Summary: What do you do when you find out that your wife has been cheating on you for the past year, with your so-called best friend and flown the coop back to London…….leaving you with a hell of a mess!! When you’ve just found out that you’re about to become a dad, with you’re wife’s sister……….who just happens to be your surrogate and the baby’s biological mother………………….and you’re the biological father.

Mix that all up and what do you have………………….. The Surrogate.

WIP

Rating: PG for now

Thanks go to Kirsty for beta reading it and willingly taking another one of my projects, also too Darcy because I have hit her up for this one too!!!

Thanks for all the reviews so far.......................you ppl give me so much encouragement and the courage to continue writing!!

Author: Mercy

~~~Chapter One~~~

~~Dear William~~

Throwing his briefcase down onto the sofa, Spike walked into the kitchen from the living room, in his home in Sunnydale. It had been a hard day at the family run law firm, he’d been in court most of the day, with a case that had dragged out longer than expected, making him miss a very important appointment at the doctors, with his wife. He scolded himself at the thought of what Lily was going to say to him about that, he knew that she’d probably want his head for it, but he hoped the flowers that he held in his other hand may ease the way a little for him. Looking around the kitchen it was oddly clean and looked like it hadn’t been touched all day, which was odd for Lily, as she usually had the kitchen in a mess this time of day, preparing dinner for them.

Turning on the kettle Spike pulled out a cup, and proceeded to make himself a coffee, taking the unopened milk cartoon out of the fridge, even odder since he’d only bought it last night, yet it remained unopened, especially with Lily being a fervent coffee drinker. His concern rose, as he still had yet to hear movement in the house, it was deathly silent, like no-one else was present within its walls. Getting worried for the well being of his wife, he walked through the house looking for her, or clues that may tell him of her whereabouts. He found his answer soon enough, when he reached their bedroom, unlike the kitchen, it was chaotic, with draws half open and clothes strewn all over the floor and cupboards. The closet door was pulled open, displaying its empty racks and shelves, next to his own clothing still neatly folded in piles, and on their hangers in the closet.

It made a clear statement. Lily was gone.

He quietly sat down on the bed opposite Lily’s dresser, her jewellery case had been raided, all her valuable, make-up and perfumes were gone as well. Yet the most disturbing thing he saw, was her wedding band that lay on top of a small yellow envelope, drawing his face into his hands, he breathed deeply trying to control the disbelief, at the carnage that surrounded him in the room. Taking a deep breath, his face emerged from his hands, looking once more at the envelope on the dresser. Standing up he walked to the dresser, lifting her wedding ring, running his finger along the edge, feeling just how hollow it really felt, in anger he threw it onto the dresser. He watched his reflection in the mirror, as it bounced off the dresser, somewhere into the room, where he didn’t care and didn’t even bother to see where it landed.

His gaze caught on his name, written in long scrolling letters on the yellow paper before him. Picking it up he turned it over, looking at the blank side, back over to the written side, over and over, it reflected the turmoil that lay within him. Moving back to the bed he slumped back, it sunk under his weight, as he continued just to stare at the offending letter, frightened to read what maybe inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Earlier that day………………..

Across town in a Dr Singer’s office sat a lone woman in the waiting room, nervously looking at her watch once again, and looking around the room, as couples sat reading magazines or chatting amongst themselves. The secretary looked at the female that sat opposite her desk, the worry was written all over her face, it would appear that the person or people that were meant to show, had no inclination to, and this was nothing new to the secretary, it happened all the time.

“Would you like to reschedule your appointment?” The secretary caught the young ladies eye, “I can make one for next week if you like?”

“No it’s okay, I’ll wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes thank you. I think I’m next anyway, and I really need to see the doc.”

“Would you like me to ring your partner?” The secretary made the offer, hoping that it may help.

“I………….” She was interrupted by the doctor’s door opening, as it creaked on its hinges.

“Ms Summers,” Dr. Singer spotted her immediately, and looked around the room for a companion, that maybe with her, “just you today?”

“So it would appear.”

“Please come in then.” The doctor motioned for her to enter, and closed the door behind her patient, as she entered the examination room, “Take a seat.”

“Thank you.” Buffy made her way to the chair and sat in front of the large desk that was the doctors.

“All alone today, Buffy?”

“Hmmmm. I have no idea what has happened, maybe flat tyre, who knows?” Buffy nervously played with her handbag strap, “I need to know Dr Singer, I know that it may not be the done thing, but I need to know.”

“It is highly unusual, Buffy, but I think it won’t hurt to let you in.”, the doctor broke out into a large grin, “You, Miss Summer’s are eight weeks pregnant.”

“Oh my god.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day……………………..

Tearing open the letter finally, Spike opened the parchment and saw his wife’s large flowing writing upon the page.

My Dearest Will,

I can’t stay any longer, it’s just too much, as you can guess I’m gone. Taken the cowards way out, and just ran, not really my style, but I’m not ready to face you.

I’m sorry.

There is nothing that I can really say, but I’m sorry, it’s just not working for me anymore Will. I’ve done everything I can to stay, I’ve tried, I don’t love you anymore.

I’m sorry,

Lily

PS Gone home

Spike recoiled from the sudden pain that ripped through his heart, he had absolutely no idea why and how she left. He couldn’t believe that she’d leave him without telling him, that she even had problems within their marriage, as far as he was concerned everything was perfect. He just could not fathom what lay before him in the chaos that was their room, the bed still lay in a mess after last night. That hit him in the gut like a sharp blow, how could she have made love to him last night, and left this morning. It was too much of a contradiction to him, he let the paper flutter from his hands, standing up he retreated to the living room and poured himself a very large whiskey.

He proceeded to have many more after that……………………to obliterate the pain that was swallowing him whole.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Same time different place…………………..

Buffy walked into her home, threw her handbag onto the hallway table, and just looked at herself in the mirror above the table. She didn’t look or feel different, but she had known the results of the test, even before the doctor had told her. She swallowed hard, trying to reason with herself that everything was fine and it was just nerves, or maybe this is how you are meant to feel when you’re pregnant. Yet the tight balls of dread that were forming in the pit of her stomach would not go away, she had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

Really wrong.

She had wondered where her sister had gotten to, as she hadn’t shown up for the doctor’s appointment, but then again that was just typical Lily for you. She was always running here or there and forgetting things, even important things like today, with her busy lifestyle. If you could call endless shopping and social club events busy, but then again marrying into a wealthy and connected family helped. Still concerned with her sisters’ welfare she called Lily at home, and got the answering machine, not happy with leaving a message, she tried her mobile phone, which was switched off and was redirected to voicemail. Not happy with that, Buffy decided that the best bet would be to leave a message on her home phone, dialling it again, she waited for the beep, and left her message.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike was about halfway down to the bottom of the whiskey bottle when he heard the phone ring and the answering machine kick in.

“Hello, you have reached William and Lily’s, we are both extremely busy having a good time. So just leave your message after the beep, and we’ll call you back.”

Spike could hear the greeting that his wife had left on the machine, he put his glass up in a salute to her, “Cheers Luv.” He waited for the beep to announce who was on the other end of the phone, and after a quiet pause, they spoke.

“Lily, it’s me Buffy. I need you to call me and let me know your okay. What happened to you today?” A slight pause followed after that, “ Lily if your home please pick up! It’s important!” Another pause, “Lily, I’m pregnant”, the machine cut the rest of the conversation off, as it ran out of tape.

“Holy shit! Buffy!!” Spike nearly fell of the floor, as he was told he was going to be a father.

~~~Chapter Two~~~

~~Dear Buffy~~

Buffy put the phone down on its cradle, she felt slightly relieved about leaving the message on her sister’s answering machine, it felt like some of the weight was off her shoulders. She hoped that Lily would call her back soon, at least to let her know, that she got the message, it was nothing unusual for Lily not to show up sometimes, but the fact that William or Spike, as he liked to be called by family and friends, hadn’t showed up, played on her mind. It had been an important appointment, which they both should have been there, this was enough for the knot in her stomach to tighten so hard that she felt nauseated, as the bile hit the back of her throat. She couldn’t put it down to morning sickness, as she appeared to have been spared that for now, not that Dr Singer hadn’t warned her it may happen later.

Making herself a peppermint tea, she thought that it might help with the tautness in her stomach, and to settle her nerves. Taking the tea back to the sofa in the living room, she sat down, sipping the tea as she went, trying to think good thoughts, as all this worry couldn’t be good for the baby she carried. Her thoughts went to the time that she had offered the childless couple to be their surrogate, as it would appear that they wouldn’t have had their own, any other way, due to Lily’s infertility problems. Polycystic ovaries stopped the young woman from conceiving, and Buffy offering to help them, seem to be the closest thing to having their own child. They both had knocked the idea back, the first time she offered, but as time went on it seemed that besides choosing someone else besides Buffy, it was an option they both decided was the way they wanted to have a child, as Lily’s fertility treatment failed time and again. She would always see her sisters’ husband’s distraught face, each time they returned from Dr Singer’s office, with another negative pregnancy test. Lily never seemed to perturbed about it, and she always would say to Spike “Next time”. But next time never came, so after a year that the couple had stopped trying, Buffy had offered her help, for her sister and her own reason’s, that stayed silent and never see the light of day.

Buffy leaned over to the coffee table, putting her tea cup down onto it’s saucer, she picked up today’s mail. Bill, bill, bill, junk mail, and a yellow envelope with an unmistakeable handwriting. Lily’s, scrolling letter’s covered the letter face, as Buffy read her own name and address, tearing the letter open, she removed the contents of the matching paper.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike dropped the glass that held the amber liquid, as the contents feel over his trousers, he swore at himself, as he watched it penetrate the fabric, and flow over into the white carpet. Leaving the glass where it fell, he walked back into the kitchen, damping a cloth he blotted his pants the best he could to remove the alcohol. He looked down at his trousers, it looked like he’d wet himself, which he reflected was something he’d nearly done after hearing Buffy voice as she left her message.

He felt as if someone was playing a cruel joke on him, his world had come crashing down around him, and the implications of what was going around him, was just to much to bear. He couldn’t fathom what to do now, he was caught between breaking everything he could with his bear hands, and screaming out in jubilation with the news of Buffy’s successful pregnancy. His head was beginning to pound fron the headache that had begun in his brain, with all the whirling contradictions that his life had become in the last few hours.

Picking up the phone, he tried calling some of Lily’s friends, trying to find out if she was staying with them, before she made her final dash, back home. Home to Lily, he knew meant London, a million miles from here. With every call, his suspicion grew that she had either fled the country, or her friends were lying to him, deep inside himself he knew that she gone home. He continued his calls, this time Trans-Atlantic, hoping one of her friends in London may take pity on him and tell him her where bouts. Considering the news he received it was imperative that they talk, he just knew they could work it out, or six years of marriage would go down the proverbial toilet.

No one would tell him anything, even when he plead with some of her friends, laying his heart out on his sleeve, it got him no where. Feeling defeated, he decided to give it a rest for the night, and sought out the next most important thing in his life, he’s unborn child.

At least in that he could take some joy.

Picking up the phone again, he dialled the local cab company and asked for a cab, to take him to the other side of Sunnydale. He had drunk way too much, and didn’t want to kill himself on the way to one of the most important discussions in his life. So he requested a cab, and was asked by the operator for a destination, he clearly recited the address.

To Buffy’s place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Opening the paper, Buffy picked up her tea and took another sip, she couldn’t look at the contents of the letter just yet. As a wave of nausea struck her abdomen again, she felt like she was going to dry wretch, as a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach seized her. Unable to put it of any longer, she read the letter.

Buffy,

You know that you mean the world to me, and it makes me sad to write this letter to you, considering everything that you’ve done for me over the last few years. Especially now, but there’s no way to tell you, except for me to tell it to you in a letter, because I’m too afraid to tell you, to you’re face. If anyone in this mess deserves it more, it’s you.

I can’t put it any simpler but to tell you that I’ve gone home, permantely. I’m not happy here and I’m not in love with William any more. To put it in words is just too hard. I just want to go home, and it really comes down to that. I know that I should have told you, and put a stop to the surrogate thing, but I thought that it might make things different, but thinking about the doctor’s appointment today, I panicked and it made me face the truth.

I don’t want this.

I hope for all our sakes that the insemination didn’t work, and you’re not pregnant. But if you are, I’ve left enough money in your bank account today to take care of it. I’m sure that considering the circumstance that Dr Singer could refer you onto someone.

I’m sorry Buffy, I don’t know what else to say, but I do love you. I’m so sorry to have done this to you, but I thought I was doing the right thing.

I’ve gone home to London, to Grandmother’s, I hope that she’ll help me find my life again, considering I’ve fucked it up so badly so far. I’ll call you later to see how your going, I do care about you, but I just cannot face up to what I’ve done yet.

I’ve left a note for William too, I’m just couldn’t face him either.

Love

Lily

Buffy dropped her cup of tea, onto the floor narrowly missing her legs that where exposed from her skirt. Fear gripped her heart, as she felt it thump in her chest rapidly, she could feel her blood pressure rise, and a red hot flush come over her. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran for the bathroom, bending over the bowel of the toilet, she threw up the contents of her stomach, as the reality of what was happening hit her like a lightening bolt.

Lily had fled from her husband, and most importantly leaving her holding the baby.

She heaved until there was nothing left to come out, slowly crawling to the sink, she pulled herself up, and washed her face with cold water. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw the reflection of a distraught self, the silent tears began to flow, as the reality of what Lily had written sunk in. Her sister had just managed to ruin not two lives, but three. Her husbands, her sisters and the baby’s. Yet one thing was clear to Buffy, she couldn’t do what her sister had told her to do, she couldn’t face a termination, she just wouldn’t do it.

Buffy knew that she would just have too carry the baby, she just drew a blank beyond that, thinking further than that was just too hard. It was further complicated by a dark shadow that could demand and rule over any decision’s she made about the baby, and the strength of that shadow placed even a greater strain on her resolution to have the baby.

Spike and the contract she’d signed agreeing to give up all parental rights to the baby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike paced outside of his house as he waited for the cab, his mind lost within the chaos that surrounded him. His mind wondered, from getting Lily back home to sort out their marriage, too why she’d left, too Buffy and the child that lay in her womb. He took out a cigarette and lit the end with his silver lighter that Buffy had given him for Christmas, the first year that he’d married Lily. Staring into the flame, he could only imagine what Buffy was going to do once she heard the news. He knew one thing better it come from him, than someone else, and from her call he assumed that Buffy knew nothing of the days events and Lily’s departure.

The whole bloody thing was a mess, and how they were going to fix it was just a too complicated to think about. The most important thing he needed to do, he thought to himself, was to reassure Buffy that all would be well, what ever happened. He needed her to know that he would support her……………he stopped walking. His mind stopped, his gasped for air as he realised his train of thought……….he’d support her though out the pregnancy no matter what, he’d be there as her support person, instead of Lily. He could look forward to the nine months with her, be her friend, be there to help her with anything she needed, like Lily was meant too, if they could not work it out. Most importantly he could be with her through out the delivery and see the birth of his child………it finally hit him then, the what if Buffy didn’t want the child because of what was happening.

Taking a deep drag of air to his lungs filled with smoke, he just could help but think about the fact that Buffy may not want to continue with the pregnancy, with its two parents not together. That single thought created a deep abyss of dread that he’d never felt before, it even over shadowed the fact that Lily had just left. It paled in comparison, as his priorities had just been set, by circumstances out of his control.

In frustration, he looked at his watch as he continued to wait for the cab that he’d ordered, taking out his mobile phone, he dialled the cab company, and proceeded to bark a large complaint at the poor operator at the other end of the line. Turning to pace the lawn again, the cab’s lights shone down the street, barking an apology to the operator, he hung up. Flagging the cab, he opened the door even before the car, came to a stand still, and jumped into the backseat of the cab. Even before the driver could say ‘hello’, Spike offered the man a hundred dollars to get him across town as fast as he could, to pay for any speeding ticket he may get. Grabbing the bill out of spike’s hand, the driver spun the wheel’s of his cab, as he hit the accelerator, to comply with his customers demands.

Spike knew that he had to get to Buffy as fast as he could, especially if Lily had beaten him to it, in telling her what had happened. He just couldn’t take the risk that she’d made a decision concerning the baby, a decision that he knew he’d live to regret if she choose the wrong one. Any other thoughts of Lily were put on hold as the car approached Buffy’s house, slowing down the car came to a complete stop in her driveway. Spike sat there his fear controlling him, he just didn’t now if he had any strength left to face Buffy if she resisted him.

“You getting out mister?” the cab driver asked his passenger.

“Yeah, and thanks for the ride.”

“Hey, for a hundred bucks for a twenty dollar ride, you can call me any day of the week!” with a fake smile for the patron.

Spike opened the door, and pulled himself out of the cab, stepping onto the curve, the cab moved away, leaving him to stand there in the dark alone. Very much how he felt at that moment in time. Taking the path to the house, he slowly climbed the stairs, his stomach tossed and turned with the alcohol he’d consumed earlier, making him feel even sicker than he had been before now. He raised his hand and knocked on the door, and waited for a reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy turned her head to look at the door, as she lay on the couch with a blanket covering her, and her hands full of wet tissues. A knock on the door was the last thing she needed so she, decided to ignore it, she didn’t need the outside world to be invading her misery tonight, it was enough company. She’d just stopped thinking after along time, and just lay immobile on the couch, not wanting to feel anything, just numb and lost in the nothingness that had enveloped her. It was less painful than having to face the truth that, she was pregnant and it would appear alone in her pregnancy. Her sisters letter hadn’t helped, it made it clear what she wanted her to do about her pregnancy, and she just didn’t want to have to face up to what she’d done to her sister and husband.

The knock on the door became a pounding, but Buffy continued to ignore it as she pulled the blanket over her head to block out the world. After a short time the intruder gave up and left, Buffy could hear the steps of the person move away from the front door. She took a sigh of relief, and wiped her eyes again, as the tears continued to roll down her eye’s. She moved her hand to her stomach, spreading her hand over her middle, wondering what the baby looked like at this early stage, spreading her fingers over her abdomen, she felt the smooth skin that would soon begin to strength under the growth of her baby.

Her baby.

Her’s.

Mine.

My baby.

Her mind made her hearts intension clear, now that Lily had done what she’d done, there was no chance that do anything but have the baby. Buffy knew it was more complicated than that, she’d begun to build a wall around her heart along time ago, for the time she’d carry the baby for her sister, but she felt that wall obliterated by her sisters letter. She moved the blanket away from herself, and lifted her shirt that she wore, displaying the hand that lay on her flat abdomen.

“Hello in there. I’m your mom, and your mine!” buffy spoke the words that her heart cried out.

Out of the shadows, created by the single light that shown in the corner of the room, came a voice she instantly recognised.

“And I believe mine as well.”

~~~Chapter Three~~~

~~The Facts Of Life~~

Buffy shuddered as she heard the voice come from the shadows, and if her day had not been as bad as it had, it was only about to get worse. She could feel her stomach churn in dread at her visitor, it was obviously the same person that had demanded entry a few minutes earlier. Behind her stood what could destroy any decisions about what she was going to do about the baby. She’d known that she would have to include Spike in any decision making, but she just didn’t want to think about it tonight, the tough decision had been made about not terminating the pregnancy. The implications that it may have on her life, and she just didn’t want to think anymore, she wanted just feel the new life that lay beneath her hand.

“Don’t you know how to knock Spike?” Buffy asked the man behind her.

“Tried that one, and got no where fast.”

“Must have been a reason, why I didn’t answer the door. Like maybe I wasn’t home!” Buffy tried to contend her anger.

“I find your reasoning immaterial at the moment Buffy.” Spike voice hardened with every word, “We need to talk.”

“Stating the obvious Spike, and don’t speak to me like a criminal that I’m not. This isn’t the office, and I am family remember?”

“How could I forget just how much family you are!” Spike snidely replied to her comments.

“Then please remember you are in my house, not the court room!”

“No, I’m just in the house of my sister-in-laws, who just happens to be carrying my child, and whose sister has just done a bunk back home!” Spike took a swipe at Buffy.

“Her choices not mine!” Buffy took the ammunition that she could and ran with it, “Did you give her reason to run?”

“What?”

“I said did you give her a reason to run?”, Buffy knew deep down that he would never have done anything to Lily, but she felt so raw with emotions that she would do anything to protect herself and the baby. Deep down she knew that he still held most of the cards, and he would either hold his hand close to his body, or show his deck.

“How could you even think that?” Spike spat the venom back at her, “She’s my wife for god’s sake! We are meant to be a………..”, He couldn’t get the words out as he chocked on them.

“A what Spike? You are meant to be a family. Is that what you’re saying?” Buffy moved her body around to finally face him, “Because from what I could tell from Lily’s letter, you guys are anything but!” she looked at the anger and devastation that sat on his face.

Spike moved around the sofa, and sat down into one of the vacant seats, his head bowed down in defeat. His hand resting against his scalp as he ran his fingers through his hair, after sometime he slowly raised his head, as she saw a single tear run down his face, the atmosphere between the two dissolved, and melted into the void that surrounded them. Both had much to loose and gain, and they both knew it, but had to this point refused to acknowledge it.

“Why Buffy? Why has Lily done it?” Spike broke the icy quietness between them, “What did or didn’t I do?”

“I don’t know Spike. I probably know no more than you!”

“You must! Your sister’s, don’t sisters tell each other everything!” Spike demanded from her.

“Not everything.”

‘But you must know something, my god you guys are close!”

“Obviously not as much as you think.” Buffy went over to where her letter from Lily lay, she just didn’t have the inner strength to go ten rounds with Spike, and she thought it would just end this integration. Taking it in her hand, she walked over to Spike and handed it over to him, “Read it! It will make it clear I know as much as you!”

With some reluctance, Spike took the letter from her, and read what Lily had written to her sister. She could see the flutter of emotions run over his face, as he absorbed what she had written, she watched as he read it over, and over. She tried to contemplate what was going over in his mind, he looked so lost in his thoughts, and with the most obvious she guessed being, why? Even that was something that she couldn’t fathom, but from somewhere deep down in her sub-consciousness she could feel the trepidation built up in her spinal cord, making her muscles contract in retaliation and fear. She immediately shut her mind to the thoughts that began to form in her mind, she lightly shuddered all those thoughts from her brain. This was not the time or place to air her concerns. The baby was most important thing for Buffy, at this point and time, it came first and Spike would just have to live with it.

“Lily, as you can see didn’t say why, even to me, why she left. It really says nothing.” Buffy spoke quietly to him.

“It mostly says what she wrote to me, except one important thing.” Spike handed the letter back to her, “She tells you to ‘take care of it’.”

“I know.”

“But your not are you?” Spike spoke of his deepest fear in this whole matter.

Buffy sat there silent in reflection in what she was going to say to him, she supposed that honesty was the most appropriate thing here, “No.”

“Thank god!” Spike looked as if some weight in this mess, had been removed from his shoulders.

“I couldn’t do it, even if I tried Spike. It’s part of me. I just cannot get rid of it like some inconvenience just because you two cannot keep it together!”

“Part of you!”

“Yes part of me! Remember just whose eggs these are!” Buffy was incensed as she lashed out at him, she was protecting what she now considered hers. If her sister didn’t want the baby, then she would take responsibility for the life inside of her, and be dammed the consequences.

“And I had no part in it! Just remember who makes up the other half of the equation here!’

“How could I forget!”

“You also seem to forget something else Buffy!” Spike’s voice filled with poison, as he felt himself get caught up in the heated emotions that flew around the room, “Our contract!”

Buffy fled past him and ran up the stairs to the second floor, she threw open the door that lead to her study, and pulled open a draw on her desk, pulling out the document. She had heard the heavy steps that followed her in pursuit, behind her as she had departed the living room. Turning around with the papers in her hand, she held them in front of her, as she watched him stand at the doorway holding onto the archway, his hands white with the pressure he applied to it. With a demented grin on her face, she took the papers between her hands and tore the papers in front of him, in two and then tearing them again. She let them flutter to the floor, pooling around her feet where she stood.

“What contract Spike! The rules just changed!”

“You think that you can just tear up a contract! You seem to forget you signed it, and you signed it knowing that the baby would come to me! You gave up all parental rights! It’s my baby Buffy, not yours!” Spike spoke so harshly and cruelly, that it finally destroyed any fragile emotions that Buffy could use to defend herself against him.

Silently he watched Buffy slide down onto her knees, as the tears founded in fear fell down her cheeks, and her sobs filled the otherwise silent room. She slumped over onto the floor, her arms coming around her face to blot out the reality around her. Spike had just realised her fears, her insecurities, and her knowledge that he could do just what he threatened, and he had the means to do it. He had written the iron clad contract, and it would appear he had the power to enforce the contract, after all he knew the law, it was his lively hood.

Taking in what lay before him, he instantly regretted his words, and he knew deep down that Buffy was only protecting the baby. She’d clearly been devastated by the turn of events and just wanted to take care of the precious life inside of her, that her sister had carelessly discarded like a piece of trash. Very much obviously, like him and their life together. Spike realised that he held onto the life that lay in the woman in front of him, as much as she did. Even in this mess, he had a responsibility not only to the baby, but also to her. With slow and silent steps, he moved over the carpeted floor, and sat down next to the crying woman, taking a hand, he placed it on her shoulder, she quickly pulled away from any contact with him. Not being put off he moved closer too her, and gently but with some soft resistance from her, he took her into his arms, embracing her trying to give her some comfort, and from the refuge of his chest she pleaded her case.

“Please don’t take the baby from me Spike. Lily does not want it, and I do! She doesn’t give a dam about you, me or the baby!” Buffy said between sobs, her voice heavy with fear, “It’s a new life that deserves someone that cares about it! I promise you Spike that I do care about this baby!”

“I know you do Luv, but………….but have you really thought about it! About what that means and everything that it entails!”

“I know what it means Spike! What I have to give up and what it might mean to my life! But that’s exactly what the baby is, part of my life!”

“Mine too, and don’t you think I deserve a say in this too?”

“Please Spike, you can be part of the baby’s life! You are the baby’s father! But he or she is part of me too! A part that I cannot give up now just because Lily does not want it, as much as she says she’s sorry about it, I’m not! I want the baby, and I want to be it’s mother! Lily doesn’t deserve it!”

Taking in what Buffy was saying, he could feel the hurt that lay deep within her from her sister’s actions. Which were unforgivable, she had left her sister maybe pregnant, after going through the painful procedure of insemination, and here he was threatening to make all that she’d gone though for nothing. His mind screamed in pain at the heavy thoughts that filled them, maybe just maybe if he could work it out with Lily………………..but with a distraught Buffy in front of him, he knew that he had to give that thought up. The most important person in all of this was the baby, and with that he gave up something he had once thought the centre of his universe.

His marriage and his wife.

In a split second the decision was made, he could feel his heart brake in two, as he realised that Buffy would never give up the baby, and he just had to live with that. He’d just have to live with the consequences, and what fate had delivered to him, but he didn’t want to leave everything up to Buffy. He was the child’s father, and deserved to decide on the child’s fate, so stepping deeper into his commitment to his child he made a few more decisions that would affect them both.

“Okay Buffy………..lets call a truce hey! It’s not good for you or the baby.” Spike pulled her head gently away from his chest, sweeping away the hair from her face, and wiping the tears from her face, “Some how we’ll make some sense of this mess, and we’ll make it work. But we need to consider the baby, okay, and this is only stressing you out! Let’s go back down stairs, have a hot drink and talk like the adults we are with no insults and no recriminations, okay Luv?”

Buffy could only nod her head, as she allowed him to help her stand, walk her back down the stairs, into the living room, and down onto the sofa. Moving into her kitchen he found the packet of herbal tea on the cabinet, turning on the kettle he made her another tea, and himself a coffee. Despite the bile that filled his throat from the copious amounts of alcohol in his system, he felt totally in control, and lost at the same time. It kinda felt like his life at the present moment, was now a total contradiction. Taking the two mugs into the living room he present one to Buffy, and sat down opposite her once again, taking a sip of his coffee, he watched her take slow controlled amounts of her own drink.

“We need to get through this Buffy, and it’s clear that we need to do it together.” Spike spoke to the distraught woman in front of him, “I have a few proposals for you that need to be ironed out.”

“Like what?”

“Firstly, that I will play an active role in this pregnancy and that I will have a say in what happens.”

“I won’t you too! I won’t deny you the baby, Spike!”

“I know that Buffy, you’ve made that abundantly clear, but I have to make that absolutely apparent. But I also have some other conditions.”

“What type of conditions?”

“I want to be with you through out the pregnancy in every way! There when you see the doctor, and there when the baby’s born.” Spike moved from his chair and sat down in front of her, “I want to be your support person, like Lily was meant to be, and……………”

“And? What else?”

“I want more, than that! I want you to move into my house so I can see the baby anytime!”

“No, that’s crazy!! I will not move into your house!” Buffy was confused with all these demands he was placing on her.

“You can and you will!”

“No!” Buffy was sure about that, she would accept some things that he demanded but not that.

“Why not? It’s a big house and I can keep an eye on you!”

“No!”

“No. You must see that it’s the sensible thing to do!”

“I said no!”

“Why not?”

“It’s her house!”

“Lily’s?” finally it dawned on him why she would not relent.

“Fine then I’ll move into here, and I’ll bring the baby’s things.” Spike conceded.

“No!”

“Yes Buffy, and that’s final!” Spike demanded.

Buffy knew when Spike was like a dog with a bone that he would not give up, and knew that she would not win this argument at all. Nevertheless, maybe she could have some say in it, and if it was her house, she would have some control at least in what happened. Therefore, she found herself reemitting but only in part.

“You can bring yourself, but you leave the baby things at home!”

“But you’ll need them!”

“I don’t want anything that she chose in my house, this is my baby, and it will have the things I want!”

Not wanting to create even more havoc between them, Spike only nodded his agreement in this discussion, needing to concede on this at least, draining the final liquid from his cup, he stood and walked to the door.

“Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk!” Buffy asked of him.

“I think we’ve said enough tonight Buffy, and I’m going home,” Spike opened the front door, looking back at her, he said his final piece, “I’m going to get my things for tonight, as I meant what I said. I want to be here for everything!”

With that, Spike closed the door behind him, leaving a shell shocked Buffy in the house, as he walked down the stairs he pulled out his mobile phone and called a cab. While Buffy sat on the sofa thinking about what had just happened between them, the events racing through her mind. The events that had unfolded before her, where the last thing she expected to have happened at all, and she had yet to digest what had happened here tonight.

Spike had well and truly embed himself in her life, and she had no idea what that would mean. But she knew that she wasn’t alone in this mess, and in a way that gave her some comfort, but she dreaded at what cost it would have for her. But most of all she thought of the consequences that it may entail from her family when they found out, but with some resolve she realised she didn’t give a damn.

Let there be consequences!

Next