nagging on the periphery of his emotions… but being so close to home it was even more intense.

The microwave beeped and Spike took out his cup.

“I’m… gonna go wake up Rupert now.” He said silently as he turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving behind him a wake of sadness that everyone could feel.

“Do you know how odd it is to feel sorry for Spike?” Cordelia said out of the blue.

No one said anything, but they all understood what she meant.

* * *

“Watcher?” Spike knocked on Giles’ door. “Ruppies?” Spike knocked louder.

Spike heard movement behind the door and a few seconds later Giles opened the door with a scowl on his face.

“I told you to…stop calling me that.” Giles said around a yawn. “What is it?”

“Home.” Spike said, conveying to Giles with a look that he wanted to go right now. Giles sighed, glancing at the clock with a wince at the early hour.

“Alright, then, give me a half hour.” Giles sighed, closing his door so he could get ready. Spike sighed and looked down both ways of the hallway, wondering what he was supposed to do now.

From six doors down Lorne’s door opened and Lorne walked out, instantly hurting Spike’s eyes with a loud violet suit and bright red shirt under his lime green tie… and it wasn’t just because Spike wasn’t wearing the sunglasses anymore. Spike grimaced at the brightness of the colors and the apparent lack of fashion sense, but joined Lorne anyway.

“Hey, morning sugar! Early bird gets to fly home quicker, hu? Or rather, drive.” Lorne said as they walked down the hall.

“That was the idea. Got a half hour to kill before we go, though.” Spike said impatiently.

“Hey, want to come down to the Lounge and see the new Caritas while you wait?” Lorne suggested.

“Peaches let you put your bar in his hotel?” Spike raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, brings in some customers for the Hotel too. God forbid, it’s actually getting used as a Hotel, although a bit sparingly.” Lorne said as they walked down the stairs. Angel and the others were inside Angels’ office but they could still hear them talking.

“Yeah I bet Peaches was real thrilled to have demon patrons filling up his precious hotel.”

Lorne shook his head. “Strictly human guests only…well, not including us of course.”

“Naturally.” Spike grinned as they reached the bottom stair and he followed Lorne to the Lounge.

“Don’t suppose it’s too early for a drink is it?” Spike asked him.

“Not at all Billy-boy.” Lorne grinned as they disappeared down the hall.

Angel, Fred, Gunn and Cordelia just watched them pass by, perplexed looks on their faces.

“Boy, they seem awful chummy, don’t they?” Cordelia commented.

“Must be a demon thing.” Gunn shrugged.

“Or an alcohol thing.” Angel pointed out.

“Or a ‘you had a vision about me still being alive and helped rescue me’ sort of thing.” Fred shrugged. When Cordelia gave her an incredulous glance, Fred backpedaled. “Or not.”

* * *

Sunnydale, Summer's Residence...

Dawn was awoken by loud noises coming from outside her room. She groaned and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It read 6:26AM.

Begrudgingly, Dawn climbed out of bed and investigated the noises. When she opened her bedroom door and glanced out she saw Buffy inside the ‘baby’s room’ re-arranging the furniture.

Dawn leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms. “It’s *way* too early in the morning to be practicing Feng-Shui. Besides, I don’t think the baby will notice.”

Buffy startled at her sisters voice and turned to face her. “What are you doing up so early?”

“I was going to ask you the same.”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Buffy muttered and continued re-arranging the furniture.

Dawn sighed as she came in the room and removed the stuffed teddy bear from the rocking chair so she could sit in it. “I can’t wait to see him either.”

“No that’s not it. Well, I mean, yeah, I’m completely going hysterical in waiting, but I just couldn’t get comfortable. Plus I’ve got like, a million things running through my head at the same time, and none of it’s happy.”

“Like what?” Dawn asked.

“Like how horrible it was, thinking Spike was dead all this time…when actually he was being tortured and neglected like some sort of…” Buffy grimaced, “I don’t know what, but what ever it is, something terrible… and now he’s coming home, and I don’t know what I’m going to say or how I’m going to feel, or how he’s going to react to the baby…or-“

“Okay, that’s it!” Dawn cut off her sister. “Stop thinking about this stuff! Everything will be fine, I swear it. Now let’s go down stairs and make a complete mess cooking breakfast, making everything from waffles to muffins. You need to stop dwelling.” Dawn took her sister by the hand and led her downstairs.

“But we don’t have any Sauerkraut!” Buffy protested as she allowed herself to be drug down the stairs.

“God I don’t even want to know what you’d put that on.” Dawn grimaced.

* * *

L.A....

“Well, that was… awkward.” Giles said as he started up the rental car and pulled out of the driveway of the Hyperion Hotel. Spike was sitting in the passenger seat wearing his sunglasses again. It was daylight after all.

Giles of course, was referring to their departure from Angel’s hotel. Quite unexpectedly, Angel had embraced Spike and told him that he was glad he was back home. Spike was too startled to do anything but look at Angel as if he had suddenly grown antennae and back away from him slowly. Really the whole gang was being quite touchy feely with their good-byes, and it made Spike very uncomfortable. They were all so…accepting. Well, all but Connor. He seemed to be sensible enough to offer Spike a handshake and to simply say that he hoped everything worked out okay.

Spike was still suspicious that the boy had only said it because he was dating Dawn. It didn’t help that the boy only had five facial expressions like his father, so he couldn’t tell if his sentiments were genuine.

Dawn…Spike’s mind backtracked to his surrogate-daughter, thus leading to thoughts of Buffy and *his* child. As the intense need to see them bubbled to the surface again, he turned to Giles, all seriousness etched on his face.

“I don’t care how many bloody speeding tickets we get.” Spike intoned to Giles, yet again conveying through a glance what his words did not say.

If it had been anyone else, if it had been any other situation… Giles wouldn’t have fulfilled the request. But he only nodded in understanding and pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal, passing by the other cars along the freeway.

* * *

Sunnydale, Summer's Residence...

Buffy fiddled with the hem of her shirt and glanced at the clock. 7:47AM. She watched as Dawn pulled out of the oven the blueberry muffins. Buffy glanced at the clock again. It was Still 7:47AM. She watched as Dawn carefully one by one took each muffin out of the pan and placed them on a plate. She looked at the clock again. 7:48AM…progress! Buffy tapped her fingers on the counter impatiently. She glanced at the clock again. 7:4-

“Stop that. Glancing at the clock every two seconds won’t get it to move faster.” Dawn broke Buffy’s concentration. “And you’re letting the bacon burn.”

Buffy startled and glanced down at the frying pan she was ‘tending’ to and saw several strips of dark brown bacon. “I like it…extra crispy.” Buffy tried to cover as she removed it from the heat.

Dawn snorted. “That’s not extra crispy, it’s sacrificial. Better throw it away.”

Buffy sighed and scraped it into the garbage can, placing the pan in the sink. She glanced at the clock and almost leapt for joy. 7:52AM.

“Ugh, nature calls again.” Buffy sighed as she headed toward the bathroom.

“Again? You just went like, five seconds ago!” Dawn exclaimed.

“She’s restless today.” Buffy said rubbing her swollen stomach by way of explanation.

“Must be excited to see her daddy too.” Dawn smirked. Buffy glanced at the clock one last time before she left the kitchen to make tracks to the bathroom. 7:54AM.

* * *

When Giles pulled the car into the Summer’s driveway, Spike all but leapt from it before he had stopped the car fully. Giles sighed and turned off the engine as he watched Spike walk quickly to the front porch but then suddenly stop in his tracks. Giles locked the car after getting out and approached Spike.

“What’s wrong?” Giles asked, seeing the terrified look on the Vampire’s face.

“I…well…I…uh…” Spike stammered, quite at a loss for words.

“Come on man, you’ve been pestering me the entire drive to get here as fast as humanly possible, and now that you’re here…you’re standing outside. Why?”

Spike swallowed heavily, tears forming in his eyes as he gazed upon the Summer’s home. “I…I just thought I’d never see this place again…or them. Ever.” Spike practically whispered. “Even on the way here…I kept expecting…fearing…something would take me away again.”

Suddenly Spike’s strange behavior as they got closer to Sunnydale clicked in Giles’ head. Spike had been shooting nervous glances at anything and everything. He kept looking behind them as if looking for someone that was following them. He kept fingering his amulet of Bytanor as if it would suddenly vanish and Spike would no longer be immune to the sunlight and burn to a crisp. Giles had thought his actions were odd at the time, but shrugged it off since Spike wasn’t interested in having a conversation beyond telling him to speed up.

“Well here you stand. In one piece, and they are inside waiting for you.”

Spike allowed a small ironic grin to form, albeit momentarily. “Who said I’m in one piece?” Spike said sadly, tapping the side of his head.

Giles didn’t know quite what to say to that, but it didn’t seem Spike was expecting any kind of reply.

Spike was walking up the steps to the front porch and approaching the door almost hesitantly. He haltingly raised his shaking hand and knocked on the door.

“I’ll get it!” He heard Buffy’s sweet voice call out from inside as she practically jogged to the door. When the door opened and she stood there gazing at him, he said the first thing that came to mind.

* * *

Buffy was speechless as she opened the door and saw Spike standing there. His hair was long and pulled back out of his face, his face was a bit gaunt and he looked tired, but his eyes had lit up the second he saw her. Tears filled her eyes as she tried to force words out of her mouth, but her throat had closed up because she was so choked up with emotion. She had been waiting all this time to see him, and she was so overcome with emotion she was frozen. But it turned out he only had to say three words to break her shock.

“I love you.” He choked out, as if he had been waiting eight long months to tell her those three words again.

The dam seemed to break and she sobbed loudly as she threw her arms around him and embraced him so tightly it was a good thing he didn’t need to breathe.

“God I missed you Buffy! I can’t believe I’m home, I’ve missed you so much. You and the Nibblet. I’ll never leave again, I love you so much.” Spike said quickly as she sobbed against him; her tiny frame clung to him as if she was afraid that if she let go he’d disappear. They were both crying, both showering each other with frantic kisses and trying to seemingly merge as one so that they would never be torn apart again.

Dawn had heard the commotion from the Kitchen and raced into the foyer to see Buffy and Spike clinging to each other, desperate to never let go again. Their legs seemed to have given out at one point because Spike was sitting on the floor with Buffy sitting in his lap, rocking her and petting her hair and kissing her. Tears were streaming down both their faces, but they both looked blissfully happy as they held each other. Since they were partly blocking the door Giles had to edge around them with some difficulty so as not to disturb them.

“Giles.” Dawn smiled warmly and hugged him.

“Dawn. How are things?” Giles asked as he embraced her back.

“Better now… Thanks to you.” She said, her own tears beginning to form in her eyes.

* * *

It took quite a bit of convincing to get Buffy and Spike to let go of each other so they could get off the floor of the Foyer and onto something more comfortable…like the couch.

The second that Spike had sat down on the couch Buffy curled her self onto his lap and rested her head against his shoulder, while Spike gladly encircled his arms around her and rested his head against hers.

“Two hundred and forty-one days.” She muttered into his shirt.

“What love?” Spike asked.

“You’ve been gone two hundred and forty-one days.” She repeated.

“It felt like an eternity.” Spike whispered back as he nuzzled her throat lovingly.

Dawn and Giles had sat down with them, and after a few moments of letting the couple snuggle together, Dawn had asked how Spike had escaped.

Giles and Spike told them the whole story, Buffy and Dawn laughing at how cleaver and incredibly simple their plan was. Quentin would have never thought of it in a thousand years.

When Giles and Spike had finished telling the story, Dawn had volunteered to get them all drinks; Spike some blood, Giles Coffee and Buffy some iced tea, to which Dawn was incredibly grateful that her sister hadn’t asked her to put anything weird in it…like pickles.

When she had returned Buffy was telling Spike about how they found out that she was pregnant (to which Dawn noticed Spike was caressing her swollen stomach possessively), and what had been going on in Sunnydale while Spike was away. When Buffy reluctantly excused herself to use the bathroom, Spike watched her go as if she would evaporate into thin mist if he didn’t keep an eye on her. When she vanished from sight, he sighed and returned his gaze back to Rupert and Dawn. The three of them sat there for a moment in silence, not knowing what to say.

“So Nibblet, no hug?” Spike smirked at her, spread out his arms in invitation and Dawn wasted no time in flinging herself at him.

“I’ve missed you so much!” She said into his shoulder, muffling her words, but vamp hearing or no, Spike understood what she said.

“I missed you too Pigeon.” Spike said, stroking her hair. “So how’s things?” He asked, but Buffy’s sudden shout from the bathroom cut off her reply as Spike quickly and as delicately as he could pushed her off of him, jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Dawn wasn’t the least bit offended, but concerned for her sister as she and Giles raced in after him. Being slower than the vamp they arrived on the scene after Spike had burst through the door and raced to Buffy’s side.

“Buffy, love, what is it?” Spike asked her, panicked.

Buffy looked up at all of them in shock. “M-my water just broke.”

All three looked down at the ground and saw the clear fluid beneath her. Spike looked even more bewildered than Buffy did.

“Dawn, go upstairs and grab Buffy’s over-night bag for the Hospital.” Giles instructed her and she quickly went without hesitation.

“Love, are you alright? Does it hurt?” Spike asked, but when Buffy just whimpered in reply Spike panicked. “What’s wrong with her Watcher?!”

“She’s going into labor, Spike. The baby is coming.” Giles explained.

“Oh my God…this is so gross!” Buffy grimaced at the fluid coating her legs.

* * *

TBC...

Chapter 10: Family

The hospital staff was racing to attend to the latest arrival.

Normally a woman in Labor was run-of-the-mill work for the Hospital staff, but this particular patient…and her mate were causing quite a disturbance in the Maternity Ward.

“OH GOD GET IT OUT!!!” The patient, Buffy Summers was screaming. Her mate was even more panicked than the woman.

At one point he grabbed the doctor by the lapels and shouted at him to “Get the bloody baby out of her before I rip your throat out!!”

No matter how many times the Hospital staff tried to calm him and tried to explain what was happening, he didn’t seem to hear them because all of his attention was focused on the tiny blonde-haired girl that was writhing in pain on the gurney. At one point she had gripped the bedrails during one of her contractions and ripped the thing clear off. But at least she had the decency to look sheepish about it before writhing in pain again as another contraction hit.

Their friends finally came into the Emergency room; a middle-aged British man who had been filling out Buffy’s paperwork, and Buffy’s younger sister. Buffy’s mate seemed to calm down a bit when they told him that pain during labor was normal. All the Doctors and nurses sighed in relief when the man allowed his friends to pull him a few feet away so the doctors could work better.

“Did you give her any Epidural?” Giles asked.

“It’s too late for that. It wouldn’t help any.” A nurse answered.

“Isn’t there something else you can give her?! She’s in pain, damn it!!!” Spike shouted frantically.

“Spike she’ll be okay.” Giles told him, pushing him farther from the scene and standing in front of him to block him from getting in the doctor’s way again.

“SPIIIIIKE!!! Don’t leave!!” Buffy shouted in pain. Spike wasted no time dodging around Rupert and racing to Buffy’s side again, holding her hand.

“Buffy, love I’m here.”

“I’ll KILL YOU!! You did this to me!!!” Buffy grabbed him, giving him a look that clearly said she intended to stake him the second she found something pointy and wooden. But then another contraction hit her. “AAAAAHHH GOD!!! SPIKE!! Don’t leave me, I love yo-OOOOOOWWWW !!!” Buffy screamed in agony and tightened her grip on his hand.

“OWW!! Fuck!!” He shouted as he felt one of the bones in his hand break under her grip.

“Buffy, do your Lamaze breathing, it’ll help!” Dawn told her.

“Her contractions are closer, Doctor.” A male nurse announced.

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait outside now.” A female nurse told Giles and Dawn, ushering them outside the Delivery room to take them to the waiting room.

Buffy started to make odd patterns and sounds in her breathing that Spike could only guess was the ‘Lamaze’ breathing. At least it took some of her concentration off breaking his hand.

After several minutes of breathing this way Buffy suddenly gasped and scrunched up her face in pain. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OOOWW!!”

“She’s dilated to nine.” A male doctor said, and Spike for the first time noticed the man was between her legs, with his hands…

“HEY!! GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF OF HER!” Spike shouted, the only thing preventing him from tackling the Doctor was Buffy’s death grip on his hand.

“SPIKE SHUT UP!! He’s the doctor! If you keep him from getting this thing out of me I’LL STAKE YOU!!!” Buffy said, squeezing his hand harder for emphasis.

“Bloody hell Slayer!” Spike shouted in pain, vamping out for a second, but he quickly shook it off. The doctor’s were too busy with their tasks to notice.

Another contraction hit and Buffy shouted in agony. She at least recognized that Spike was dangerously close to vamping out again, so she released his hand and gripped the other bed rail instead, accidentally busting that one as well. The doctors attending her all glanced up and marveled at her strength for a brief moment before returning to their tasks. One of the nurses timidly took the bedrail from her hand and fled, fearing that the patient would grab her arm in place of the bedrail.

“She’s dilated to ten.” The Doctor announced and all at once the nurses and Doctors seemed to hurry their tasks along. A nurse elevated the top portion of the bed and her legs were placed into stirrups.

“What’s happening?” Buffy panted between contractions.

“Alright Ms. Summers, you’re baby’s ready to come out. I’m going to need you to push when I tell you to.” The doctor told her.

“AAAHH!! Oh God, I’m scared. Spike don’t you dare leave!!” Buffy looked at him with panic in her eyes.

“I won’t, I swear it.” Spike said, as he looked her directly in the eyes.

“Okay Ms. Summers, it’s time. I need you to push now.” The doctor told her, and she complied, taking a deep breath and putting all of her strength behind it. After several seconds of pushing Buffy let out the air she was holding and panted for breath.

“Okay you’re doing good…I need you to push again. Come on Buffy, you can do it.” The doctor told her.

Her breathing was heavy, her body was trembling because of the intense pain that was wracking her body, sweat was making her hair stick to her skin and her face was scrunched up as she was attempting to force the baby out.

Spike thought she looked beautiful.

His reverie was short lived though because Buffy squeezed his hand harder than ever as she gasped out in pain. He was sure that every bone in his hand was now crushed…but he didn’t care.

“Okay, the head is out! Buffy I need you to push one more time. You’re almost done.” The doctor said.

“Oh God it hurts!!” Buffy sobbed as she tried to summon enough energy to push one more time.

“Come on Buffy, you can do it. This is it love, you can do it.” Spike encouraged her. She nodded desperately and took deep breaths before pushing as hard as she could manage, making her scream out in agony from the pain.

“She’s out!!” The Doctor announced, and nurses began to clean the baby off as Buffy gulped air to even out her labored breathing.

“Nurse, the table.” The Doctor said, a bit hastily. The umbilical cord was cut and they placed the baby on a small table off to the side that they had waiting.

“Is she okay?” Spike asked, fearing the answer.

The doctors were working on her, putting tubes in her mouth and nose, sucking clear fluid out. Finally he heard the baby gasp and cry out.

“She’s perfectly fine.” The doctor said a bit breathily, as if he was sighing in relief. They began wrapping her up in a pink baby blanket and returned her to Buffy, placing her in Buffy’s arms. “Congratulations, you have a healthy baby girl.”

Buffy looked shocked and at a loss for words as she gazed down at her little girl resting in her arms.

Spike was attempting to keep from bawling like a baby. “My God, I’m a father.” He said in shock. He looked at Buffy, his eyes wide and shining with tears threatening to spill. “You did it.”

“No…we did it.” Buffy said firmly, her own eyes brimming with tears.

Their baby opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light, but focused on Spike immediately.

“Hey, look at that, she’s looking at me.” Spike grinned.

“Dawn was right.” Buffy said wryly. “I guess she couldn’t wait to see her Daddy.”

* * *

Buffy was set up in her own recovery room, and she and Spike were both lying in her hospital bed with their new daughter lying between them, sleeping peacefully. Dawn was channel surfing looking for something on T.V, while Giles was out calling the rest of the gang to tell them the great news.

“Did you pick out a name, love?” Spike asked Buffy as he watched his daughter sleeping soundly between them. He had hardly taken his eyes off of her since the moment she came into the world.

“Well actually yeah…if it’s alright with you.” Buffy said.

“I’m sure whatever you picked is fine, love.”

“I wanted to name her Hope.”

“Hope?” Spike said as he looked down at his daughter, as if judging if the name would suit her. Finally he grinned and looked up at Buffy. “Hope is perfect. Remember that poem I read to you? Pandora’s Box?”

::You see? I told you Hope is a fitting name.:: Nigel’s voice interrupted their thoughts, and startled Spike so much that he jumped out of the hospital bed stealthily and vamped out immediately, looking for the unseen danger.

“Nigel!” Dawn admonished. “Stop doing that!”

“Spike calm down, its just Nigel.” Buffy said wryly, and Spike shifted back to his human face.

“Nigel?” Spike asked in confusion.

“Oh…I guess that means Giles forgot to tell you about everybody’s favorite talking book.” Dawn smirked.

::Telepathic Journal if you please.:: Nigel corrected her. ::Pleasure to meet you Spike. Then again, I feel as if I already know you since you are one of the major players in the vision I had so long ago.::

“Er, right. The Ahmshe’ir right? Ruppies was kind enough to fill me in on that at least.”

So this is the bugger that started this whole mess… Spike thought bitterly, but then caught a glimpse of Buffy-cradling Hope in her arms. I don’t know weather to thank him or to tear out his…uh… pages.

::I’ll take the former, thank you very much.:: Nigel replied dryly. ::Although you must know Spike, I’m only the messenger. I don’t ordain these things to happen…I just See them.::

Spike startled again at Nigel’s invasion of his thoughts. “Bugger. A telepathic mind-reading journal. Only on the friggin’ Hellmouth.”

::That seems to be the consesus.:: Nigel chuckled.

Just then there was a quiet knock on the door. Dawn got up and opened the door, allowing Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara and Anya inside.

“Congratulations Buffy…and Spike! Welcome back!” Willow exclaimed quietly. Doing a double take when she saw Spike’s appearance “What did you do to your… uh, hair?”

“Well, ‘Keep up prisoner’s physical appearance’ wasn’t very high on the Council of Wanker’s To Do list.” Spike shrugged.

“Congrats Buffster on the mini-buffster.” Xander grinned and presented her with a vase of red roses and baby’s breath, with a balloon attached reading: “It’s a girl!”

“Aww that’s sweet Xander, thanks.” Buffy said as he set the vase on her nightstand next to the telephone. Xander then went around the bed and stood before Spike, offering him his hand.

“Good to have you back Dead boy Jr.” Xander grinned.

Spike nodded and smirked, shaking his hand. “Thanks whelp.”

“Congratulations, she’s very beautiful.” Xander said looking over at Hope.

“Of course she is, she’s my daughter, isn’t she?” Spike said cockily and everyone groaned good-naturedly.

“Still the same old Spike. It’s good to have you home.” Tara giggled.

“Yeah…still the same old Spike.” Spike whispered quietly to himself.

* * *

It was late at night, and visiting hours were over. The doctors had convinced everyone to leave for the night…except for Spike.

For the Slayer and the Vampire, it wasn’t that late at all- only 11:30PM. Hope was asleep, so Spike and Buffy talked about anything and everything, just enjoying being with each other again. But after awhile Buffy began to drift off to sleep, so Spike took Hope out of her arms so that she could rest. He held Hope as both of his girls slept, just gazing at her and thinking a million things.

But he was actually very hungry, and while he hated the idea of putting Hope down so that he could go liberate a baggie from the blood storage, he really didn’t have much of a choice. He needed all the strength he could get.

So he set her down in the incubator the hospital provided and rolled her closer to Buffy’s bed so that Buffy could reach her if either of them woke up. Taking last glances around the room as if checking it for safety, he walked out of Buffy’s room and went in search of the blood storage. He glanced down each passage way, looking for passers-by, not only because he was going to get a five finger discount on the blood, but also to keep a watchful eye on Buffy’s room.

Spike sighed. I’m probably just being paranoid. It’s a bloody hospital, what could be dangerous here? But he kept an eye out anyway.

He walked stealthily down the hall, unable to hide in any shadows because of the bright sterile lights adorning the hallways. At last he found the room he was looking for and glanced around cautiously before ducking in.

* * *

A short while later Spike crept back out of the Blood storage room and stealthily made his way back to Buffy’s room…only to stop cold the second he entered.

Buffy was still asleep…but Hope was gone.

The world suddenly felt as if it had dropped out from underneath him. He quickly ran to Buffy’s side and shook her awake.

“Buffy, love, Hope is gone! I only left for a few minutes to get some blood and when I came back she was gone!!!” Spike said frantically before her eyes had even opened.

“Wha--?” Buffy said groggily, but it only took a second for her mind to re-process what he had said. “WHAT?” She shot up from her bed and quickly began freeing herself from the I.V.’s that were hooked up to her.

Spike nearly cried out in frustration and guilt. I shouldn’t have left her alone! I *knew* it!! This is all my fault… stupid Vampire! I was only gone for a minute…Who ever took her couldn’t have gone far. Spike thought and started sniffing the room. Generally newborn babies don’t carry much scent, but Hope carried Buffy *and* his scent because they had been fondling her so much.

So he followed the scent as quickly as he could, out of the room and down the hall, Buffy tagging along behind him after she had realized what he was doing. He paused at every intersection, ‘testing’ the air and then quickly following the scent. Just when they got to the front entrance to the Hospital Buffy pointed at a man just ten feet away.

“There!”

A chill went up Spike’s spine as he looked up and saw the man was running while carrying something in his arms…and since there wasn’t anyone else around…they ran after him.

By some kind of silent agreement Buffy and Spike attacked together: Spike grabbed the man from behind in a chokehold while Buffy ran around him, kicked him in the knee and grabbed their baby out of his arms. Hope woke up at the sudden violent movement and started crying.

“Who the bloody hell are you!?” Spike demanded as he tightened his arm around the man’s neck. The man made a chocking noise while grabbing at Spike’s arm around his throat.

Buffy finally got a good look at the man and gasped. “Spike, he’s a Watcher.” Buffy said, disbelievingly.

Spike’s eyes widened as he continued to hold the Watcher that was trying to break his grip. His eyes flickered as he thought of the implications, and after a few seconds, he seemed to have come to a decision.

“Come near us or try to kidnap our daughter again and I’ll kill you.” He said into the man’s ear before releasing him, spinning him around and slamming his fist into his jaw, knocking him out. Both of them stood in shock as they gazed down at the unconscious Watcher on the ground.

“We need to call Giles. It isn’t safe here.” Buffy finally said.

* * *

“Good heavens, are you alright?” Giles asked as Buffy and Spike climbed into the back seat of his car. Buffy was clutching Hope to her chest as if she was never going to let go again.

Spike shut the door behind them and muttered; “Just drive.”

Giles sighed and pulled out of the Hospital parking lot. “Where to?”

“Home.” Buffy said, all of her attention focused on her baby girl in her arms.

“Are you sure that’s wise? It may be dangerous.” Giles said, glancing at them in the rear-view mirror. After all this time it still sort of surprised him to see Spike’s reflection looking back at him, thanks to the Amulet of Bytanor.

“If home isn’t safe, then no where is.” Buffy said grimly as she met Giles’ eyes in the mirror. Giles sighed and nodded in silent agreement, heading toward the Summer’s home.

* * *

Summer's Home, an hour later...

Willow and Tara let themselves into Buffy’s house. Everyone was gathered in the Living room with grim looks on their faces.

Giles nodded to them in greeting and the two women sat down. Giles stood and removed his glasses.

“Good, everyone is here now. Sorry to have called you all in so late, but an emergency has arisen, and everyone needs to be on the alert.” Giles started as he paced around the room.

Buffy and Spike were seated next to each other on the couch with Hope in Buffy’s arms. Dawn was sitting next to them, Willow and Tara had taken two of the chairs that had been brought into the Living room for this occasion, Xander, Anya and Jonathan occupied the others, and Giles had just vacated the sofa chair.

“As you all know, Spike and I have just returned from England. We escaped the Watcher’s Headquarters thanks to my…er, contact. Shortly after we returned, Buffy went into labor, and Hope was born.” Giles allowed a small grin to light up his face for a moment as he glanced over at Buffy holding her daughter. But then he frowned, continuing, “A short while ago a Watcher tried to kidnap Hope when Spike left the room. As you can all see, Buffy and Spike got her back…but the Watcher was dangerously close to…doing God knows what to the child.” Giles said a bitterly.

“Goddess, they tried to kidnap her?” Tara was the first to speak, outraged.

“I knew it. I knew we shouldn’t have left…” Xander muttered to himself.

“Why would they do such a thing?” Willow asked.

::Because they want the child dead.:: Nigel answered, making his presence known. Spike had a knee jerk reaction to vamp out, but sighed and shook it off when he recognized the detached voice inside his head. It was going to take awhile to get used to that.

“But why? N-no offence Buffy, but if all this time they wanted your child dead…why didn’t they kill her while you were still pregnant? And why kidnap Spike?” Willow asked, confused.

::All very excellent questions Ms. Rosenburg.:: Nigel said, ::The Council kidnapped Spike because…well, they’re idiots. Plain and simple.::

Everyone raised their’ eyebrows at Nigel’s bluntness.

“I’m inclined to agree with him. Quentin specifically.” Giles said dryly, taking a long drink of his brandy.

::I don’t know Mr. Travers personally, since he wasn’t even born when I transmogrified myself, but the man is completely incompetent. He’s been taking bits and pieces of the Prophecy and twisting them into his own version. The man is so stupid he doesn’t even realize the bloody thing isn’t Mage locked-it’s evil locked!:: Nigel ranted.

“Wait…it’s locked with evil?” Willow furrowed her brows.

::No, I mean, it’s tamper proof. I put a spell on it so that whoever tried to read couldn’t if they had evil intensions at heart. They’d just keep getting gibberish. The ingenious part is, it works for minions as well. If he hires someone to try and translate it, they would just keep getting gibberish as well. Apparently Quentin is taking that gibberish to heart! He thinks that Spike has something to do with the upcoming Apocalypse, but he didn’t know what. The gibberish that Quentin read led him to believe that Spike’s presence in Ms. Summer’s life would change the future of Slayers…and above all, the Council doesn’t want *anything* to change. But they didn’t know *what* the change would be…weather it was for good, or for evil.::

“So they kidnapped Spike because…?” Dawn prompted.

::Because they are stupid. Quentin removed Spike to keep him from the Slayer. They didn’t want to remove him permanently because they couldn’t translate the prophecy correctly…if they had killed Spike and then found out that his presence to Ms. Summers was a good one…then they couldn’t bring him back.::

“Okay…but why Hope? Why try and take her?” Buffy asked.

“I can answer that.” Giles said grimly. “They thought the father of your child was human, Buffy. They must have found out Spike is the father. Remember what I told you? They would have taken her...and killed her.”

“Oh Goddess…but she’s just a baby! Why?” Willow gasped.

::Because of what she will become. As I said, they translated the prophecy wrong…and because of that, they think that Hope will bring about the last apocalypse. The apocalypse that is unstoppable.::

“But they’re wrong…” Buffy was crying, “Nigel, tell me they are wrong!!”

There was a long silence.

::They are coming Ms. Summers.:: Nigel said grimly. ::They are coming for Hope. Be on your guard. I cast a spell upon the grounds…anybody working for Quentin sets foot on your property and I will know. I in turn will warn you. That is all I can do, I’m afraid. They are coming for her…And they will not stop until she is dead..::

* * *

Sunnydale, the Bronze...

“Can I buy you a drink?” Parker Abrams asked a cute redheaded girl at the bar. The girl gave him the quick ‘once over’ and smiled.

“Sure.”

Parker took the bar stool next to her and waved the bar tender over. They ordered their drinks and started to make small talk. He was just starting to convince her to come back to his apartment when he heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, Parker!” An old classmate walked up to him. “It’s me, Jim!”

“Oh, hey Jim. How’s it going?” Parker asked, obviously uninterested.

“Great man. Hey, I just heard about the kid. Congratulations!” Jim shook his hand roughly and glanced over his shoulder at his date.

“What?” Parker asked, confused.

“Aw shoot, I’ve got to run. We’ll catch up some time. Later man!” Jim said as he weaved his way through the crowds back to his date. When Parker turned back to his ‘date’ she gave him a disgusted look and threw her drink in his face before stalking off. Parker watched her leave with his jaw hanging wide open in confusion.

“What kid?!”

* * *

Epilogue::

(**Author’s note** I’m doing the ending of this one a bit differently. I’m changing my writing style a bit to accommodate it, so don’t dwell on that, just picture the scenes. Its in voice over style, the poem is the poem that Spike read to Buffy in the first fic of the series, “The First Evil”; it is called ‘Pandora’s Box’. Nigel does the ‘voice over’.)

Buffy and Spike, lying on Buffy’s bed, with Hope asleep between them. Buffy moves to turn out the bedside lamp, but Spike stops her. Buffy is confused at the look of fear in his eyes, and then realizes that he doesn’t want to be in the darkness again.

Quentin sitting in his office, all the lights are out except for a small desk lamp. He has the Ahmshi’er prophecy spread out in front of him.

Dawn in her room, with books opened all over her desk. She has a spiral notebook out and is writing things down in it. It looks as if she is doing homework, but a quicker glance at the book titles reveals she is researching magic. The book she is copying out of is called: “Defensive Magics.”

Giles, sitting downstairs at the Summer’s home. He stands up and walks to the window, pulling aside the curtain and peering out. After a moment he sighs and returns to his spot on the couch, hazarding a glance up the stairs as he sits down.

A close up of Hope sleeping between Buffy and Spike. The soft blonde wisps of her hair are slightly curly, and her chest is rising and falling in time with Buffy’s breathing. Her eyes slowly open to reveal serene blue eyes that seem as if they look directly into your heart. She is awake and has alertness in her eyes that no newborn child should have at so young of age.

Fade to black.

They will come for her......and they will not stop until she is dead.

* * *

THE END