IT’S ALL A QUESTION OF TIMING …



CHAPTER 6

As Buffy hadn’t needed pain-killers and everything had gone fairly easily she was soon allowed home. All the Scoobies knew her aversion to hospital, so they had earlier agreed that unless Willow phoned they would wait at “home” to meet the newest member of their group.

What a welcoming committee – led by Dawn and Giles; with Andrew having arrived in time to record the grand entrance on video.

Once Buffy was settled in the lounge she proudly, with a truly happy smile lingering on her face -

“I would like to introduce you to our son – William Drew Summers. He is named after his Dad and also his Dad’s nearest relative”

“Erm, I thought that you didn’t want to know about Spike’s family, Buffy” questioned Giles.

“That’s correct, but you all know Spike’s next nearest relative – His sire.”

“Do you mean Drusilla?” Xander eventually mumbled, as the others were still too shocked to come to terms with what Buffy had decided.

“Yes” stated Buffy. “I know you will think that I have flipped, but I want you to hear me out. Spike was a vampire who was unusual, because he loved. I was lucky enough to be the recipient of that love, but Dru was even luckier as she had his love and devotion for a century. He was Victorian and family ties were significant to Victorians, just as they are to vampires. So I think that it is important that his child carries his heritage, as he does my surname; and there was no way I was going to name him after Angel, even if he is Spike’s Grandsire. I know you will find it hard to accept, but please try to.”

The group of people were consciously counting to 10! As ever Buffy had surprised them and had them cornered, as she knew that they wouldn’t say anything to hurt the baby.

“Hi William, I’m your Auntie Dawn. Your Dad and I used to be best friends – he fact he taught me lots that I want to pass onto you!”

“I am not having you teach my child breaking and entering,” replied Buffy – and at that the Scooby’s laughed and peace was restored.

So the newest Scooby came home to live and soon everyone was only too aware of his presence. He was a very quiet child, although he would soon let one and all know when he wanted something!

As the days passed it was soon noted that the easiest way to settle him down to sleep was to let him lie in his Mom’s arms. There he would look into her eyes and soon drift off to sleep. It was something that she was happy to let him do, as she felt it was paying his Dad back for all the love he had passed onto her.

The Scooby’s had bought Buffy a couple of baby books, but she said that she had become the longest living Slayer without ever seeing The Slayers Handbook, so why change the pattern of her life now. One thing that she did accept from Giles, and that she wrote up every night, was her own diary for William. Her Watcher said that he had spent the last 7 years chronicling her life, so now it was her turn to write down the account of her days.

She decided that it would be lovely to write something each day – in the form of letters to Spike. That way he could be as involved as possible in their life even though he was lost to them both. So every night before she settled down to sleep she would write about their son’s latest achievements. She often tried to include a photo as she was reminded that as time moves on, babies grow, and memories begin to blur. This way, she was able to remember everything in William’s life.

As well as her diary another promise that she had made to herself during her pregnancy was not only that she would tell William how much she loved him every single day, but also that she would reveal the story of his Dad – good or bad, he should grow up knowing about his parents’ history and how much they loved each other.

####

Meanwhile in LA

"I want you to do something for yourselves. I want you to live this day as if it were your last" Angel gave this final thought to the group as they gathered for their last briefing. Spike had led the agreement to help Angel in bringing down the senior partners and now the time had come to put these plans into action.

Was this going to be their last day - Had time finished for them all?

The group slowly began to separate, to move towards their last few hours before battle.

"Spike, can I speak to you for a moment?" Wesley said.

"Yes, when - now, or tomorrow?"

"Spike, now is not the time to joke. It will only take a few minutes of your time"

Spike smirked as he replied "OK".

Once the two of them were alone at last, Wesley was able to say what he wanted to.

"I don't know whether you have made a will, Spike ..." As he paused, Spike quietly replied that he actually had. It was the final thing that he could do for Buffy. He had died to give her a normal life and now knew that as she was moving onto that normality he could give her the money he had stashed away, so that whatever the two Summer’s girls wanted they could have!

“Well I have made a will which is with my solicitor, but I have been keeping a Diary of events here at Wolfram and Hart. In fact I had started it when I joined Angel Investigations. We don’t know what the future will bring and I would like to think that there are two people who know about these chronicles; because I feel that the time is right that they should be in The Watchers Council in London.”

“So what has that to do with me?” asked Spike.

“If I don’t make it and you do, then will you promise me that you will take them to London and hand them over to Rupert Giles personally? I have put a covering letter with them, so that you won’t even have to explain anything if you don’t want.” Wesley had a second reason for wanting Spike to do this, other than the fact he trusted him to do the job. When Andrew had come over they had a chat and Andrew had dropped a few hints that the general belief about Buffy wasn’t quite what the group in LA had been led to believe. He had spoken to Giles on the phone a couple of times as well and felt that there was more to The Immortal story than anyone was letting on. Giles had been quite vague about Buffy as well. So maybe Wesley was adding two and two and making five, but he hoped for Spike’s sake he wasn’t. But even if he was he felt that Spike needed to face Giles before he would be able to move onto whatever was to come his way in the future days.

“So do you promise?” He asked again, when Spike continued to be silent.

“OK, for you I will do it, but only as a fellow Englishman”

The two men shook hands and moved off to see what this “final” day would bring.

####

Buffy was finding time doing weird things. The days were long – spent loving and caring for William, but when she looked back at the end of each day she couldn’t believe how quickly this last year had passed.

“Wonder what next year will bring?” She said to her three month old son. “This year brought my best gift, you. So what can top it next year?”


tbc