Emerald Dreams

Ch. 12

"Damn, damn, damn!" Buffy pounded the bed with her fists. She felt her eyes water with tears, a result of her disappointment.

Spike jumped out of bed naked, ready for attack. "What? What's wrong?"

"Spike. It's nothing. Calm down. Just had a dream." Spike looked at her queerly, surprised to see her lashes wet with tears. He climbed into bed, quickly wrapping Buffy up in his arms.

"Wanna tell me what it was about?" Spike asked, rubbing his chin through her hair.

"It was nothing, really. Just a silly dream." She said embarrassed.

"If it was silly, then why were you beating the bed up?" He teased.

"Are you going to keep pushing me until I tell you?" Buffy asked hotly.

"Ooh, musta been some dream, but no, I'm not going to push. When you're ready to tell me, you will." He kissed her temple. "Go back to sleep, Grumpy. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

“I’m not grumpy.” She answered back, but he only laughed at her.

Buffy knew she was being silly, but that dream had upset her. Why? Because it wasn't true and she wanted it to be. She wanted to be bound to Spike. She wanted to know he couldn't up and leave her and the baby. Truthfully, she wanted proof Spike wanted this life.

You've got some serious daddy issues, Summers. The man has only changed his entire existence for you. He's only turned his back on his kind to be with you. Hell, he's put up with Xander. That's more than any man or demon should have to do. Buffy giggled. Her heart didn't pull any punches, much like the man sleeping next to her.

Buffy leaned back, watching as Spike's features softened in slumber. She kissed her fingertips and lightly touched his bottom lip. He smiled in his sleep. Buffy knew her irrational reaction to the dream had a lot to do with Martine. She couldn't help but empathize with the young girl. The Council saw the baby as some creation that had the potential to be evil, but that wasn't true. Love was good and pure. The baby was created from Martine and Henri's love. Buffy knew you had to look beyond vampire evil, slayer good and see the in-between stuff. That gray area where the love between a Slayer and a Vampire resided. Grey wasn't her favorite color, but she was starting to like it.


Jonathan and Andrew jumped as the bottle shattered into pieces against the wall.

"That bitch is still alive." Warren screamed. "Those fucking demons couldn't kill one pregnant Slayer. She's gotta be weak carrying that kid around, but no, she ends up killing the entire pack. Now, the others won't come near Sunnydale. They were the most ruthless bunch I could find in this dimension. I'm surrounded by idiots."

Jonathan rolled his eyes at the now familiar refrain. No one was as good as the one and only Warren. Andrew cowered under Warren's tirade.

"That's okay." Warren said to himself. "It'll be over soon enough. They think they know what I'm going to do. They have no idea. They think I'm going to hit the base. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! No, I'm going to attack the convoy before it reaches the base."

"Oh Supreme ruler, don't you think we should call this off? Buffy found the surveillance equipment at the Magic Box. We know they have your computer. Willow is smart. She'll be able to fix it." Jonathan reasoned.

"Jonathan." Warren growled as he turned to face him. He stalked over to the smaller man and grabbed him by his shirt. "Do you doubt me? No one is smarter than I am. No one! That redhead couldn't break my codes on a good day." Jonathan wrenched away from Warren, recognizing the simple fact that Warren was going insane.

"Warren's right, Jonathan. We're safe. They have no idea what we've planned. They'll still be searching for us, and we'll be on the beach sipping Shirley Temples."

Both Jonathan and Warren looked at Andrew with raised brows. "What? You can get alcohol put in them." Andrew told them.

"Uh huh. Ok, on to other things, now that Timothy Dalton's bitch has given us his two-cent worth. We still need to test these packs before Wednesday. We need some volunteers. Spanky, here, can be one." Warren said poking Jonathan on the head. "Now, we need two more."

"I'm not putting one of those on before we test them. So forget it!“ Jonathan angrily told him. "You'd like it if I was killed, wouldn't you?"

"No, I wouldn't. We're a team, Jonathan. We couldn't have made it this far without you." Warren grinned sickly. Jonathan felt his skin crawl under the madman's gaze.

"So we go hunting tonight?" Andrew asked, stroking the barrel of the stun gun lovingly.

"We go a demon hunting, boys."


Xander stood hidden out of view, watching Anya, Tara, and Willow. How could he show his face after everything he'd done? He'd been an ass to each of them. He knew 'sorry' just wasn't going to cut it, especially with Anya. She'd trusted him with her newly human heart, and he'd betrayed her and hurt her. He missed talking to her, laughing with her, and loving her. He knew with startling clarity, she would never allow him near her heart again. Right now, he would settle for being her friend.

"Planning on staring at her all day." Buffy asked him, startling him out of his reverie. She saw Spike and Dawn come in from the basement.

"Spike dropped me off around back." Buffy answered his unspoken question. "The smell in the sewers makes me sick."

Buffy headed inside, but Xander remained rooted to the ground. "Baby steps, Xander. You're going to have to take baby steps. It isn't going to be easy, but before all the sex and stuff, you were friends. Work on that first, and the rest will fall into place." At least, that's what worked for Spike and me. She thought with a smile.

"It isn't going to be easy." She could tell he was scared. She'd been there too many times to count. "I can't promise you that all the hurt and pain is going to go away immediately, even with me." She warned. "But you can't give up. It's worth the fight.


Buffy sat in Spike's lap as the gang gathered around the research table. Willow and Dawn were laying out the plans they'd been able to retrieve from Warren's computer. Anya peered over Dawn's shoulder.

"A teleporter? Is nothing sacred to you people?" She grumbled, shaking her head and stalking off. They heard her say something about demon envy as she rounded the corner.

"I still can't believe the army's developed something like this. It seems so futuristic. Like 'beam me up Scotty'." Buffy felt Spike's laughter. "I mean it. A super geek having this kind of power is super scary. He could transport anywhere."

"And no one would be the wiser until it was too late." Spike finished for her. "He would be a ghost, invisible. He could go anywhere, do anything he wanted."

Buffy fanned herself remembering what she'd done when she'd been invisible.

"What would be great is knowing where exactly they are going to hit." Willow interjected.

"Xander, is there anyway we can get the army to listen to us? I know this sounds like a prank, but how would we know about the teleporter if we weren't telling the truth?" Dawn asked.

"They wouldn't change the route for that. They'll just increase the troops riding with the convoy. That's S.O.P." He said, sitting down next to Tara.

"S.O.P. What's that, Xander?" Tara asked.

"Standard operating procedure." Tara was duly impressed.

Spike leaned around Buffy and picked up the convoy's schedule. The phone rang and Anya came out of the storage room to answer it.

"Hello, Giles. Yes, she's here. I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking." Spike looked up from his reading, curious at the slight inflection in Anya's voice. She sounded almost happy about talking to the Watcher. Her face was flush, and she was smiling. Could Demon Girl have a crush on ol' Giles? He had to remember to tease her about it later.

"And I hope to speak to you again too." Anya brought the phone over to Buffy, whistling the entire time. Buffy arched her brow at the weird behavior.

"Hey, Giles. Whatcha got for me?" Buffy held the phone with one hand, resting the other one on Spike's thigh. "Really, when? That's great. Oh, that's no problem. You can stay with me. The couch is always open."

"Giles is coming?" Dawn asked, poking Buffy repeatedly on the shoulder.

Buffy widened her eyes in exasperation, and nodded. "Okay, well, I guess we can discuss everything when you get here. See you then. Yes, I'll be careful. Alright, bye."

"So, Giles is coming?"

Buffy nodded happily. "He'll be here on Wednesday night. Someone will need to pick him up from the airport."

"Did he have anymore news on Martine and her watcher?" Spike asked, finally looking up from his research. Spike couldn't stomach saying the man's name. After spending all this time with Giles and Buffy, he couldn't see how Charles Jayme could willingly hurt Martine.

"No, just what he told us last night. He just wanted to let me know he was coming. It'll be good to get a different perspective on this whole Warren thing. My brain's cooked."

"I don't think we've done half-bad, Pet. But, it would be nice to have the Watcher back." He's the only other one I trust to take care of you. He said to himself.

"That's great. You and Giles can bond on the way back from the airport." Buffy said, neatly sliding out of Spike's lap before he could realize what she'd said.

"Oh, come on, Buffy." Spike groaned, following her into the training room.

Spike closed the door behind them.

"You're going Spike, end of discussion. I need for you to do this. You and Giles are the most important men in my life. I need the two of you to be friends at least. I don't expect much from you and Xander, but I do with Giles."

Buffy listened to him grumble as he stomped past her.

"He's going to stake me on sight, then you'll be a single mother." Spike said, plopping down on the couch.

Spike's off-hand comment brought back her silly behavior from this morning. "Hey, I'm sorry I was grumpy girl this morning. I thought I was touchy before. It’s ten times worse now.” She remarked.

Spike held his hand out to her. She took it, and curled up in his lap.

"You touchy? I don't think so." Spike teased, kissing her softly. " You don't have to apologize for how you’re feeling Buffy. I'd rather see you like this, than shut down like you were last year. If you need to be scared, upset, happy, silly, sad, I'm your guy."

"You're my guy, huh? Care to put that into writing?" Buffy said seriously.

"Do you need me to?" Spike asked back, lifting her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Do you?" Buffy was close to telling him yes, then thought he’d probably be offended. How many times had he told her he loved her, proved it with some unselfish act, some heroic deed? And she wanted further proof of his devotion, she must be hormonal.

“I’ve got an idea.“ She said, mussing his hair, knowing it would distract him from his question. He frowned at her styling technique and pushed her hand away. Buffy giggled. “I wanted to tell you something.” Spike quirked his eyebrow at her, and waited.

"Thanks." She said, rubbing her forehead against Spike's.

"For what?"

"Being here."

"I'm not going anywhere, ever. Don't you know that? All I've ever wanted is here. How many times do I have to tell you Summers? I'm Not Leaving!" Buffy shifted till she straddled him.

"I know, a girl just needs to hear it every now and then." Buffy said, tilting her head back. Spike took advantage of the position to kiss and nibble her ear and neck.

"Umm, you know we haven't trained in a day." She informed him, sliding her hands down his back till she caressed his butt.
"Better watch it, Slayer. You know how much I love being an exhibitionist."

"Buffy! Spike! We really need you out here." Spike clenched his teeth in annoyance.

"Go away, Nib. I'm trying to seduce the mother of my child."

"Uh huh, well, eww! Do that at home! Now, if the two of you can control your hormones, Willow has something to show you."

"We'll be there in a minute." Buffy shouted back, smiling her apology. They listened waiting for Dawn's footsteps recede.

"I'm still here."

"Yes, you are. Come on. We can play later." Buffy said, dragging Spike to the door.

"Promise?" Spike asked, poking his lip out in a pout.

Buffy yanked his arm, pulling him off the sofa. As they entered the shop, she grabbed his butt and squeezed. Spike laughed loudly when he heard her say, “promise.”


"Sorry to disturb your..ah.. talk, Buffy, but we think we've figured out where Warren's going to hit the convoy. They had pushed the tables back, and had pieced together a map. The route was outlined in red. Buffy and Spike walked the route till they got to a huge black circle. Buffy knelt to read the information.

"Please tell me that the Hellmouth isn't the most vulnerable area on their route?" The convoy passed the old burned high school. That area was usually deserted, most people remembering the Graduation massacre of 1999. Thankfully, no one had dared to rebuild on the site, leaving the Hellmouth undisturbed.

"Sorry, Buff. I'm afraid the Hellmouth is the winner. All the other areas are well populated or so open the army can protect the convoy by surrounding it. Once they hit Sunnydale, they have to change their formation." Willow said from the other side of the map.

"Warren could ambush them starting here, " Xander said pointing to the old football field, "all the way to where the old library was. After that, the convoy can slip back into its protective formation."

Spike stood at the other end, checking the area out. "He'll still need help. The three of them couldn't manage this without help, magical or otherwise."

"You think they're going to recruit some demons." Tara stated from behind Spike.

"Yeah, I do, Glenda. We'll need to make some discreet inquiries. I'll check Willy's and some other places."

"If you need some back up, I'll go with you." Xander offered. Buffy smile told Spike he'd better accept it or there would be no gymnastics later on the pummel horse.

"Thanks, wh..ah...Xander." Spike smirked at Buffy as he walked by.

"I can prepare some potions and spells. We can use them against Warren's crew or even the army, if we need to." Tara suggested.

"That sounds perfect, Tara. I would love to get the army guys out of there. They're the ones I'm really concerned about. I know what to expect from any demons helping Warren, but the army with those guns and stuff. That's the scary part."

"It'd be great if we could freeze them. Not the chilly kind of freeze, but you know, the time standing still kind, like on Charmed." Dawn giddily suggested. She knew Buffy hated the show, but she thought the characters had some cool powers.

"Well, you could ship them to an alternate dimension." Anya told them. "You could send them someplace for awhile. They'd never know they were even gone."

"N...no." Tara shouted. "We don't know what could happen to them."

"Ok, Tara. It was just a suggestion." Anya said, hurt by Tara's sharp rebuke. Willow stood by feeling guilty, knowing she had suggested the same thing all those terrible months ago.

"There is a spell that would put a barrier around the army convoy. It would work two-fold." Willow piped in, climbing the ladder to find the spell book. "It would keep the army from accidentally shooting one of us, and also keep the teleporter away from Warren."

Willow thumbed through the book till she found the section on magical barriers. She had used the book on more than one occasion to keep Spike and Angel out of Buffy's house. She'd finally memorized that spell, just in case it was needed again.

"So, the only thing left to do is to figure out where we are going to position ourselves around the school." Spike said, coming to stand behind Dawn. He flung his arm around her shoulders.

"We can do that from here." Buffy said. "No one goes near the school. We don't want to tip Warren off."

"Spike, you and Xander get together, figure out the demon situation. Willow, Tara, and Anya make a list of the things you'll need for that spell. If you need anything, call Giles. He can bring it over with him."

"What do you want me to do, Buffy?" Dawn asked eagerly.

"Well, you could help Tara and Willow if you like, but I kinda wanted you to be support girl while I call Francois Hemmings."

"Are you worried she doesn't have the diary?" Dawn said, joining Buffy in the training room.

"Yeah. What if she doesn't have it, Dawn? We'll never know what really happened to Martine."

"Buffy, why is it so important to you? She's dead. Nothing can bring her or her baby back." Dawn sat on the floor, her legs crossed in front of her.

"I can't explain it Dawn. It's like there's some connection between us. I can't help feel that she felt the same things I'm feeling with my baby." Buffy gazed lovingly at her belly. Spike told Xander to hold on a minute, and went to check on Buffy.

"I want everything for her. A home filled with love and family. I want her to know her father and mother love each other very much, that we love her very much."

"Bitty will know all that. And you're probably right, Martine probably had those same feelings. Any mother would. I'm sure Mom did when she had you. It's natural, Buffy." Buffy smiled, and felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

"I'm fine, Spike." She said, knowing he stood just outside the door. He stuck his head inside and smiled back at her.

"I know. Just wanted to check on my girls." The door closed, and they heard his boots stomp away.

"Buffy, if Ms. Hemmings has the diary, are you prepared to hear what Charles Jayme has to say. It may not be pretty." Dawn rested her hand on Buffy's knee.

"I have to know, so I can protect her. I have to know what the Council is prepared to do to prevent her birth."

"They don't even know you're pregnant Buffy." Dawn reminded her.


"Mr. Travers, we have a problem sir." The young watcher strode into Travers' London office. He held a file in his hand with the name Charles Jayme scribbled at the top.

"Yes, what is it Reinhold?" Travers asked, not bothering to look up from the book he was reading.

"Someone has been trying to access the Auberjonis file." The young man had to restrain himself from taking a step backwards. The look on Travers' face would have sent a weaker man scurrying into a corner.

Reinhold handed the file to Travers, who scanned the sheets in front of him quickly. "Why wasn't I told of this sooner?" He asked, taking his glasses off with an ease that defied his anger at this mishap.

"We thought it was a hacker, sir. Just poking around in our firewalls. It wasn't until we checked and found that an access code was used to bypass security, did we start a full security search."

"And the diary? Rupert Giles was allowed to walk into the archives, request the diary, and no one noticed the note attached to alert me if it was ever requested." Travers was standing with his fists on the table.

"We erred, sir. It won't happen again. The diary was returned after only a day. Mr. Giles stated he'd found the information he was looking for."

"And what information was that, Reinhold?" Travers said steely, slowly coming from behind his desk. "What did he tell you he was looking for?"

"Some demon that supposedly was extinct but was recently seen in Sunnydale." Reinhold said, trying not to piss his pants. Travers stood as close as possible to Reinhold. Reinhold felt and smelled his breath on his face.

"A demon you say. Nothing else." Travers seemed to find this information puzzling, but Reinhold didn't comment. He was just glad the man had stepped away from him. "Did Mr. Giles mention anything else about the Slayer in Sunnydale?"

"No, sir. In fact, we only spoke for a few minutes." Reinhold didn't have anything else to add to his report, so he began to inch his way out of the office.

"You're dismissed, Mr. Reinhold. You're not to mention this conversation or Mr. Giles' inquiry of Charles Jayme to anyone. Do I make myself clear?" He said, looking over his glasses. Reinhold knew he'd been given a reprieve, but damn, if he didn't feel like his life had just been threatened.

Travers waited, contemplating the implications of Giles' actions. He didn't believe in coincidences. Someone was interested in Martine Auberjonis and Giles was looking into Charles Jayme's diary, and his Slayer had a penchant for sleeping with vampires. Travers finally picked up the phone, punching the numbers quickly.

"What do you need done?" The voice on the other end asked, not bothering to question who was calling him.

"I need a team in Sunnydale as soon as possible. We may have another occurrence with the prophecy. This is reconnaissance only. Report back to me when you arrive."

"Will do." The line went dead. Travers continued to hold the phone, thinking about the girl who'd defied him on more than one occasion. If Buffy Summers had some how stumbled onto the prophecy, she would have to be dealt with. He wouldn't allow that prophecy to come to fruition.


"So how did your phone call to Francois Hemmings go?" Spike asked as they finally made it home from the Magic Box. "I meant to ask earlier, but you kinda distracted me with the 'training'."

"We really needed to train." She said trailing her fingers across his back as she walked past. Spike couldn't disagree with her on that.

Buffy curled into a ball on the sofa. Spike slid in behind her, resting his head on the pillow. "She said there were some items up in her attic. Things of Charles Jayme that her grandmother kept. She didn't know if there was a diary or journal among the things." Buffy nibbled her lip, thinking. Always thinking.

"Are you worried she doesn't have it or that she does and won't give it to you?" Spike hugged Buffy tightly, feeling her tremble.

"Dawn asked me if I was prepared to know the truth. I told her I needed to know, to be prepared for whatever the Council has planned, but now.."

"You're not sure." He finished for her. "Buffy, I'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe, all of us. But I gotta tell you, knowing the truth won't bring you any peace, it'll only give proof to your fears." Spike wondered if that was what had Buffy so upset this morning.

"Too late, already scared." She joked. "I feel connected to her. Slayers are like sisters, but this is different. We share something else, something special. I feel her, even 200 years later. Do a time warp and that could be us."

Spike rose up and Buffy lay on her back to look at him. "You're right. Different time, different place, that's us, but it's not. I look at it this way, luv. Martine is helping us, so what happened to her, doesn't happen to us. Call it, Martine's revenge or gift or whatever."

"Do you think it was a coincidence we happen to know the one demon that lived back then? No, I don't think so. You're right, Pet. Our lives are connected." Spike pulled her shirt up, revealing her belly. He leaned over and placed a kiss on their child's heart. "Martine and Henri will not have died in vain, Buffy. Not as long as we're alive, not as long as we keep her safe."


Warren kicked the limp body of the Dvorak demon. The little fuzzy demon had screamed in terror when they ignited the jetpack. Warren couldn't figure if it was from his fear of heights or the intense heat bombarding its body. It didn't really matter now. The Dvorak had died shortly after landing. That was one less demon they had to worry about, in Warren's opinion.

"Hurry up, morons! We've still got to make the modifications before Thursday."

Jonathan and Andrew struggled to get the next contestant into his pack. They looked ridiculous. They each had a tentacle or whatever it was sticking out from its body. Warren would have helped them if his arm weren’t still throbbing. That fucking wrinkled demon. Who would have thought something that looked like silly putty would have claws like that?

"We could use some help!" Jonathan screamed, but Warren ignored him.

"You'll manage." Warren said, going over to his laptop and inputting the new information they'd gathered. Despite the gash in his arm, Warren felt terrific. Soon all his hard work and planning would come to fruition. Soon, all of Sunnydale and the world would know his name. They would cower in his presence. But first, he had a score to settle with a certain blonde and her boyfriend. People like Buffy and Spike, the beautiful people, had always looked down their noses at him, but no more. They'd die slowly, and then they would see who was the superior being.


Giles watched the various pieces of luggage go by on the carousel, and wondered what in the hell was he going to say to Buffy and Spike? They were adults. Spike, more so, than Buffy. Through their love, they had created a child. It was all pretty normal, actually, except for the whole vampire thing. What right did he have to judge them? They lived extraordinary lives. They faced and lived death constantly, yet through all the pain and misery, they'd found in each other, happiness.

Spike stood next to Giles, wondering how long it was going to take before the Watcher noticed him. He saw a tweed bag come around with the initials R.G. stamped on it and plucked it off the conveyor belt. He checked the name on the tag to be sure there wasn't some other idiot out there with the same affection for tweed.

"If you're through contemplating the architecture of this place, let's get going. Buffy's waiting on you." Spike said with glee, watching as Giles went pale from shock.

"Spike, good lord, man! Are you trying to kill me?" Spike thought long and hard on that statement before shrugging and walking off, leaving Giles to scramble after him. The walk to the parking garage was done in silence. Each man wondering how far they would take this attempted reconciliation for the blonde they both loved.

Giles decided he'd be the bigger man, and open up the conversation. "Buffy tells me she quit her job last week at your urging."

"Yeah, that place was beneath her. Besides, it wasn't good for her to stand for that long." Spike handed the attendant a few dollars, never once asking Giles to pay for it. "I take care of my own." Spike told him as they hit the highway.

"Yes, Buffy told me about the Amara treasure. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't fence the stuff sooner."

"Didn't have a kid on the way, and Buffy wouldn't have accepted it, anyway." Spike said, chancing a glance in the Watcher's direction.

"Well, you're quite right, it is your responsibility to take care of your child and her mother." Giles looked out the window, listening to the buzz of the cars as they passed them by. Spike's next statement had Giles clutching his heart with shock.

"I'd marry her if she'd let me."

"Uh, um, oh...really." Giles didn't really know what to say in answer to that declaration. "Is that what Buffy wants?"

"I wish I knew, Rup."

Giles heard the vampire sigh, and he wondered again at the irony of this situation. Here, he was, a watcher, giving relationship advice to a vampire in love with a slayer.

"Forget I said anything. It doesn't matter one way or the other. I'm not leaving her ever. Even if we weren't having a child together, I wouldn't leave her." Spike wanted to kick himself for mentioning marriage to Giles. He was Buffy's watcher, father-figure extraordinaire. He might not freak about the baby because it was human, but allowing his slayer to marry a vampire was another thing entirely. Spike didn't even know if Buffy wanted marriage. He thought he knew the answer to that question, but you never knew with Buffy, especially now that her hormones were spiraling out of control.

"How is everything else? Buffy told me about the attack at the hospital. Any sign of Warren and his friends since then?

"No," Spike quickly answered, "but that's not unusual. They get others to do their handiwork, while they hide in their van. The attack on Dawn was the first time Warren got his hands dirty." Spike gritted his teeth. Warren would pay for putting his hands on the Nib.

"Have you found out anymore about the Army heist?" Giles asked, turning in his seat to give Spike his full attention.

"Yeah, the whelp and me hit Willy's and some other spots, picked up a little info. It seems Warren's been recruiting some nasty demons with promises of humans to devour. There've been some takers, but most found out what happened with the Kalstas. That put a crimp in his plans." Spike turned down Revello, and pulled the Desoto into the driveway. He turned off the ignition, and sat there looking at the house.

"I'm going to push off. Staying at the crypt tonight. Figured you and Buffy needed to rebond and all that." Giles nodded. "She's scared, Rupert. She's scared for the baby, for Dawn, for me. Having you here will do her a world of good."

"I've missed her, too. I never should have left her." Giles said, looking up at the house, his second home.

"No, you shouldn't have." Spike said, bluntly. "She needed you and you up and left her. They all left her to handle being back."

"You didn't." Giles stated. "You never left her through all of this. Despite, everything you've done to Buffy, you're a good man." The front door opened and Buffy stepped out. She was wearing a black peasant shirt, which hid her stomach.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Spike. We have a lot to discuss." Giles pulled his bag out the back, noting with some amusement Spike hadn't found his voice yet. Good, he'd been trying for 3 years to get him to shut up.

Buffy smiled at Giles, but her eyes were on Spike. He threw his hand out the window. "Later, luv." Spike shouted out the window, as he put the car in reverse and took off. Giles watched him go, turning back in time to see Buffy's crestfallen expression. But her smile returned and she embraced him tightly as he came up the stairs.


Giles watched Buffy surreptitiously out the corner of his eye as she prepared the sofa for him. She'd been genuinely happy to see him, crying her relief to have him home. When the door opened later to admit Willow and Tara, Buffy had been crushed, but quickly covered. Now, they were alone. Willow and Dawn had gone up to their rooms. Even with a super-geek on their tails, school still called. Buffy fluffed two pillows and threw them at one end. She stood up, and turned, surprised to find Giles staring at her.

"I can't tell you're pregnant." He said in awe.

"You could if I wasn't wearing this shirt. Spike hates it." She explained, smoothing out the sheet before sitting down. She sighed hard, plucking at the shirt's gauze-like material. "Well, I'm sure in the next week or two, I'll get a great view of your stomach." Buffy's eyes widened. "Uh, that didn't come out the way I meant it to."

Buffy snickered. "I'm glad you here, Giles." She said, reaching across the sofa to grab his hand.
Giles patted her hand, remembering a night not so unlike this one, when she pulled away from his touch.

"Gosh, I can't believe you're really here." She said happily.

"Well, I am. I wish it was under better conditions." He said wistfully.

"But it is. I'm having a baby. I have a wonderful sister, who's been nothing but helpful and understanding. She's also Sunnydale's resident matchmaker, but she's good. And that makes me happy." Buffy said, pulling her leg up on the sofa. "And Willow and Tara are doing better. They're dating, albeit taking it slow. Xander, well, he's been an ass, but he's coming around. Anya's great. She seems to be getting her life back in order." Buffy was babbling, and Giles patiently waited for her to tell him what was troubling her. "Everybody's doing so much better. We're all happy, happy, happy." She said, feigning joy.

"And what about Spike?" Giles asked gingerly.

Buffy's lip trembled and she broke out in sobs. "He... he's doing fine. Great. That's why he didn't stay here tonight." Giles stared at her, confused, wondering how they went from a cheery report on everyone to Spike's decision to stay at the crypt.

Buffy swiped embarrassed at her tears. "He said he wanted to give us some time together, to talk, but he's really getting too overwhelmed with all of this."

"Buffy, I don't think that's the case." Giles defended Spike. "He seems..."

"Giles, why are you taking his side? He's not here. Obviously, he couldn't face being here, having you know the truth about us. It's okay to torment Xander, but when it's you, it becomes a little too much for him."

She was becoming overwrought, and Giles had limited experience with pregnant women. "Buffy, calm down. Spike loves you. I've never seen a man more in love with a woman." And it was true. Giles couldn't dismiss Spike's feelings. They were genuine.

"Then, why doesn't he want to marry me, then?" She looked so miserable, Giles' heart went out to her.

Giles smiled, secure in the knowledge, Spike having the same fears. "This isn't funny, Giles. The father of my child doesn't want to be with me. He's only here because of the baby."

Giles grabbed Buffy by the hands, forcing her to sit quietly. "Listen to me, Buffy. Spike loved you before this baby, and he'll continue to love you until he dies. You know that. I've heard you say it too many times in these last weeks, not to believe you know it, deep in your heart. So, what's really upsetting you?"

Buffy took a deep breath. She hadn't meant to lose it like that, but she'd been holding everything in since Spike told her he wasn't staying with her tonight. He wasn't going to be there when she rolled over in the night. He wasn't going to hold her until she fell asleep, and she felt lost and alone. It was insane what she was feeling, but damn it, these were her feelings.

"Nothing." She said.

Giles stroked her cheeks, brushing aside her tears. "Buffy, there are no guarantees in life, but the one thing, you can be sure of is Spike's love for you. He's fought long and hard to be here with you, and I don't think he's going to give up on you and his baby easily."

"It's the first night since we found out about the baby that he's not here." Buffy admitted, glancing unseeing at the ceiling.

"Buffy, what do you want from Spike? If his actions and his words haven't convinced you of his undying love and devotion, then what will?" Giles smiled at the irony of this conversation. They wanted the same thing, but were too scared to approach the other about it. Well, did he now have to take on the role of matchmaker too? God, he hoped not.

"I don't know." Buffy said, taking great interest in the curtains. She refused to look Giles in the eye.

"Do you want to marry Spike?" He nudged her thigh with his hand, when it appeared she wasn't going to answer him.

"I guess so."

Giles shook his head. "You know so, Buffy. Why don't you tell Spike this? I'm sure he'd love to know that's what you want. Hell, he may even want it too."

"I don't want to force him into marriage. It should be about love, not convenience." She answered, and Giles was taken aback at the insecurity he saw.

"What makes you think you'll be forcing him? You and Spike are basically living together. You're parenting Dawn, and running this household together. The only thing you need to make it official is a ring and a ceremony." Giles smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the temple. "Now, no more crying. Tell him what you want. He may surprise you."

"He does everyday." Buffy admitted, suddenly exhausted.

"I'm sure he does." Giles said, comically. "You look exhausted, and to tell you the truth, I'm beat myself. We have plenty of time to discuss Warren and his shenanigans tomorrow. "

Buffy nodded, throwing her arms tightly around Giles' neck. "Thank you. I'm sorry I went a little psycho-Slayer on you."

"It's quite alright. Made me feel right at home." Giles said. "You're cutting off my air, though."


Spike felt restless, despite the fact he'd fought two fledglings before coming here. His crypt. Home. Funny how it didn't feel like home anymore. Home was with 2 sisters, different as night and day. Home had a nice, soft bed, and running water. Home was hearing his baby's heart beating while her mother slept. He could handle one night away from them.

"Hiya, Spike. Whatcha doing here? Did Buffy throw you out?" Clem asked good-naturedly.

"Nah, her watcher's in town. Thought I'd give them the night to bond." Spike pulled his coat off, throwing it on the sarcophagus.

"That was nice of you. You probably want to be alone. I'll push off then." Clem said, disappointed his carefully arranged buffet would go to waste.

"Clem, you don't have to leave. I want you to stay. Not like I've been here much." Spike said, looking around the room.

"You can go back to Buffy's. They're probably asleep by now. You wouldn't be interrupting any bonding time." Clem suggested helpfully.

"No, it's okay. I need do some thinking, and Buffy would be too much of a distraction." Spike said, grabbing a cold beer.

"Want to talk about it? You know I'm a good listener." Clem said, pulling his ear up and out. That display earned a smile from Spike.

"Thanks, but this is something I've got to decide on my own."

"Well, if you need me, I'll be here." Clem said, settling down in front of the TV. "I can warm some wings if you like." Clem turned around, but Spike had dropped down to the lower level.


Spike pushed aside the curtain, and stuck his hand in the wall. He groped around till his fingers landed on a velvet bag hidden inside. The small bag brought back memories of his mother. He wasn't sure why he'd kept her things. She'd been dead for over 120 years.

Darla and Angelus hadn't wanted to leave gay Paris, but had once things got a little too hot for them. They'd landed back in London, some 8 years after Spike's own death. He went to check on his mother, only to find out she'd finally succumbed to Tuberculosis. Darla and Angelus had ridiculed him, telling him he should have put his mother out of her misery when he had the chance. He'd left them to their carnage, and went to his mother's home, which he found was on the auction block.

Spike broke in through the kitchen, moving quietly through the rooms where he used to live. There wasn't much left of his old life, most of it seemed to have been taken away. He had no doubt his mother had those personal items she held dear sent to her brother in Manchester. He took a chance that something would be left, and went into his old room. He counted the floorboards, kneeling on the floor. He pushed the slat, till it revealed its hidden compartment. The velvet bag lay on top of his journal.

Spike sat down on the only portion of the bed, not covered in debris. Memories of cold, winter mornings and hot chocolate, rainy days and scones and tea. Memories of a life he'd nearly forgotten until he met a young girl who reminded him of sunshine. Spike held his hand out and shook the bag. Ruby earrings, a diamond bracelet, and a ring fell into his outstretched palm. Spike laid the items aside, taking the ring between his fingers to examine it.

"William, one day you'll give this ring to a woman who'll love you like I loved your father." Mrs. Develin placed the emerald and diamond ring in his hand. "Your Papa gave this to me when I turned 18. Lord, he'd chased me long enough. He made my head spin, and in my day, that was the sign of true love."

"But there's no one out there that'll have me, Mama." William said, his blue eyes sad. Mrs. Develin laid her hand on William's face, her heart overflowing with love for her son.

"Nonsense, William. You'll find her one day. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but it you're patient," she said, holding up her finger, "you'll find her."

Spike stared at the emerald. Buffy's eyes get this color when she's about to kick some ass. "Thank you, Mama. I did find her, it only took me 128 years to do it."

Spike stood behind Clem, watching Dawson's Creek over his shoulder. Clem was totally unaware of him. All his attention was centered on the TV. Clem finally noticed him when the show went to commercial.

"Whew! That was intense. Did you see that scene with Joey and Dawson? Almost reminded me of you and Buffy." Clem said, around a mouth-full of spicy peanuts.

"I don't know whether to be insulted or not." Spike plopped down in the chair, sipping his beer, which was now lukewarm.

"Ah, Spike. I didn't mean to insult you. I just meant that you crazy kids belong together." Clem twisted his folds together concerned he had insulted Spike.

"Thanks, Clem." Spike patted his pocket, making sure the ring hadn't fallen out in the climb upstairs. "So, do you think Joey's going to finally tell Dawson she loves him?"

"Love's a tricky thing, Clem. You never know what's going to happen with it." Spike said reflecting on his own relationship with Buffy.



Buffy was waiting for Spike when he came through the basement door.

"Hi." She said, soaking in everything about him. Spike slid between her legs, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I missed you last night." She said, breathing in his scent.

"I missed you too. I hope you had a good talk with Giles because I was fucking miserable." Spike said, twirling her hair on his finger.

"Ditto." Buffy said, raising her hand. "I didn't sleep well. Your baby didn't sleep well. So, if I fall asleep on my feet today, it's all your fault." Buffy grinned.

Spike grinned back. "I'll be right there with you, luv."

Buffy leaned in, and kissed him lightly. Buffy sighed from the pleasure of his lips on hers.

"I've got something for you. It was my mother's." Spike handed the pouch to Buffy, and she felt a sense of déjà vu.

"Is there a question attached to this gift?" She asked coyly.

"No," Spike said, enjoying the way her eyes turned dark green. Yep, the emerald definitely matched her temper. "No, there isn't a question. Just this promise: There isn't another woman in this world for me. Whatever is out there looking out for creatures like me created you to be my mate, to be my lover, to be my friend, and I'm yours now and forever."


"Wow, that was pretty good." Buffy pulled the ring out of the pouch, and felt her eyes watered. It was the same ring he gave her in the dream.

Spike took her hand, and slipped the ring on her left ring finger. Buffy admired it in the dim light. She grasped his hands in hers. "I love you. Thank you for loving me."

"Buffy, are you down there?" The door opened and they looked up to see Dawn staring down at them. "Hey, Spike. I'm not interrupting a sexual moment that could scar my young psyche, am I?"

Buffy and Spike laughed, rubbing their heads against each other's. "No, Dawn. No sex going on, but something else."

"Well, everyone's here. They're waiting on you. Is something going on I should know about?" She asked, watching them for deception.

"Nope, nothing going on with us. Just the mushy stuff." Buffy grabbed Spike's hand and they hurried up the stairs. Now wasn't the time to share their news, and to be honest, Buffy wanted time to get used to the idea herself. She wanted to savor this immense feeling of belonging and happiness. She turned and kissed Spike again, shaking her head in wonder at him.

"Maybe, you should put the ring away, unless you want to answer a lot of questions." Spike suggested, keeping her left hand in his.

"I don't want to take it off." She said, reluctantly slipping the ring off her finger. She dropped it back into the pouch, and put it in her pocket.


"Spike, good, you're here. We can get started." The shop had been closed for inspection. Anya gave them an hour to get the meeting underway and completed before she had to open back up. She argued that it would look suspicious to Warren, if the store were closed on the very day he was planning on hitting the army convoy. They couldn't argue with the logic. If they needed to speak further, they could always meet at Buffy's house, which they were planning on doing so anyway.

"Alright, Xander and I drove by the school this afternoon. We found an area where we can hide out until the convoy arrives. We doubt Warren will go to this area. It's on the far end of the school, where we battled the Mayor."

"You'll have to point me to it, since I missed that party." Spike told Giles.

"Don't worry, I missed it too, Spike." Anya added.

"That's because you ran." Willow said, snarkily. "Sorry, I get tense thinking about that day. The Mayor was just cruel. He tried to do his entire speech before trying to kill us. That's just wrong!"

"Yes, well thank you for that recap, Willow. Now, if we could get back to the business at hand." Giles suggested, smiling. These were his kids, and they were the best fighting team he'd ever had the pleasure to work with.

"We'll go in groups of three into the building. Willow, Anya, and I will go first. Xander and Tara will follow, 20 minutes later. By the time Buffy and Spike arrive, we should have the perimeter secure."

"What about me?" Dawn asked.

"Uh, well…" Giles stammered.

"You're staying at the house with Clem." Spike answered in a tone that brook no argument.

"That's not fair."

"Nib." Spike growled. "You'll be safer with Clem than out there with us."

"Dawn, please don't fight us on this. We're not treating you like a child. We love you. If anything ever happened to you, I couldn't forgive myself." Buffy held Dawn's hands in hers.
"I would stay at home too, if I could, but I can't. I have to make sure Warren never hurts another person again. Do you understand?"

Dawn bit the inside of her lip. "Yeah, I do. I'll stay with Clem, but don't be surprised if I know how to cheat at poker really well."

"That's my girl." Spike said, kissing her temple. Giles watched the little family moment for a moment before continuing.

"The convoy is scheduled to pass by the school at 7:45." Willow told them, handing each of them the convoy's itinerary.

"They'll only be vulnerable for 5 minutes. Warren will have to hit them within that time period or he'll lose his advantage." Giles continued. If he hits them before or after, he'll have to do it in the middle of 6 vehicles."

"No one would suspect him to do it then. It would be too dangerous. All he has to do is stop the convoy. The army will be too preoccupied battling the demon squad to fight them." Spike told them.

"I agree with Spike. Tara, is there anyway to put the barrier around them without anyone noticing it." Xander asked.

"Yes, the barrier is similar to the disinvite spell. No one knows it's there until you bump into it."

"Well, I say do the spell once they hit Sunnydale. Don't wait till they get to the school."

"You'll need more ingredients." Anya said, getting her notebook out to note the comp items they would need.

"Ok, change in plans." Buffy interjected. "Anya, you and Tara follow the convoy and do the spell. Then, haul ass to the school. Stay out of sight, until the action starts. We don't want Warren coming after you. I'll go in with Giles and Spike. We'll go first, clear the area of any earlier arrivals. Then, Will and Xander will join us. We'll have to stay under cover until Warren makes his move. Hopefully, Warren won't be able to penetrate the barrier until we get there."

"Bring any weapons you have at home. Make sure you have enough bows. Check the firing mechanisms. We don't need anything jamming on us." Spike slid his hand into Buffy's back pocket.

"I think we have everything, Buffy. Don't worry. Warren's not getting away tonight." Xander promised her.

"Warren's mine. I don't care what happens to Jonathan and Andrew. Warren started this, and I'm going to finish it."


"You okay, luv?" Spike stood in the doorway to their room. Buffy sat on the bed, staring intently at her ring.

"Just thinking we should be celebrating, not preparing for a fight."

"That's our life, Pet. Some days are good, some are like this." Spike said, sitting down next to her.

"When we come back tonight, we're locking the door, and not coming out for a few days." He said, laughing at the lustful gleam in her eyes. "Not sex, Pet. Sleep. I don't know about you, but I could sleep for a few days."

"Yeah, me too." Buffy slipped her fingers through Spike's. "I guess we should go."

"Yeah, it's time."

Ch. 13: It’s always about the blood

"You can't leave me! Buffy, please don't leave me." Spike screamed, trying to stop the flow of blood. Giles took his shirt off, pressing it into the wound in Buffy's back, but he knew it wasn't going to help. She was losing too much blood, too fast.

Spike rocked Buffy's limp body, willing her to stay with him. "Please, luv. Wake up. I can't do this without you. I need you." Spike held her head to his neck, could feel her breath hitch as she struggled to breath. The scent of her blood was overwhelming him, choking him.

Willow and Tara clung to each other, helpless to stop what was happening. Anya was frozen, her hand over her mouth, tears streaming over her fingers. Xander had collapsed next to Spike and Buffy.

"Spike, we need to get her to the hospital. Keep the pressure on her wound. We're going to get the car." Giles told him, reaching blindly for Anya's hand. Spike nodded, holding the shirt in place.

"Tara and I will stay with him. Just go!" Willow screamed. Buffy couldn't die. She had too much to live for. She had a man who loved her, a baby on the way. This couldn't be how it would end, not after everything Buffy had been through.

"It's not supposed to end like this. We're supposed to live happily ever after." Spike cried, pressing his lips to Buffy's brow. "You've got to fight luv. I know you can do it. I need you. Dawn needs you. Bitty needs you. Please fight. You've got to hang on."

"Love you too." Buffy mumbled. "Don't want to go." She stammered. Spike leaned back, staring intently at Buffy. Her eyes fluttered open, but the light was gone from her hazel eyes.

Spike smiled through his tears. "Don't talk. Just stay still. Giles is coming with the car."

"I'm so cold. Spike, I'm so cold." Spike rubbed her head with his chin. Her skin was cold and clammy.

"I'll keep you warm." Spike struggled to pull her into his lap. Xander grabbed Buffy's legs, and placed them on Spike's. Xander fell back on his butt, staggered by the anguish he saw in Spike's blue eyes.

"Is that better?" Spike asked, quietly. He could hear them dying, and he cursed his immortality. He was losing both of them. He raised his eyes to the heavens, praying to a god he'd long since forgotten.

"Buffy? Buffy?" He shook her, but she was unconscious. "Don't leave me, please. Please, don't. I can't live without you. I won't."

It wasn't supposed to be like this.


Buffy fingered the ring hanging from her neck. She couldn't get that melody "Going to the chapel and we're going to get married" out of her head. I'm getting married. I'm getting married. She repeated, and couldn't help feeling absolutely giddy. She smiled, thinking of Dawn's reaction when they told her about their engagement. She'd started crying, hugging both Buffy and Spike. Buffy knew Dawn's biggest fear was losing her family, and Buffy was determined to reassure her that yes, indeed, there was going to be a tomorrow for them, that they planned on winning this fight and coming home to her.

Spike parked the car outside of Willy's. If anybody were watching them, they'd think he was there with Buffy. They didn't expect Warren to keep up the surveillance tonight, but they didn't want to take any chances. Willy had a basement, and they planned on taking the sewers all the way to the school. Buffy thought it was ironic that after all the effort she'd made to get out of high school, she was returning to it. She guessed it was appropo that she was fighting former classmates at the place that started all of this.

"You okay?" Spike asked as they parked.

"I'm fine, Spike. Stop worrying about me. Nothing's going to take me away from you. Don't you know that by now?" She said, caressing his cheek. Spike rolled his eyes as their private moment was interrupted by Giles' cough.

"Is that your way of telling us it's time to get a move on?" Buffy asked, smiling at him.

"Well, we are on a schedule. You two have plenty of time for the smoochies." Giles said.

"Smoochies? Rupert, I didn't know you had it in you." Spike kidded him, pulling the back seat up so Giles could get out.

Buffy buttoned her jacket, effectively hiding her stomach. It wouldn't do to walk into Willy's advertising her condition. Buffy took Spike's hand as they walked the short distance to the door.

"Okay, let's go over the plan one more time. I go to the bar, you and Buffy head to the basement. I'll join you in a few minutes. If I'm not there, go on ahead, I'll catch up." Spike reminded them. Buffy squeezed his hand tightly. Damn, she broke one of my fingers. Spike glared at her, and she shrugged.

"Sorry. Just don't like leaving you up here by yourself. I'd like the father of my child to make it out of there in one piece."

"I'll be fine, Pet. We've already discussed this. I'll cover your backs. This is not the most dangerous part of our evening." Spike kissed her on the nose, looking deeply into her eyes. "Nothing is going to keep me from making you a proper woman out of you."

Buffy giggled. I love you. She mouthed. I love you too.


Buffy paced in front of the stairs, nibbling on her nail. Her face lit up with relief when the door opened, and Spike sauntered down the stairs, his duster waving behind him.
"Let's go. If anybody up there knows what's going on, they're not saying. No one seemed to notice you going down here, so I think we're in the clear."

"Good." Giles said, walking over to hole in the floor. Buffy had removed the grate ahead of time.

Spike dropped down the hole, and they heard a splash as he landed. "You can come on down. There's no one here. I don't smell anyone."

Spike led the way, following the directions Willow had given them. This route would put them behind the school. They would only need to make their way through the boarded up building and get into position.

"How much time do we have, Giles?" Buffy asked, shining the flashlight ahead. Using his own flashlight, Giles checked his watch.

"About 20 minutes. The convoy should be arriving within the city limits now. The barrier will be in place shortly. Let's just hope, Warren doesn't decide to attack early."

That was the only flaw in their plan. Warren. He was unpredictable, and a bit insane in Spike's opinion.

"Then, I guess we'd better pick up the pace. Less chatting, more walking." Spike bit out. Buffy knew he was more worried than he was letting on. He was doing the macho bit to shelter her. That was Spike. Always trying to protect her, care for her. He loved her. Buffy felt the ring hanging between her breasts. It was her talisman. It gave her strength, hope, a symbol of the man who'd given it to her.


Anya and Tara were parked behind the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign. Anya told her Tara she was surprised they'd replaced the sign after Spike knocked it down the last time. They heard the army vehicles before they actually saw them. The ground rumbled with the weight of the trucks. Just as Xander had suspected, there were 4 vehicles surrounding a single transport truck. They couldn't tell if there were troops in the back of the truck, but assumed there were. Anya waited till the last vehicle had passed before pulling out onto the highway.

Anya put a good distance between her car and the black Tahoe. Tara stared unseeing out the front window. She began chanting, invoking the powers which would erect a barrier around the convoy. Anya sped up, knowing they needed to spread the barrier from the last vehicle to the front one.

"Hold on." She told Tara as she gunned the engine. The Army drivers looked appreciatively at the blond occupants of the red convertible, never realizing what Anya and Tara were doing for them. Anya honked the horn as she passed, and threw her hand out the window. Tara slumped against in her seat, trying to catch her breath.

"It's done." Tara said, turning around to see the lights of the convoy slowly fading out of view. "We need to get to the high school. Buffy, Giles and Spike should already be on their way to Willy's."


"Be careful, guys." Dawn warned Willow and Xander as they prepared to leave the house.

"We will Dawnie. Don't worry. Buffy and Spike will be home before you know it." Xander assured her.

"I know. They'll take care of each other. You do the same." She told them as she hugged them both goodbye. Clem stood off to the side, his hat in his hands.

"Okay, we're going. Clem, there are some weapons in the chest. If anyone comes by and you don't know them, hide in the basement." Willow said, grabbing her jacket.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Clem told them, handing Xander his bag of weapons. "Spike's already threatened me with bodily harm if anything happens to Dawn, so I'm good." He said, smiling.

Dawn and Clem waved good-bye before heading inside for a round of poker.


Warren felt on top of the world. Life didn't get any better than this. He thought as he parked the van in front of the high school. He looked contemptuously at the place of his torment. They'd laughed at him, punched him in the halls as he walked by, dumped his lunch in his lap. He hated this place. When he'd found out the Mayor was planning on eating his way to a new world, Warren had actually cheered for him. "Kill'em all" He said. Buffy and her friends had come to him for help. He told them he would. He didn't, of course. He had sat at home, beer in hand, waiting for the world to end. When it didn't, he'd been disappointed, but resigned to the fact, Buffy would always win. That was then, this was now. The bitch wouldn't win, not after tonight. Once he had that teleporter, he'd show up in her bedroom as she and Spike slept. Then, he'd take them to a special location, where he'd torture and kill them. God, he got hard just thinking about it. Yep, today was a good day. It would be the first day of the rest of his life, and the last day of hers.


Buffy snapped the neck of the Noinu demon.

"Thank god, I didn't wear my leather jacket. What is it with the slimy demons lately?" Buffy lamented.

"I think they just want to mess up your wardrobe, Pet." Spike remarked, loading his crossbow. "Time?"

"You know the next mission we do where a watch is needed, we're buying you one." Giles quipped. "7:40. Willow and Xander are in place. As are Anya and Tara. We're just waiting for the guests of honor to arrive."

As if on cue, they heard the rumble of the caravan as it made it's way past the school. Two seemly empty cars erupted into flames, blocking the route of the trucks. Brakes screeched and men poured out of the vehicles, guns drawn. The Scoobies watched as about 20 demons rushed the men only to find themselves bounced back by the barrier. The troops fired their weapons, but the bullets only ricocheted off the barrier. Luckily, they stopped firing when they realized they were doing more harm than good, when they realized they weren't in any danger from the demon squad.

Buffy and Spike looked around, hearing a high-pitched screech. Warren, they mouthed and laughed.

Insert fight scene here

Warren looked at the scene in front of him, angered at Buffy's audacity. This was his coronation. There was no way he'd let the blonde do-gooder ruin this day for him. He had to admit he was surprised to see her here, but this was actually better. Buffy had trapped the arm y inside, but she was outside. There wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop him from out there.

"Hurry up! Buffy's got some sort of barrier erected around the transport. Stupid woman. That's only going to help us." He flipped a switch on the handle bar. Pressing the red button, Warren was lifted off the ground. He looked down and saw Jonathan and Andrew preparing for takeoff. Warren turned slowly, and headed back towards the school.

"Look ma, I'm on top of the world." Warren shouted.

"Yippee!!!" Andrew shouted. Warren grinned at him. Jonathan was tight-lipped, not really comfortable flying 50 feet in the air.

"What's wrong, Johnny Boy, afraid of heights?" Warren mocked.

"Fuck you, Robot Boy! Let's just get the thing, and get out of here. Buffy will figure out someway to get inside that barrier." Jonathan warned.

"You worry too much. I'm savoring my victory, you moron."

"Well, savor it, once we're away." Jonathan shouted back.


Spike felt his teeth loosen from the blow, but shook it off. "Bastard! You knock my tooth out." He said, kneeing the vampire in front of him. They looked up, hearing the whoosh about. Spike swore he saw Warren and his geeks fly overhead.

"Oh, bloody hell, that's not fair." Spike kicked the vamp in the stomach, causing him to double over. Spike, then hooked his head with his knee, and snapped. Dust flew threw the air, covering Spike's jeans.

"Buff, the geeks are flying." He shouted, pointing in the air. Buffy's mouth dropped, and she swore. Giles raised a brow at her language. Must be Spike's influence. He mused.

"I'm the good guy. How come I don't have nifty gadgets like that?" Buffy mumbled.

"Giles duck!" Willow screamed as the arrow passed perilously close to his chest. She shrugged her shoulders. What could she do? It went through the vamp.

Xander grabbed a Nionu demon off of Anya, flinging the dwarf before it could bite her. Taking the bat from Anya, he beat the creature to death. "You okay, An?" He said, helping her up off the ground.

"Yeah, just peachy." She said sarcastically, wiping her hands on her pants. "Those little suckers are like snot machines. Can't stand them!"

Willow ran up to them, winded. "Everyone okay?" Willow asked, speaking to all of them, but her gaze was on Tara. Tara nodded, and reached for Willow's hand.

"Did Jonathan just fly overhead?" Xander asked, seeing men on top of the transport truck. "We'd better get over there." He told them.


"This is unbelievable." Buffy said. "I mean, they have jet packs now. Like they didn't have enough stuff to annoy the hell out of me. Now, I have to deal with flying geeks. Oh, yeah, that's fair." Buffy stuck her tongue out at the Army sergeant staring back at her through the barrier. She pointed towards the transport, but he ignored her, keeping his gun trained on her.

"Any ideas?" Spike said drolly.

"Tara, is this basically the same type of barrier like the one I used at that gas station?" Willow asked, pacing. It was kinda funny how the guns followed her movements.

"Xander, stop doing that. I hate to be you, if the barrier came down right now." Giles admonished her. Xander stood up straight. He'd been sticking his tongue out at the troops.

"Yes, it is. Why?"

"You can open a door for us to get in, then close it back." Willow said excitedly.

"That's great, but what are we going to do once we're inside?" Spike asked, watching as the demons they'd driven away gathered for another go.

"Kick those nerds' asses, honey." Buffy also took note of the demons. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Giles and Xander will come with me. We'll take care of Warren and the gang. The rest of you fend off the demon attack until we're able to get back out and help you."

Buffy could see the steam coming off Spike's head. "I know you want to help, but they're human. You can't hurt them, and I won't let them hurt you." She lifted his head. "You're the strongest one. You have to protect them."

"I know. Just wanted to take a few hits at Warren myself." Spike patted her belly. "Take care of your Momma, Bitty."


Warren leaned over the edge of the truck, and saw two guards peering out the back. Andrew handed him two small orbs. Warren threw them inside, knocking the guards out. Warren scrambled off the roof, slipping inside unnoticed. Jonathan and Andrew quickly followed.

"Wow! It's bigger than I thought." Jonathan gasped.

"I bet you don't hear that from the ladies, do you?" Warren sneered. Jonathan narrowed his eyes at him, but didn't say a word.

"Guys, we're going to be gods." Andrew gushed.

"Watch the door, while I start this baby up." Warren pulled his laptop out of his backpack, and pulled up the schematics for the teleporter. He had to make sure he put the correct data in. He didn't want to end up in the middle of the ocean. He had a nice little pad all set up. Once he arrived, he'd begin his reign of terror against Buffy and Spike. They would be his informercial, selling his services to the highest bidder. Too bad, Jonathan and Andrew would not be around to share in his success. He supposed he could drop in at Leavenworth and break them out of jail, but why waste the effort? Their usefulness was all dried up. It was time to cut the dead weight, and move on.
"Jonathan, this is so cool. I feel so James Bond." Andrew said, excitedly, scanning the area for intruders. He looked over at Jonathan, and his eyes widened. He started to scream a warning to Warren, but Giles cuffed him on the neck, knocking him out. Buffy helped them lower the unconscious bodies to the ground, and stood with her hands on her hips, attitude firmly in place as Warren busied himself with the controls.

"Need some help?" She sneered, then smiled to herself when Warren jumped.

"Buffy." Warren stated flatly, turning to face his arch nemesis. "Glad you could make it. Didn't want you to miss the party."

"I'm touched Warren. I really am. It's over, you loser. Don't make me kick your ass anymore than necessary. Andrew and Jonathan are out. You're all alone in this." She said, advancing slowly towards him.

That's right, Buffy. Come a little closer. Warren pulled the switchblade out of his back pocket, waiting till Buffy got within range for him to strike. Buffy looked around the inside of the trucks, taking note of the darkening shadows. She halted her progress, and stood just outside of the dark area.

"Scared of the dark, Slayer. Thought that's where you belonged. Well, that's what Spike was telling you."

Buffy's brows rose at that. "That's right. I've been watching you and Spike do the nasty all over town. I could make a mint selling those videos on the internet. Must admit, you're a wild woman in the sack. Against a tree. A wall. A headstone. Just about anywhere." He taunted.

"You sick pervert. At least, I'm getting some. You get yours from a robot. No, that's right. Robot's gone. You're doing your hand these days, aren't you?" Buffy studied him, seeing the slight movement of his hand behind his back.

"You bitch! I would still be with Katrina, if it wasn't for you. She'd still be alive if you hadn't meddled in my business." Warren lunged for Buffy, the knife directed at her belly.

Buffy grabbed his arm with one hand, and struck him in the face with the other. Warren pushed Buffy away with his free hand, and slashed at her again. Buffy blocked the blow, bending Warren's wrist back till it snapped. He howled in pain, clutching his wrist to his chest. Buffy grabbed him by the collar, and flung him back against the console of the teleporter. Warren slid unconscious to the ground, next to one of the guards.

Buffy was shaking with rage. Warren had tried to stab her in the stomach, knowing she was pregnant. "It's okay, Bitty. We're okay. It's over. That bad man isn't going to be able to hurt you ever again."

Buffy lifted the tarp, and waved to Giles and Xander below. Jonathan and Andrew were tied up next to them. Buffy could see Spike and the others finishing off the demon squad in the distance. As if sensing her, Spike looked over his shoulder. She waved excitedly at him.

"Don't move or I'll shoot." Buffy groaned, and slowly turned to face an irate, but drowsy Army ranger with a rifle.

"Look, I can explain." Buffy began, her attention centered on the gun pointed at her, and not Warren, who was slowly waking up.

"Don't speak. I don't know what's going on, but we're going to find out. You're under arrest until we get this all settled." The sergeant said, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.

Warren groped in the dark, finding the second Ranger's gun. He stood up, knowing neither person could see him. He'd win after all. Spike could see Warren quite clearly and he shouted at Buffy to watch out. Giles and Xander heard Spike's shouted warning, and screamed Buffy at the same time. Buffy saw the gun, heard the bullet fire, and lurched for the man. She grabbed him, jerking him towards her, and flinging them both out of the truck.

Time moves slowly when something awful happens. Well, it seemed to move slowly to Tara. They all turned towards the convoy after hearing Spike. They saw Buffy, Xander, and Giles with their hands in the air. Then everything sped up. Giles and Xander scrambled out of Warren's view. Buffy grabbed the Army guy, and they fell out of the truck. Time slowed again, as Spike beat his hands against the barrier. Tara opened a door, and Spike fell through. He ran towards Buffy, leaping over and around stunned troops. Buffy and the man lay motionless on the ground. Warren stood over them, the gun pointed directly at Buffy's back. Next thing, Warren was down, shot in the shoulder.

Everyone stood around stunned at the turn in events. Spike skidded to a halt in front of Buffy, rolling her on her back. "Wake up, luv. This is no time to be sleeping." He teased. Spike patted her cheeks, which had lost their rosy color.

"Buffy?" Spike shifted her to his other arm, raising his hand to push her hair out of her face. Blood dripped from his fingertips, dotting Buffy's face. "Oh, god, no!"


"Buffy!" Dawn screamed. "Buffy!" Chips flew in the air as Clem dropped the bowl he was carrying in from the kitchen.

He quickly searched the room, looking for Buffy, but only found Dawn with tears streaming down her face. He rushed to her, shaking her.

"Dawn, what's wrong? Tell ol' Clem. What's wrong?" Dawn looked at him blankly, her face flushed.

"Buffy's dying."
"She's been shot!" Spike screamed, hugging Buffy to him. Giles fell to his knees at the sight of Buffy bleeding profusely. He ripped his shirt off, pressing it to Buffy's back.

"We need help!" Giles screamed. The army troops rushed to secure their equipment.

"We don't have a medic with us. We'll have to call and get some help, but that'll take time." The young man knelt and pulled back the shirt, which was rapidly becoming soaked with blood. "Hold this and don't stop. We're going to see if we can get a medivac here for her."

"Please help her." Spike cried.

"Is she going to make it?" Willow asked the Ranger as he passed her.

"I'm sorry. I think the bullet might have hit an artery. She's bleeding out." He ran to the lead vehicle, quickly calling for a helicopter.

"Buffy, love. Hold on. We're going to get you to the hospital."

"Spike, keep talking to her. Giles and Anya went to get the car. They'll be here shortly." Tara told him, pressing her hand onto his.

"Can you do anything?" Spike whispered. "You're a witch. Do something. Don't let her die. Don't let them die." He begged, and it broke her heart. She didn't have the power it would take to stop Buffy from dying.


"You have to take me to her, Clem. She's dying. The baby's dying. I can feel it. I need to be there." Dawn begged, her throat raw from screaming.

"I don't know, Dawn. We don't know where they are." Clem told her, rubbing her back.

"I know. We're going." Dawn grabbed Willow's keys off the rack in the kitchen, and ran out to the garage.

"Dawn, this isn't a good idea." Clem said, pulling the door shut. He barely got in the car, before she pulled out.

"Do you have your license?" He asked.


"Fight, Buffy. Fight, you silly bint. You can't let Warren win. You've been bigger fish than him, now fight!" Buffy's heart slowed, and Spike clutched her tighter, trying to will her back to life. He could feel the baby slipping away. "No, Bitty. Hold on. Buffy, our baby is dying. You're the only one who can save her. Fight, damnit!"

Willow knelt beside Tara. "Spike, I need you to trust me. Spike!" She screamed again to get his attention. Spike looked at her, his face shadowed with grief and worry.

"Willow?" Tara asked, concerned. Willow's eyes had turned black, and Tara could sense the power coming off her in waves.

"I'm sorry, Tara. I really am." Willow pulled Tara and Spike's hands away from Buffy, and placed her hands over the wound. "Hold her still, Spike."

Buffy thrashed as the air hummed with electricity. Spike felt the pull on Buffy's body, and squeezed her tightly. Buffy cried out softly, but made no further sounds. A stream of blood flowed out of Buffy's back, followed by a bullet. The bullet hovered in the air, dropping harmless to the ground. "Keep pressing this into the wound. The bleeding should stop soon."

Willow fell unconscious to the ground. Tara and Xander pull her aside. "She's just out of it." Xander assured Tara. Spike closed his eyes, hearing Buffy's heart beating getting stronger.

"Thank you." He said, crying softly into Buffy's hair.

Giles and Anya pulled up, the top off the car. "Get in!" Giles shouted from the driver's seat.

"Hey, we can't let you leave." The Ranger said, putting a hand on Spike's shoulder. Spike growled and his eyes turned yellow. The Ranger took a step back, adding this to a long list of unbelievable things he'd seen this night. Tara helped Spike carry Buffy to the car. Spike laid Buffy's head on his lap, making sure to keep his hand firmly on her back.

Xander picked Willow up and carried her away. Tara raised the barrier, preventing the army from following them.

"Isn't that Willow's car?" Anya asked as a small compact came careening around a corner. Dawn didn't put the car into park, before she was racing to Buffy.

"Buffy!" She cried.

"Get in, Dawn." Giles had to keep his fear in check. This was no time to panic. He'd be damned if he'd watch his daughter die a second time. They sped off with Buffy to Sunnydale General. Her condition was still critical, and they all worried the baby might not survive this trauma.


Warren's wrist hurt, his shoulder hurt, but he was alive. He kept his head down, and hid behind bumpers until he was away from the army transport. Okay, this wasn't what he had planned, but he'd accomplished one thing. Buffy was dead. He saw the blood running like a river out of her. She was dead. He was alive. Things could be worse. He could be in jail, like Jonathan and Andrew would soon be.

Shackleford watched impassively as the Slayer was taken away by her friends. "She was shot. Pretty bad from the looks of it. No, I didn't any closer. The army has more troops on the way to secure the area, and the locals are just arriving now."

Shackleford flung his cigarette away, watching the huddled figure scurry away from the scene. "I have someone you'll want to meet. I can have him on a plane to England by morning." He told Travers, motioning to one of his men to pick Warren up. "Yes, I think you'll like what he has to say. Why you ask?"

Shackleford lit another cigarette, taking a long drag before answering. "He may have bagged your Slayer. Yes, I thought you might find that interesting."

Shackleford grinned as Warren tried in vain to get away from his men. "Patch him up and get him ready for transport."

"Who are you?" Warren gasped as his hands were tied behind his back.

"Your worst nightmare or your best wet dream. You decide."

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