"Buffy?" Joyce was surprised to find her daughter on the doorstep, "I was just going to bed, is everything okay?" she asked as she let her into the house. The blonde barely made it over the threshold before she was crying again, going gladly into her mother's arms for a hug.

"Oh sweetheart, whatever's wrong?" Joyce asked worriedly, leading Buffy over to the couch and sitting them both down. After a few moments the younger woman was calm enough to answer.

"Mom, what I said before, about the baby not being Spike's..." she said, sniffing and wiping her face clear of tears with the back of her hand, "It turns out that it is" she admitted quietly. To her credit Joyce managed to control her reaction pretty well.

"Buffy, I thought you told me that vampires couldn't....well, have children" she said as delicately as she could. Buffy sniffed again before she answered.

"That's what I thought, it's what Giles and all the books always said" the Slayer nodded, "I don't understand how this happened, but it did and...Mom, do you hate me?"

"Oh Buffy" her mother looked like she might cry as she pulled her into a hug, "You may be the Slayer, and your own woman now, and sometimes you might do questionable things, but never ever doubt that I love you"

"I'm so scared Mom" Buffy cried on her shoulder, "I've faced all kinds of hell, and yeah, I get scared about it, but this is something else. My slaying skills can't help me now"

"Sweetie" Joyce smiled, urging her daughter to sit up again so she could see her face, "when I found out I was carrying you, I was already married to your father. I was settled into a nice house, we had enough money and we were so happy" she told her, making Buffy frown.

"But I don't have all that" she reminded her mother.

"That's my point" Joyce explained, "Despite all that, I was still scared. Pregnancy is a traumatic time for a woman. You're body is changing, your hormones are going crazy, plus you know that eventually you're going to have an extra person in your life, a person that's going to mean more to you than anything else in the world" she smiled as if remembering something fondly as she pushed her little girls hair out of her face.

"Mom, I think I have to go away" Buffy said softly almost afraid of the reaction it would cause. Joyce looked like she was going to explode, but spoke fairly calmly.

"Oh no Buffy, you can't run away from this" she pointed out, "You can't outrun what is happening to your own body"

"I know" the Slayer was quick to answer, "I get that, I do" she assured her worried-looking mother, "but I just don't think I can handle the whole baby thing and my friends at the same time" she said sadly, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of her jacket.

"Do they know about the baby now?" Joyce asked, trying to see Buffy's face but failing as she kept her head down.

"They know I'm pregnant but they don't know it's Spike's baby" she admitted.

"And Spike?" her mother checked, "Does he know?"

Buffy nodded slowly, knowing already what Joyce's next question would be and answering it before it was asked.

"He seemed confused, like me" she said, "but...we kinda fought"

"Fought?" Joyce was worried what way she should take that. Were they talking a heated verbal spat or a full on vamp/slayer fist fight?

"We said stuff, mean stuff" Buffy said, somewhat guiltily, "Before it was normal, we always fought but now I feel bad about it and I hate him for making me feel this way!" she started out sounding sorry but ended up much louder and a little angry.

Joyce shook her head and tried not to smile. It was beginning to look as if Buffy and Spike were less enemies and more friends these days. Maybe given time and the birth of their child they would find a way to be even more than friends. Fond memories came to mind again as she remembered herself and Hank enjoying some good arguments when they first started out, always made even more fun by the making up that came later. She blushed in spite of herself.

"Baby, maybe you should talk to Spike" Joyce ventured carefully. She knew how tempestuous her daughter could be. Mix that with pregnant woman's hormones and a Slayer's temper, Joyce was being very careful what she said and how she said it.

"No, no, no, no" Buffy got up from the sofa and paced up and down, waving her arms emphatically as she repeated her negative response, "There will be no more talkage with Spike. About anything. Ever"

"But Buffy..." Joyce tried to appeal to her daughters good sense, assuming of course such a creature existed, "He has rights too you know"

"Mom, he's a vampire!" she whined like a kid complaining about having to sit near a boy because he had cooties!

"He's also the father of your child Buffy" Joyce pointed out sensibly, "I understand it's complicated because of your roles in life, but you two are going to have to figure this out"

Buffy shook her head in the negative as she dropped back down onto the seat beside her mother.

"I've already figured it out, Mom" she sighed, reaching over to put her hand on Joyce's, "I know you hate the idea but I really think I need to go away for a while, get some perspective and stuff"

There was silence as mother considered the idea and daughter held her breath, fearing some kind of lecture about responsibility and such.

"Maybe you're right" she heard her mother say, almost passing out from the shock, "Maybe a little time alone is what you need"

Buffy was about to speak when she was quickly interrupted by her mother pointing a finger and looking stern.

"But you have to promise me you'll be back, young lady, and you call me often" she ordered, her tone softening as tears came to her eyes, "I can't take not knowing where you are or what's happening to you all over again"

The Slayer herself felt as if she might cry to as she reached over to hug her mother once again. She was so glad to have a Mom that cared so much about her. Sometimes it felt like a chore, constantly having to tell her where she was going and what she was doing, but at times like this, it was comforting to know there was someone who was always on her side no matter what.

"I promise to let you know where I am and call every couple of days with updates, okay?" Buffy sniffed as she pulled away from her mother at last and felt two tears slide down her cheeks.

"Okay" Joyce nodded once, causing her own tears to fall, "and remember that no matter what, you'll always be my little girl"

"Thanks, Mommy" Buffy wiped her tears from her face, "God look at us" she forced a smile, "Crying like a pair of silly bints" she stopped short when she realised what she'd said and why. Total Spike-ism. Thankfully, either Joyce didn't notice, or more likely she just didn't mention it.

"Where are you going to go?" she was eager to know as she reached for the box of tissues, taking one herself and handing another to Buffy.

"Well..." the younger blonde considered, blowing her nose before she continued, "I can't face the questions from my Dad, and Angel would be worse, so that counts out a large part of LA" she shrugged.

"I have one idea" Joyce said as she got up from the sofa and crossed the room. She opened up a drawer and pulled something out before heading back to sit next to her daughter.

"You remember I mentioned Mr Rogers who comes to the gallery a lot? Well, I did him this great deal on some artwork he wanted for his wife's birthday. It was very important to him, something about when they first met and..." she tailed off when Buffy looked both bored and agitated, "Anyway, he was so thrilled that he gave me the keys to a little get-away place he has in Santa Monica..." she held up the keys to her daughter with an unsure smile on her face, "It's not too far away, but maybe far enough for you to get a little perspective. Mr Rogers said we were free to use it anytime, he hardly ever goes there"

The keys were still there, dangling between Joyce's fingers inches from Buffy's own.

"All I have to do is call him and tell him you'll be there for a while, if you want to go that is" she prompted her daughter, who eventually smiled.

"Call him" she nodded, taking the keys and hugging her mother tightly, "Thankyou so much for helping me out with this, Mom"

"I'm your mother, it's what I'm supposed to do" came the reply, "even if it doesn't always seem that way"

- - - - - - -

Spike had done a lot of thinking these past few hours, and he was still no further forward. He was slightly more drunk, a lot more tired, and a little bit more hungry, but he was definitely no further in figuring out what was going on between him and Buffy, or what he was going to do about it.

She meant something to him, he knew he had to admit that much. The problem came when trying to measure how much he liked her and also where that feeling came from.

The first moment he'd seen her he'd known she was attractive, a man would have to blind not to notice she was hot, but he'd still wanted to kill her. She Slayer, him vampire - very simple really, one kills the other. In the end death was imminent for one at least and he'd intended on it being her.

When they'd banded together against Angelus, that had been for Dru's sake, and not an excuse to get closer to the Slayer at all, at least that's what he'd told himself at the time. Drusilla had soon seen it differently when they reached Brazil. Was she seeing back then what was happening now? Or had this tiny feeling for Buffy been inside him all along? Had his inability to hunt and kill, coupled with their magic-induced engagement, made seething hate with a side order of lust turn into some kind of mixed up affection?

A noise in the upper level pulled Spike from his thoughts and he crept up the ladder, knife in hand to be on the safe side. Since he'd patrolled with the Slayer a couple of times the demon community had started to talk and he wasn't exactly Mr Popular at the moment.

Spike emerged from the hole into the top level and walked over to the door where the noise was coming from. It was clear that someone or something wanted in. With the knife raised high he yanked open the door only to be confronted by the last thing he expected to see - a terrified woman with her hand on her chest as she tried to calm down.

"Oh God, Spike. You scared me half to death" Joyce exclaimed and he hastily hid the knife behind his back like a naughty school boy. Mrs Summers was a decent enough woman and she'd been fairly nice to him actually. He didn't fancy getting caught with a blade aimed at her.

"Hello Joyce" he said uncertainly, "Do be specific and tell a fella, what's a lady like yourself doing in this kinda place, and at this time of night?" he frowned.

"Looking for you actually" she explained, swallowing hard as her shock subsided, "Buffy mentioned which cemetery you lived in and there are only four crypts that looked big enough to be habitable. It wasn't so hard to find you" she shrugged slightly as if it were no big deal, though they both knew it was.

"Bloody dangerous task" Spike pointed out incredulously, finding the thought of this woman being torn limb from limb a might disturbing, especially since she was Buffy's Mum.

"I learnt from the best" Joyce smiled slyly, pulling her own weapon from behind her back - a very pointy stake.

"Ah, yeah" Spike took a step back as the woman he saw as distinctly amateur when it came to slaying, waved aforementioned stake in his general direction "might wanna watch what you're doing with that y'know" he told her.

"Of course" she said putting her hand back down by her side, though Spike noticed she kept a tight grip on it at all times. In his book that made her more sensible than most women he knew.

They stood there for an uncomfortable moment before he spotted her looking over his shoulder into the crypt, as well as shivering slightly from the cold night air.

"Oh, come in" he moved away from the door, throwing the knife behind him as he did so.

"Thankyou" she said as she entered the room, pretending not to notice the metal skittering across the stone floor into the corner "Well, this is...I love what you've neglected to do with the place" she commented, unsure as to what the best thing to say about a vampire's lair was.

"Yeah, right, er, you wanna sit down?" Spike asked absently, removing his coat and fags from the armchair and dusting it off her. She thanked him as she sat down, facing the stone sarcophagus which Spike hopped up onto. There he sat cross-legged, waiting for her to explain why she had come visiting, but no explanation came.

"Er, Joyce?" he got her attention away from his lack of decor and back onto him, "Did Buffy ask you to come here?" he really couldn't see why she would have, since the Slayer really didn't trust him, but what other reason could the woman have for being there?

"Oh Lord no, she has no idea I'm here" Joyce shook her head "You should have heard what she said when I just suggested she talk to you about the baby"

"I can imagine" Spike snorted, having by now learnt all the Slayers favourite insults by heart, he'd heard them so often "Hold on" he suddenly frowned with realisation "She told you it was my kid?" he checked, taking a cigarette from the packet and placing it between his lips.

"She did" Joyce confirmed as she watched him take the lighter from his back pocket, fire up the cigarette and blow out the smoke, never once taking his eyes off her.

"And you came here planning to use that thing in your hand on me, did you?" he nodded towards the stake she still held, seriously wondering now if he was going to exist by the end of this conversation. Joyce wasn't exactly Slay-girl material but with his little handicap, it was almost scary when the Whelp had a piece of wood in his hand, and Joyce was tougher than that pansy!

"No" she assured him "I'm not going to use this unless I have to" she promised, before getting to the real reason why she was there "Look, Spike, teenage girls, they get pregnant sometimes, and it's not easy but they cope, if they have help from their family and friends" he listened carefully, thoughtfully blowing out smoke from his cigarette as she continued "I plan on helping my daughter get through this, and I'm going to love my grandchild so much, no matter what"

"Joyce, it isn't..." Spike shook his head, trying to work out what he meant to say "it changes things y'know, me being the father"

"I know that" she nodded, assuring him she wasn't stupid "but I also know that Buffy's world is different to other girls. Vampires and demons and magic, it's all a part of her everyday life" Spike nodded slightly that it was true, as Joyce continued, "Spike, I'm not saying I understand it all, but I have learnt to accept it"

That was what made her a pretty amazing woman, Spike realised, the fact that she could accept this weird world that her daughter was a key part of. It wasn't easy, it didn't make sense, but she'd try for a person she loved so much.
"Still doesn't explain why you're here" he shot back, that one question still bothering him. It was hardly normal for anyone to be wandering around graveyards at night, especially looking to get in a friendly tête-à-tête with the local muzzled vampire, but the last person he expected to be paying him social calls was the Slayer's mother!

"Buffy's scared" the vampire was pretty sure those words had never been put together by anyone else before "she'd never admit it to you or her friends, but she told me. Mostly I don't even think it's because she's having a child with a vampire, it's just that she's having a child. She feels very alone"

"She wouldn't be alone if she let me help her" Spike said somewhat angrily, throwing his now spent cigarette to the ground and stamping on it slightly more fiercely than was really necessary.

"Do you know how many times I've said that?" Joyce rolled her eyes and smiled before turning serious again "She's going away, just for a while" she spoke quickly so as not to be interrupted by the irritated vamp "She told me not to tell you til she was gone and I'm certainly not supposed to tell you exactly where she is but..." the rest of the sentence wasn't needed as she handed him a piece of paper from her bag and let him see from himself. On it was an address for an apartment in Santa Monica.

"Not that I don't appreciate this" Spike gestured with the paper "but why are you doing this Joyce?" he asked with interest. Joyce sighed.

"You're the one person she specified that she didn't want to see" she told him "and knowing my Buffy the way I do, I think you're the only person she probably should" she smiled in a somewhat devious manner and Spike almost laughed.

"Mother logic?" he guessed, sitting back down on the edge of the stone coffin behind him.

"Slayer's Mother logic" Joyce amended, trying equally as hard not to giggle. It barely occurred to her that she was having this conversation with a so-called evil and soulless demon. He was just Spike, and in so many ways the boy he would appear to be, to anyone who didn't know about the secrets of Sunnydale's night life.

"She gone already?" Spike's question broke her train of thought.

"No, she's at the house" she told him before dropping her voice down to a whisper, despite the empty room "Look the fact is, I have this plan..." she began to explain and Spike's smirk grew as he listened. 'Who knew that Buffy's cunning streak didn't come from the Slayer line?' he thought idly 'It just came from the Summers genes'

Buffy did a lot of thinking on her way down to Santa Monica. It was an fairly short journey, but it still gave her mind plenty of time to wander and consider every aspect of her life. More than once she thought of jumping off the bus at the next station, turning around and going straight back to Sunnydale, to ride out the storm as it were, but a moment to consider the reaction of her friends was enough to change her mind right back again.

Giles would be so disappointed in her, not just because of the baby, but because of who the father was. Willow might understand, but Buffy knew her best friend too well. She knew the red-head would feel guilty for inadvertently causing the spell that led to the baby make-age, and she just couldn't deal with that right now.

Xander, well, he could barely stand the idea of Angel, and Buffy knew he thought even less of his un-souled grand-childe. Her thoughts then landed on Spike. She'd said some awful things to him, and for once she truly felt sorry for it. She'd tried telling herself he was a worthless demon, but since finding out he was the father of her unborn child, she'd been forced to remember just how wonderful he could be.

When they were under the thrall of Willow's spell and they'd been in love, well, he was still a pain in the ass, but he was also so kind and attentive. When he looked at her she could physically feel the love coming at her from his expressive blue eyes, and when he'd made love to her it was the most beautiful thing in the world. It was just the spell, that's what she'd told herself, but since then, even before he knew the baby was his, he'd been there for her.

The first to know she was pregnant and the last person she expected to help her, Spike had been a complete surprise. How he'd held her when she cried, cleverly convinced her to tell her mother the truth, pretty much saved the day when Faith pulled the body swap, and beaten up Parker despite the pain his chip caused. He'd even divulged secrets of his human self, and acted as if he were perfectly willing to be a proper father to their child.

All these thoughts were taking the ninety-ninth trip around Buffy's head when she arrived at the apartment, a suitcase in one hand, a bag over her shoulder and the keys dangling between her fingers as she stood by the front door.

A little alone time was what she needed, she realised as she manoeuvred her luggage enough to get her hand holding the key towards the lock. Some time out here, with the sun and the beach, thinking about the good and the bad and trying to find a way through it all without interruptions.

The door swung open as she pushed it and she took in the room. Spacious and nicely furnished, natural tones of cream and pale peach, clearly Mrs Rogers had done most of the decor. It looked relaxing and peaceful, with a large sofa and armchair to relax in and a vampire on the coffee table...what?!

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Buffy exploded angrily, shoving her bags onto the floor.

"And Hello to you too, pet" Spike smirked annoyingly from where he sat, all Buffy's thoughts about him being such a great person always disappeared when that smirk surfaced again.

"How did you...?" she was going to ask how he ended up in what was supposed to be her sanctuary when she suddenly realised the how really wasn't as important as "Why are you here?" she asked more tired that angry now. The lack of sleep last night, as well as the trip had taken it's toll, plus the overload of thoughts and feelings that she'd been having really hadn't helped.

"I would've thought that was obvious" the vampire rolled his eyes before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans. Buffy backed up a step, a reflex action as her Slayer instincts told her he was going to pull a weapon on her.

"It's a letter, you silly bint, not an unexploded bomb" Spike found he was quite angry to think that she felt he might hurt her, after all that had occurred these past few weeks. He held out the envelope to her and she eyed it warily before taking it from his hand. She read her name, written on the front in handwriting she knew so well.

"Mom?" she frowned as she tore it open and read the letter inside. Spike didn't know precisely what was written on the sheet of paper the Slayer now held, but Joyce had told him the gist of it.

She wanted them to do some talking, Buffy and him, work out what was going to happen when the little bit came along and such. He wasn't totally certain that Mrs Summers plan was the best ever, in fact he had doubts as to whether he was ever going to leave Santa Monica as anything other than a big pile of dust, but he'd risk it. Why did it all matter so much to him? The Slayer and the baby and what might happen to them if they were left alone out here? Spike was certain now that if he wasn't in love Buffy, then he was well on the way to falling.

"Why, Mom?" he suddenly realised Buffy was speaking, to the ceiling no less, but he figured that was partly because the person she was asking the question of wasn't actually there and partly because she didn't want him to see the tears he knew she was crying.

"She just wants us to talk, Slayer" Spike supplied, "like two reasonable adults, if you can manage it"

Buffy shot him a look for that remark but didn't have the strength to argue. With a sulky expression, like a child that had been told she will sit in the corner til she learnt to behave, Buffy tossed the letter down on the table beside the vampire, and sat herself down in the armchair to the side.

"You wanna talk? Fine, talk" she told him, folding her arms across her chest, "but I have nothing to say to you"

Spike sighed, looking heavenward as he shifted on the table til he was facing her. She was pretty much impossible, very stubborn, often far too emotional, and had the tendency to behave like a five year old when things didn't go precisely how she wanted them to. Still, Spike also knew she was passionate and kind and beautiful, and she knew how to piss him off like no one else could. It came down to the fact that there was a lot more he liked about her these days than he hated, and he wanted her to know that.

The problem was he wasn't so good with words, it'd always been through actions that he had proved himself to others, ever since he'd become a vampire anyway. As a human he'd been an awful poet, crap with words as well being too weak to hold his own in any kind of fight. Now it seemed he needed to find a way to verbalise what he was feeling. Easier said then done, but he figured showing her the other way was going to earn him a slap at best and a good staking at worst.

"Buffy" he began at last, "I know this is not how you planned your life to be, and I don't mean the Slayer thing or any of that, I'm talking about the baby" he explained, "Thing is, I know finding out I'm the father is probably even more disgusting to you than thinking it was that git Parker" he said sadly and Buffy suddenly wanted to tell him it wasn't but he didn't stop talking long enough for her to get a word in, "but this is a big deal to me" he told her, "I'm not supposed to be able to have kids, at least that's what all the bloody books say, and now it seems it's really happening" he paused for a moment, but the Slayer found there was a lump in her throat that prevented her from saying a word, "I've changed Buffy, and yeah, some of that is the chip, but even before that...I haven't been the same since I first turned up in Sunnyhell. Dru noticed, before I did, but now I'm starting to get it. It wasn't her leaving that did it, or this piece of silicon they shoved up my brain, I think it's all something to do with you"

He finally managed to keep his eyes on her for that last part. For the whole speech he'd been studying the floor or the walls, though he could feel her eyes burning into him. Still, for that final declaration, such as it was, he looked right into her eyes with his own and waited for some kind of reaction. He did not expect what he got as she put a hand up to her face and cried like a child.

At first he was unsure why precisely she was in tears. It didn't seem like she was disgusted, which was a good start, but she was definitely upset and that wasn't good. Taking a chance, he got up from the edge of the table and perched himself on the arm of the chair instead, daring to wrap an arm around her back. She leaned into his embrace, still sobbing her heart out and still not truly understanding, Spike just held her tight, with both arms now.

Eventually her crying slowed to a stop and she pulled away from him sharply, seemingly just realising what she was doing.

"I can't deal with this right now" she choked out, wiping her face with her hands and trying to be calm, "I can just about cope with my own feelings and the thought of this baby, but Spike, I can't handle your feelings too, not right now"

The vampire nodded absently. He'd just wanted her to know he was on her side and that he'd stand by her and all that rot, instead it seemed she'd thought he wanted something from her, something she didn't have right now. All in all it was looking like he'd made matters worse.

"Buffy?" it seemed she was determined not to look at him so he pulled himself off the arm of the chair and repositioned himself, crouching on the floor by her feet, "Buffy, I don't want anything from you" he told her, "I don't totally understand what I'm feeling myself so I could hardly expect you to know" he admitted, "but I do know that we're going to get through this" he promised her. When she looked like she was going to run, he took hold of her hands, and she looked back down at him.

"Do you believe me?" Spike checked, her expression unreadable to him.

"I don't know" she admitted, "This is all seems insane, and I don't know how I'm pregnant or why I can't hate you as much as I should...but I want to believe you" she told him, sniffing back further sobs.

"Well" Spike smiled slightly, "That's a start I s'pose"

- - - - - -

Joyce watched the hands of the clock on the wall of her office at the gallery. It was several hours since Buffy had caught the bus down to Santa Monica and she knew by now she'd have arrived and found Spike waiting. Joyce would have been proud of her decidedly cunning plan if she were not quite so worried it was all going to go wrong. The only flaw Spike had found was the invitation that he would need from the apartment's owner if he was going to get past the barrier at the door. She'd promised that wouldn't be a problem as she handed him the letter she wanted him to give to Buffy when the girl arrived at the place, and told him to set off as soon as he could.

Joyce barely slept once she got home and soon found it was time to rise and shine despite the fact she'd hardly closed her eyes at all. Buffy had headed off to fetch her things from the dorm as soon as she knew Willow would be in classes and Joyce had taken the opportunity to call Mr Rogers again. She told him Buffy would be taking her friend down to Santa Monica with her, and they would both be staying at the apartment, if that was okay. Some carefully worded questions soon had him saying those magic words 'If you trust Buffy and Spike, Joyce, then so do I. They are both perfectly welcome to use the place anytime they like' It seemed that was enough of an invite, since Spike had called Joyce, as instructed when he arrived.

The hands on the clock said just about lunch time and Joyce knew she was running out of ways to put off going to tell Rupert the truth about Buffy and her baby. She had promised her daughter that she wouldn't say where exactly she'd gone and she had already decided in her own mind it was best not to mention Spike's presence at the apartment.

"Joanna, I'm going for my lunch break now" she told her assistant, "I have my cell with me in case you have any problems, but I shouldn't be more than an hour" she promised. The girl said she was fine and told Joyce to have a nice lunch break.

The older woman sighed as she headed out of the front door of the gallery, thinking how best to word the news she had to give to Buffy's friends, Truth was, she was more worried about Buffy and Spike and what was happening where they were.

- - - - - -

"I think we all know why we're here" Giles called the Scooby meeting to order, consisting of Tara and Willow on his sofa and Xander in the opposite armchair with Anya on his lap "When Willow went back to the University this morning, it appeared that Buffy was not there and appeared not to have been all night"

"She's probably at her Mom's though, right?" Xander shrugged, not wanting to think about any other options. Bad things happening to his girls was not an option.

"I tried to call Joyce but she wasn't home" Giles told him "and the gallery phone has been engaged for most of the day" he sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing a hand over his tired face "I'm afraid we have to face the possibility that she has run away, again"

"She wouldn't go to LA again though, would she?" Willow put in her own opinion, closely followed by Anya, who shockingly agreed with her.

"That's where Angel is, right? I doubt he'd be too happy if she showed up on his doorstep carrying another man's child"

"That is a valid point" Giles was forced to agree, though he was rather surprised that the ex-demon had come up with it "but it's hard to know where else she might have gone"

All five of them looked puzzled and thoughtful as they tried to come up with an idea of where their friend might have gone, but their question was to be answered by another occupant of the room, one they hadn't even noticed was there.

"I can answer that question" said a female voice just inside the doorway.

"Joyce?" Giles looked surprised to see her, especially since she'd got into his apartment without him noticing.

"The door was open" she smiled, closing it again and walking over to where the Scoobies sat "You don't need to worry about Buffy, I know where she is and she's safe"

"Oh thank goddess" Willow gasped, she and Tara making room on the sofa for Joyce to join them "Where is she?"

"I can't tell you that" Mrs Summers looked down at her hands playing with the strap of her purse "She just wanted me to let you know she was okay" she assured them, looking over to Giles as she added "and she'll call you soon Rupert"

"Why would she run away again?" Willow looked upset that her friend would rather go off alone than talk to her about he problems. It was true the two of them had been drifting apart a little lately but had it really gotten this bad? "Okay, so her being pregnant, kind of a shock, but we'd be supportive, even if it is stinky Parker man's baby" she added with distaste. That gang all looked ready to agree until Joyce shook her head.

"It's not Parker's baby" she admitted "that's why Buffy went away. She was worried that you wouldn't understand"

Giles glasses were now being furiously polished as surprises came hurtling in from left right and centre. Xander reached across Anya' legs to pick up his bottle of soda from the table.

"Who could be worse than that jerk?" he scoffed, before putting the bottle to his lips.

"The father of the baby" Joyce sighed "is Spike"

The Coke in Xander's mouth made a world record worthy leap across the room as shock went through his body, the convulsion almost sending Anya tumbling to the ground. At the very same moment there was an audible crack as Giles' glasses polishing became a little too severe and the frames of his spectacles completely gave in under the pressure.

"Impossible!" the ex-Watcher practically exploded as Anya tried to clean up Xander and Willow's mouth dropped open like a fish.

"Y'know Buffy said that you'd say that" Joyce half-smiled at the strange scene before her "Apparently Riley told her" she explained further "the er...oh, whats it called...?" she asked as her mind went blank.

"I-Is it the I-Intiative?" Tara filled in, apparently the only person out of the Scoobies who was able to form an type of sentence right now. It made sense since she didn't know Buffy or the gang half so well, shocking news is less shocking when the people involved are not so close to you.

"Oh yes, the Initiative" Joyce nodded as she continued "Apparently when Buffy visited with Riley there were some scanners that she didn't know about. The sensors picked up on her pregnancy and I really don't understand how" she admitted "but they matched parts of the baby's DNA to records they had on Spike" when no-one answered her she continued to speak, just to fill the awkward silence "I don't think Buffy told me all the details, I was so confused by the basic facts that there was little point" she almost laughed but thought better of joking at a time like this.

"Good Lord" Giles sat back in his chair, tossing his now useless glasses onto the table "Vampire's fathering children" he shook his head "this is just...unprecedented"

"It never happens either" Xander pointed out, as usual missing the point.

"Poor Buffy" Willow felt awful for her friend and was glad of her girlfriend's arm around her shoulders.

"Poor Buffy?" Anya looked surprised by that comment "Personally I'd be saying congratulations to her. I mean, she must have had sex with Spike and we all know what great lovers vampires can be" she said, straight out and unashamed, as the ex-demon was prone to do. Xander shuddered involuntarily.

"There's a mental image I didn't need"

"But Buffy and Spike" Willow frowned, looking between her girlfriend and Giles "she wouldn't...y'know, with him"

"No..." Giles agreed, thinking it was terribly strange, before a nasty thought hit him and he sat up sharply "no" he repeated looking directly at Willow "not unless she was under a spell that made her believe she was in love with him"

All eyes went to the red head who suddenly felt sick with guilt.

"It's all my fault?" she realised, tears coming to her eyes, pushing herself further into Tara's embrace.

"I d-don't understand" the other witch looked to the gang for explanation a Willow cried on her shoulder.

"Willow performed a Will Be Done spell, shortly after Oz's departure" Giles sighed, wishing his glasses were not broken, he really felt the need to polish them right now "It didn't exactly go according to plan"

"Understatement of the century!" Xander pretty much yelled, sitting up straighter and almost losing his grip on Anya for a second time "I was a demon magnet, Giles was blind, and Buffy and Spike thought they were engaged!" he explained, with a wild arm gesture and an unhappy expression.

"Wow..." was all Tara could find to say. She'd had no idea Willow had been quite so powerful before they'd even met. She also felt desperately sorry for her girl, who was currently blaming herself entirely for something that was clearly an accident.

"I didn't mean to, and I'm sorry" the red-head sobbed still, and Joyce took pity on her, reaching to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Willow, come on, there's no use in worrying about it now" she told her in that soothing tone that only mothers seem to have "What's done is done and we'll just have to cope with it" she told her, finally helping the witch to stop her tears, but only just. The gang were still mostly in shock at the news, but thankfully they weren't blaming Buffy so far. Joyce had dreaded them having the reaction her daughter was sure they would - disgust and hate. If that had been true, knowing Buffy the way she did, Joyce knew the chances of her coming home were slim.

"Look I'm sorry but I can't stay, I really have to get back to the gallery" Mrs Summers said, as she checked her watch and stood up.

"Thankyou for letting us know, Joyce" Giles said absently, managing half a smile a woman he'd come to know quite well these past couple of years.

"You're welcome" she nodded once "and don't feel too badly Willow" she told her right before she left "For what it's worth, I really don't think Buffy is blaming you"

The only sound in the room was the front door clicking shut, and so the silence remained for several minutes as the group of friends let the news sink in. Buffy was having Spike's child and the only reason anyone knew was because Faith and Riley had let things slip.

"So what now?" Xander asked finally. The others looked bemused and he cringed when Anya opened her mouth to answer.

"Can't we get a hold of Riley?" she suggested "I mean, he's a commando right, can't we just grab him, tie him up, shine a light in his face until he tells us more useful stuff?"

"Ahn..." Xander rolled his eyes, but Giles interrupted whatever admonishment the boy was about to use.

"No Xander, although Anya may have gone a little over the top as it were, she could have a point" he realised as he sat forward in his chair, the look on his face that he only got when he was thinking of a plan "Riley was the one who told Buffy her child was a part of Spike, he may be our best way of finding out more on the subject" he commented.
"Sweetie, d-don't you have a Ps-psychology class today?" Tara asked Willow who had since managed to stem the flow of tears from her eyes and calm down a lot.

"Yeah" she nodded "but I don't feel like...oh, Riley, he's the TA in my class" she suddenly realised what her girlfriend meant.

"Do you think you're up to asking a few questions Willow? Maybe just catch up with him in the hall after class?" the ex-Watcher suggested and the witch nodded in reposse.

"I guess I could try"

"Right, then it's settled" Giles looked determined. He wanted to know precisely what was happening to his Slayer, his almost-daughter, and he'd do whatever he took to find out "Tara, if you get Willow back to the University, Xander, Anya, perhaps you could stay here with me and research?" he suggested.

"Research again?" Anya whined as Xander moved her off his lap and stood up to head for the book case "But we had plans, and they didn't involve books" she complained "well maybe one, with diagrams, but not the kind you have"

"Thankyou, that's quite enough" Giles interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her as he went over to the cabinet to find his spare glasses.

"We're staying Giles" Xander assured him from behind the book shelf "Just tell me what I'm looking for"
"Any cases of vampires causing pregnancy or Slayer's having children" the ex-Watcher told the boy who scanned the shelves for useful looking volumes "I confess I don't remember finding any evidence before, but I was so sure that these events had never occurred and never would" Giles found his other pair of spectacles and automatically started cleaning them as soon as they were in his hand "Perhaps in this situation, a more open-minded view is required"

"I guess I should get these bags unpacked, and then I have to call my Mom before she starts having a major spazz" Buffy realised, pulling herself out of the chair and making her way over to her luggage which she'd dropped on the floor earlier on.

"Yeah, Joyce, is a bit of a worrier, ain't she?" Spike smirked, "Made me promise to bloody ring when I arrived, I felt like a twelve year old or somethin'"

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the image that popped into her head then. A little version of Spike in short pants, a backwards baseball cap, and a skateboard under his arm. She turned serious again when she realised he never did look that way, since she knew for a fact it was over a century since he was twelve. It brought home to her just what a weird situation they were in.

The Slayer sighed as she reached for her suitcase and Spike mistook the tired sound for one of pain.

"You shouldn't be carrying those, not in your condition" he mumbled, moving to take the case from her hand as well as picking up the bags from the floor.

Buffy wanted to yell at him, tell him she was quite capable of doing plenty of things, in her condition or otherwise, and that included staking his worthless hide, but the insults and ingratitude he was so used to hearing from her, appeared to stick in her throat today. How could you be so mean to a guy who just wanted to help? The same guy who you had made a new life just a few weeks ago...

"Thankyou" she said suddenly, "I need them in the bedroom" she added, as Spike nodded and took the bags through for her.

Whilst he was gone, Buffy called her mother and told her she'd arrived okay. Joyce was surprised but thrilled to find out that her daughter was able to bear Spike's presence without wanting to stake him every five minutes. Neither the Slayer or her mother were sure yet what that meant in the grand scheme of things, but for now it seemed it didn't have to mean anything.

"How did the gang take it when you told them?" Buffy held her breath as soon as the question had been asked, she was so afraid of the answer.

"They were shocked obviously" Joyce told her honestly, "Like you said, vampires aren't supposed to be able to make children"

"Were they freaked?" the Slayer pressed, "I mean like totally disgusted and disappointed in me?"

Spike came back into the room just as the question was asked and moved to stand behind Buffy, hoping to catch the answer from the other end of the phone.

"Er, well, no" Joyce stumbled on the words and Spike could almost see the nervous smile, "They're fine, really" she said, quickly changing the subject by adding, "I told Mr Giles you'd call him soon"

"Sure, Mom" Buffy agreed, "I did say that I would" she nodded to herself, suddenly frowning as she felt a presence behind her and turned, only to come face to face with Spike, mere fractions of inches separating their bodies.

"I...I have to go Mom, bye" the Slayer said quickly, turning off the cordless phone and just standing there, bright blue eyes staring into her own, almost hypnotising her. She didn't really remember looking properly before, but now Buffy was thinking just how beautiful those eyes were, and in general just how good-looking Spike was.

Suddenly the real world seemed to come rushing back to her breaking whatever moment they might have been having as Buffy's brain yelled 'You Slayer, him disgusting vampire!' Sometimes she wished she could make that little brain-voice go away...

"I guess you heard all that?" she gestured with the phone before putting it down on the table and moving briskly across the room. She would have gone to look out of the window, but all the blinds were shut. In some ways it seemed like a complete waste when the weather was so pleasant, but one ray of sun-light in just the wrong place and the father of her child would be nothing more than a big pile of dust.

"Yeah, I heard" Spike smirked, loving the fact that he must have had some kind of effect on her. He hadn't seen her cover ground that fast in a while, and all because he'd been looking at? There was more going on in his Slayer's head than she'd ever admit, he knew that, and he was going to have fun with it.

"So, seems there's only one bedroom" he smirked some more, "Guess we'll have to share"

"Be serious!" Buffy snapped, "You are so on the couch, and that is even if I let you stay here anyway" she told him matter-of-factly, folding her arms over her chest.

"What's the matter, Slayer?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side, "Afraid you won't be able to resist me?"

Buffy let out an unattractive snort at that, wishing she could shoot back a clever answer but finding none came to mind as very vivid memories came rushing into her mind. Back on that day when she hadn't wanted to resist him and vice versa, when all they'd wanted to do was get as close as possible to each other. The day that had led to them standing here now.

Realising he was still staring at her and feeling heat rise in her cheeks, Buffy looked away and moved back towards the phone.

"I have to call Giles" she mumbled, grabbing up the handset and violently punching in the number. She hated that Spike was making her feel things like this. He was a vampire, her supposed enemy, and it had been so clear. Now she was having his baby and he spent most of his time either being sweet and helpful or coming onto her, both of which were nice as well as annoying and scary at the same time.

As she waited for someone to pick up the phone, Buffy knew Spike was still watching her, but she refused to turn around and show that he was bothering her. Still, she really wished Giles would hurry up and answer the phone so she had something else to concentrate on...

- - - - - -

"I got it!" Xander yelled as the phone rang. Giles was in the kitchen making tea and Anya was half asleep on the couch with a book on her lap and a couple more either side of her, "Hello, Rupert Giles home, Xander speaking"

"Hey Xan, it's me" came the nervous reply.

"Buffy!" he exclaimed, causing both Anya and Giles to come rushing over to the table, "Where are you? How are you? Why didn't you tell us you were having Evil Dead Juniors kid?"

"Xander!" Giles exclaimed grabbing the phone from the boys hand and shooting him a nasty look, "Buffy my dear, how are you?" he said into the phone, still glaring daggers at Xander for his tactless-ness. Anya didn't really understand what the problem was but she knew her man was looking a little hurt and embarrassed so she put her arm around his back and leant her head on his shoulder in what she hoped was seen as an affectionate way.

"I'm fine Giles" the Slayer assured him, "Well, as fine as it's possible to be when you just found out you're having a vampires baby" she added quietly.

"Buffy, you do know that we understand" he checked, "There really was no need for you to run away"

"I didn't run so much" Buffy immediately went defensive, "I moved at a brisk pace, and besides it wasn't all about being worried what you'd think of me, I kind of need some alone time right now" she looked across the room into the small kitchen area where Spike was checking the cupboards for supplies. 'Alone time with the vampire', she added in her mind, but she wasn't going to tell her Watcher that.

"As you wish" Giles told her, "We're currently in full research mode as you may imagine, I assume you approve?" he ventured.

"It would be nice to know how I've gotten over four months pregnant inside three, yeah" Buffy agreed, "Riley said the Initiative thought it was maybe my Slayerness or maybe Spike's vampiness?"

Giles smiled at her phrasing despite the severity of the situation.

"Indeed, it may be that both those things are a factor" he agreed "though I am still very curious as to how a vampire was able to create a child at all"

"I know you'll figure it out eventually, and then I'll deal" Buffy smiled, "It's what we do. You're book guy, I'm action girl, it's the way it works"

"I would rather you let yourself be less of an action girl in your present condition, Buffy" Giles frowned a little, "I know you're the Slayer and only four months into your pregnancy but it would pay to be careful"

"I can deal, Giles" Buffy rolled her eyes, but also smiled at his concern, "and I'm guessing you've probably polished your glasses down to nothing now so please leave them on your face this time"

The ex-Watcher almost laughed when he realised he had subconsciously brought his free hand up to his face to remove his spectacles as she knew he would.

"Anyway Giles, I really oughta go. Seems kind of unfair to run up a huge phone bill when it's not my phone"

"Oh yes, indeed" her father-figure nodded, "I'll let you get some rest and so-forth, but do promise me you'll keep in touch, Buffy, we do worry you know"

"I'll call again in a couple of days" the Slayer promised, "And in the meantime, if you need to get a hold of me desperately, my Mom has the number"

After that they both said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Buffy sighed as she did so before turning around and coming face to face with Spike again.

"Do you have to keep doing that?!" she snapped, "I could use you not being in my face every time I turn around"

"Calm down Slayer" he rolled his eyes, stepping away and dropping into the armchair, "Not good for you to get worked up in your condition"

She narrowed her eyes at him as he smirked and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"That phrase is going to get real old, real fast" she warned him, pointing a finger.

He just ignored her and changed the subject entirely.

"It's like Old Mother Hubbard's in this place, not a scrap of food or anything" he told her, "Won't be long til the sun's down though...fancy a little stroll to the shops?" he suggested and Buffy looked at him strangely.

"You expect me to willingly be seen in public with you?" she asked incredulously.

Spike stood up with a smirk and breezed past her.

"Chill out, Slayer" he told her, "S'not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything" he added nonchalantly, smiling to himself as he walked past her to the bathroom and threw the door closed behind him.

It was times like this when Buffy remembered why she hated him.

"The stupid, arrogant..." she muttered to herself as she checked the cupboards that he had already been through "evil, soulless, gorgeous..."

'Where the hell did that come from?!' her mind screamed as she realised what she'd said. Her eyes went wide and her hand automatically clamped over her mouth, forcing back any further words of similar meaning. Quickly she moved towards the bathroom in silence and heard the water running. Even with his vampire hearing, at that distance and with the shower on, it was unlikely he would have heard her words, at least Buffy hoped not.

This trip away was beginning to feel like a very bad idea, the Slayer realised, as she flopped back down on the sofa and closed her eyes. It was pretty peaceful, or it would be if she couldn't here Spike singing a rough version of 'My Way' under the running water. Very disturbing images began to appear behind Buffy's eyes as her brain registered that Spike was in the next room, naked and under the hot spray of the shower. It was only disturbing because it was so pleasant, and that had to be wrong, right? He was a vampire, an evil thing that should be dusted as soon as possible, but he was the father of her child, and...and oh my God!

"For the fourth time, Buffy!" Spike called from the doorway, finally getting her attention onto what he was saying, "You up for that shopping trip then, luv?" he checked, one hand holding the towel up around his waist the other pushing his wet hair out of his face.

"Er, yeah, I guess" she stammered a reply, smiling slightly until he disappeared again, quickly chastising herself straight after for having the lusty wrong feelings about the vampire.

"Must just be a pregnant lady hormone thing" she reasoned, but deep down, she knew she was lying to herself.

- - - - - -

An hour and a half had past since Buffy's phone call and Giles, Xander and Anya were still pouring over the books trying to find any reference to pregnant Slayers and/or vampiric fathers. So far nothing of use had been found in any of the Watcher's Diaries, or any demonology books either old or new.

Giles checked his watch to see how long he'd been sitting in the same position as his body was starting to cramp.

"I do hope that Willow has made some progress with Riley" he sighed, realising she had been gone some time now, "it seems the Initiative really are the only people who have information regarding this type of situation or similar"

"Au contraire, mon frere" Xander said excitedly from across the table, raising his hand but not moving his eyes from the page.

"Oh did you find something?" Anya smiled coming over from the couch to stand behind her boyfriend "Can we stop reading these boring books now?" she asked innocently as she tried to read over his shoulder.

"This Watchers Diary" Xander gestured towards the volume he was studying "the entry for June 20th 1973" he said, reading the passage aloud " 'Today we welcomed Robin Thomas Wood into the world. He weighed 7lb 12oz and is as beautiful as his mother. Nikki is anxious to get back to her training programme and slaying duties, though I have assured her I can manage quite well until she's completely ready...' "

The words of the old Watcher, spoken through Xander's voice, were interrupted as the front door was flung open and a girl practically fell into the apartment.

"Willow?" Giles frowned, getting to his feet "Did you speak to Riley?" he asked, but received no reply. Eventually the red-head turned from closing the door and revealed a pale and tear-stained face to her friends.

"Good Lord, whatever's the matter?" Giles was panicked by the girls looks and behaviour as she promptly burst into tears. Xander was by her side in a second, putting his arms around her shaking form and leading her to a seat to sit down.

"Will, talk to me" he urged and she sniffed and hiccuped, trying to stop her tears. Anya was frowning hard, unhappy that her boyfriend had his arms around another girl, but not daring to say anything after being snapped at several times already today for saying the wrong things.

"Psychology class was cancelled" Willow choked out, looking first at Xander and then across the table at Giles "Professor Walsh, she's...oh Giles, her and Riley" she sobbed "they're dead"

"Psychology class was cancelled" Willow choked out, looking first at Xander and then across the table at Giles "Professor Walsh, she's...oh Giles, her and Riley" she sobbed "they're dead"

"Good God" Giles gasped. Though he didn't know Riley or the Professor very well, it was a shock to find out they were dead, but then considering the field they worked in, perhaps it was not so entirely surprising.

"Do they know what happened to them?" he asked Willow, as gently as he could. She continued to cry on her best friends shoulder, and Xander was oblivious to the nasty looks Anya was giving him for hugging a girl that wasn't her.

"I don't know" the red-head hiccuped, "We just got told they were..." she trailed off, unable to say anymore. Though the Professor was really no more than that to her, and Riley just her best friends ex, Willow felt it badly when these things happened, especially since she was more or less alone when she heard the news. Surrounded by classmates and yet without any of her friends to comfort her as she heard the dreadful news.

"Er, Anya" Giles finally spotted the girl shooting metaphorical daggers from her eyes as she watched Willow and Xander, "Would you make some sweet tea please, it's very good for shocks of these kind"

"Why is that your solution to everything?" she huffed as she headed for the kitchen, "British people always do that" she mumbled as she went, "Things going wrong? Drink tea, that'll fix it..."

"Oh God" Xander said suddenly, "Giles, what about Buffy. I mean, do we tell her?"

"Until we know what we're dealing with exactly it may be best not to" the Watcher reasoned, "In her condition a shock of this kind could be dangerous to both her and the baby" he explained, "Besides which if this does turn out to be a demon of some kind that has escaped from the Initiative, I don't think it would be wise to have Buffy rushing back here to do her duty as it were"

"So what next?" Xander asked, still hugging Willow and she sniffed and coughed.

"I shall go the college, see what I can find out" Giles decided, "In the meantime, I suggest you find as much as you can about the Slayer you were reading about a moment ago, and look after Willow and Anya until I get back"

Pulling the book on the table towards him and keeping his other arm firmly around Willow, the boy smiled tightly.

"Xan-Man's got it covered" he promised Giles, who nodded absently as he pulled on his jacket and left.

- - - - - - -

"So, we headed for these shops or what, pet?" Spike asked her as he came out of the bedroom fully dressed again. A part of Buffy was decidedly disappointed by the fact she could no longer see his beautifully toned body, but hey, memory and imagination were wonderful things sometimes. She found herself smiling and on the verge of blushing as she got up from the sofa and walked over to him.

"What's up with you?" he asked, wondering if he could guess. He wasn't quite so bothered about taking a shower really, but when he'd left the room before and accidentally found himself in the bathroom he'd decided he might as well. The idea to walk out into the living room, all dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel had come afterwards, when he'd overheard her call him gorgeous, amongst a lot of other less complimentary words. She was fighting what she felt for him, he knew it for certain now as she agreed to walk with him and fetch some food and supplies, a pink tinge to her cheeks as she brushed past him towards the bedroom where her jacket was.

In a moment she re-appeared and they both moved towards the door. Without thinking he opened it for her.

"What's that about?" she asked, frowning.

"I opened the door" he answered flatly, as if it were no big deal, "It's bloody polite to open doors for ladies, okay?" he said, more agitated by her incredulous look. Suddenly she was smiling shyly again like a school girl.

"I'm a lady now?" she asked, stupidly flattered by the remark.

"Always, luv" came Spike's quiet reply as they headed out into the cool night air.

They walked in silence for a while, neither really knowing what to say to the other. The only proper conversations they'd had were about her pregnancy and it really didn't seem like a fitting topic as they strolled along beneath the glowing moon.

It was the perfect romantic night, Buffy realised with equal amounts of pleasure and horror. Usually she didn't have time to appreciate the soft breeze, the pale moonlight, the silver stars, before she was savagely attacked by several of the undead, and yet here she was enjoying all these things in the company of a vampire who was completely different to any she'd met before.

A small sigh escaped her lips as they continued to walk in silence, a strangely comfortable lack of sound instead of those awkward moments she'd had on dates before when you don't really know what you're supposed to say next. Not that this was a date exactly, although she was attracted to Spike and him to her it seemed...

"I think there's a convenience store round the next corner" he said suddenly, shattering her pleasant and dreamy thoughts as reality came rushing back.

"Oh, good" she replied, switching back to nasty Slayer mode, "the less time I have to spend out here walking with you the better"

"Sing us a new one, pet" he said, shaking his head, "that one's getting stale"

"What are you talking about?" she asked tiredly as they rounded the corner.

"The whole 'I hate you cos you're evil' act" he told her as they stopped walking right outside the store, "Just drop it, luv, it's getting boring now"

"Oh, I'm sorry" she snapped, sounding anything but, "Just because some spell or something happened so you could get me pregnant, that means I'm supposed to forget you're a demon?" she asked somewhat angrily at the suggestion.

Spike looked annoyed at first but then smirked at her in that annoyingly gorgeous way he had.

"Y'know something, Slayer" he said, leaning in close, loving the fact her heart beat double time as he did so, "You're bleedin' gorgeous when you're angry" he told her, turning to walk into the store before she had time to react.

Buffy was stuck in the middle of wanting to tear the guy limb from limb and seriously wanting to kiss him senseless. Since he'd walked into the store and left her behind, she didn't have much option of doing either as she made to follow. One step forward and her head spun wildly. She managed to balance herself enough to get in through the door, but no further.

"Spike?" she managed his name right before the tiled floor came racing towards her, or more accurately she collapsed onto it.

- - - - - - -

"Oh baby, I just heard" Tara gasped as she rushed from the recently opened door of Giles' apartment to where Willow was sitting on the sofa, "Are you okay, sweetie?" she asked as she held her girlfriend, and Willow found the embrace only caused more tears, this time of relief to have the one she loved there with her.

"I couldn't believe it" she told her, "I just...I mean, they were good people"

"I know, baby" Tara held her close and tried to comfort her as best she could. Anya seemed pleased that the two young women had each other to lean on now and that Xander's attention could be more focused on her. The only problem was, he still had his nose in those musty old books!

"Xander are you done with the research yet" she asked from across the table, "I'm very tired but also in need of sex" she told him matter-of-factly. Xander sighed.

"Ahn, this has to be done first" he told her tiredly, "We can't leave until Giles gets back and we figure out whats going on with the Initiative and with the Buffster"

"Why do these people always come first?" she demanded to know, "Why do they never have to wait whilst you spend time with me? Why is it always the other way around"

"I can't deal with this right now, Anya" her boyfriend told her, rubbing his tired eyes with his hand and trying to focus on the page in front of him, "Just try to understand that some stuff is more important than us and...what we do together"

Anya made an audible huffing sound as she violently flipped open the nearest book and half-heartedly read the random page.

'Today Nikki confessed to me that she is having a child...'

"Xander!" she suddenly realised she'd found what he was looking for, the Watcher's Diary that proceeded the one he'd found earlier, the one that told of a Slayer's pregnancy.

"Anya, I already said no" he told her, "Please, be quiet"

"But this is it!" she told him, pointing excitedly, feeling ridiculously pleased with herself for having found the vital information, "This is about the pregnant Slayer"

"What?!" Xander gasped, talking the book from her and scanning the pages, "Hey guys" he called over to Willow and Tara a moment later, "Things are looking up"

"I fear you may have spoken too soon" said a voice from the doorway and all four young people turned to see Giles there.

"W-what did you find out, Mr Giles?" Tara asked nervously as the older man came into the room, sitting down heavily in the armchair.

"I ran into one of the commandos, one of the more stupid ones, thankfully" he rolled his eyes before continuing, "He was in a state over the deaths of his comrades and slightly worse for wear for the alcohol he'd consumed. It seems there was some sort of project at the Initiative, operating in a secret lab, known by all as simply three-fourteen" he explained.

"But what does that have to do with Riley and Professor Walsh?" Xander frowned as he and Anya came to stand behind the couch where Willow and Tara still sat.

"The project was to build a being more powerful and intelligent than any human, demon, or machine, a type of hybrid if you will" he told them.

"That's what killed them?" Willow asked with a tremble in her voice, "The hybrid?"

"The Professor referred to him as Adam" Giles continued, "After the first man on Earth, one presumes. I understand he was not so easily controlled as the Professor believed he would be" he said sadly, and Willow knew the answer to her question was yes.

"So where's the scary-hybrid-Adam-monster now?" Xander asked, the first to recover from the shock of what they'd been told.

"That is the biggest problem" Giles admitted, "He escaped from the lab and now, he could be anywhere"

- - - - - - -

"Are you sure she's okay?" the shop assistant asked worriedly as she led Spike, carrying a semi-conscious Buffy, to a back room where a couch was situated.

"She'll be fine" he nodded as he lay her down, "I don't think she's eaten much all day, and what with that and the being pregnant..."

"Oh you two are having a baby?" the young girl grinned widely, "Congratulations"

"Thanks, pet" Spike smiled absently, "Do you think you could get a few bits together for me, whilst I sort out my friend here?" he asked, pulling a few dollars from his back pocket and handing them to her, "Essentials, y'know, bread, milk, maybe some cookies and stuff"

"No problem" the girl smiled, "I'll be right back" she said before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Spike turned his attention back to Buffy who was by now mostly awake.

"Did I pass out again?" she asked, embarrassed and confused by her current situation.

"Seems that way, luv" Spike sat down beside her on the edge of the couch, "See, that's what happens when you don't eat all day. Can't skip meals now you're carrying the nibblet in there"

Buffy laughed in spite of herself. The situation was truly ridiculous when considered objectively. Here she was, in the staff area of a convenience store, many miles from home. There was a vampire leaning over her, checking she was okay and admonishing her for having not eaten lunch like a good girl, also referencing the fact she was having his child, which on it's own should be an impossible event.

"I hate that you're right" she said, no longer laughing but still smiling, "How is it you can be right so much, when everything about you is so wrong?" she asked, not meaning to insult him as such but finding she seemed to have done it by accident as he stood up swiftly and headed for the door.

"I'll get you some water or something" he mumbled as he left. Buffy frowned.

Most of the time, it was starting to seem that he cared about her, or at least the kid she was carrying and her own self by association. It was fairly obvious that she was physically attracted to him, and she liked him, more than she'd care to admit, when he was being nice to her, but there seemed to be something indefinable that kept anything from really happening between them.

Her thoughts were shattered by Spike's return to the room, complete with a glass of water, as promised.

"Here, thought you might want this" he said, handing it to her.

"Thankyou" she smiled at him but found he didn't return it this time, "Aren't you going to sit down?" she tried.

"Er, can't" he shook his head, "Girl's getting together some stuff for us then we've gotta go...if you're up to it" he added as an afterthought. It had hurt somewhat when she'd said he was 'all wrong'. He was used to her stupid, petty insults, and the whole 'evil, soulless thing' riff, but to have her say something like that, when he was so worried about her, when he really thought they were making a connection, that hurt more than any punch she'd ever thrown at him.

There was a knock on the door and the young girl from before appeared with several bags of groceries and big grin on her face. It occurred to Buffy that she was probably smiling like that purely for Spike's benefit, she clearly found him attractive, though he really didn't seem to notice it. He thanked her vaguely for sorting the shopping and for the use of the back room as Buffy pulled herself to her feet, feeling more steady now, though decidedly hungry too.

Soon they were walking back towards their temporary home, Spike carrying all the groceries and refusing to let the Slayer help. She found she didn't have the energy to protest right now.

The night did not seem half so romantic anymore, only a little too cool and crisp as the hour got later.

"I'll put this lot away" Spike said as they entered the apartment again and he headed for the kitchen. Buffy followed him and pulled herself up onto one of the two stools by the counter in silence.

"Spike..." she said, after a while, but he interrupted, as he placed a bag of cookies on the counter in front of her.

"Here, get you sugar levels right back up, they will" he told her, "Tomorrow we'll have to make sure you eat something decent"

She nodded slightly, prising open the bag and looking in at the cookies but not taking one just yet.

"What about you?" she frowned, "You didn't get any blood" she realised as he put the last of the groceries away. He turned to look at her then.

"Careful, Slayer" he warned, "You'll have me thinking you care in a minute"

"As if" she shot back automatically, immediately feeling bad for it, "but I kind of need you around right now" she admitted, "I think maybe, I want you to be around, y'know" her voice got so quiet it was barely audible by the end of her sentence but Spike heard every word with his finally tuned ears. He walked over to where she sat, eyes staring at the floor, and dared to reach out his hand to her face. His fingers under her chin, tipped her head up til she was looking at him and he smiled at her.

"Don't fret about me, luv" he said softly, "I'm not going anywhere"

"Good" Buffy found herself whispering back as his hand slid back into her hair and his eyes gazed into her own. If she didn't know better she'd have thought she could see right into his soul through the clear blue of those eyes of his. Before her mind could even process what was happening, he leaned closer to her, lowering his head until his lips touched hers. Deep down she knew she should be disgusted by this, but deeper than that she knew that this was all she'd wanted for quite some time, as she kissed him back in equal measure. The dizziness she'd felt before was nothing compared to the way her head was spinning now, but she didn't want to stop as his arms wound around her and hers around him.

For the first time since Willow's mixed up Will Be Done spell, Spike felt truly alive. He'd taken a gamble, daring to kiss Buffy like this, but it seemed that putting a stake through his heart was the last thing on the Slayer's mind. Whatever happened afterwards, it didn't matter. She could never deny that she wanted him, maybe even liked him, not after this.

What Spike didn't know was that Buffy was suddenly contemplating the fact that she more than liked him. Could this really be love?