Disclaimer: As always, I’m not here to make money, just here to play with Joss Whedon’s vampires and such.
 
Keep the reviews coming! I appreciate every single one!
 
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Chapter 11
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Patrol was relatively uneventful for once, with only a few vampire fledglings, no nests, and no demons. Once or twice Spike had felt a strange tingling at the edges of his senses, but he didn’t really smell or see anything odd. You seem jumpy tonight, Buffy commented.
 
Keep thinking there’s something out there, but I don’t see anything, he replied, scanning the area for the ten thousandth time.
 
You’re not worrying about me again, are you? Buffy admonished. She found his constant concern touching, but a little annoying. She was the Slayer after all. She usually did the worrying about everyone else.
 
Always, pet. I know it drives you batty, but now that I can hear the heartbeat, I’m just paranoid that someone else will and it will be open season on you. He hesitated before adding, I really wish you’d tell Giles about it.
 
I know, I know, she sighed. I just can’t bring myself to tell him yet. He’s gonna freak to high heaven, or insist I get rid of it or something.
 
I really don’t think he would do that, pet. He cares about you. I thought you two were patching things up?
 
We are, sort of, she answered. They were approaching Revello Drive again. Can I think about it in the morning?
 
Fine, Avoidance Girl. But pretty soon I’m going to get fed up and tell him myself. Gotta get more information here. He couldn’t quite contain a low growl of annoyance at her stubbornness.
 
Please, just… let me think about it another day, ok? she pleaded.
 
Spike took a deep breath and consented. Buffy lifted the wards and they went inside. Dawn was finishing up watching a movie, and they all ended up turning in at a reasonable hour. Buffy snuggled up next to Spike with a kiss and said, “Mind if I jump you in the morning? Not sure if it’s the honeymoon or the baby, but I am just beat tonight.”
 
“Well, alright,” he responded, kissing her back. “But I do plan on collecting on that, missy.” Buffy smiled contentedly and drifted off in his arms, and Spike just basked in her presence until he eventually fell asleep as well.
 
He was running, faster than he had ever run. Buffy was screaming and screaming, and it tore through his mind like a dagger, and if he could just run fast enough he could get there…
 
“No!” he cried, waking up in utter panic. He sat up, rubbing his face with shaking hands. Buffy was still asleep next to him. Bint must have really been tired, he thought, lying gently back down next to her. His body still trembled as his eyes traced every line of her sleeping face. God, I can’t lose her again. Can’t bury her again. Can’t… The dream had shaken him deeply, and he made up his mind. He was going to bring in some outside help, whether she wanted it or not.
 
*******************************
Giles was flipping through TV channels in a desultory manner when he heard a knock at the door. Who could that be at this hour? He looked through the peephole and saw the platinum blonde head of Spike, who was in the process of finishing his cigarette. Giles opened the door and said, “Spike? What in blazes are you doing here?”
 
“Need to talk to you, Rupert. May I come in?” Spike had waited until Friday to see if Buffy was going to get up the urge to talk to Giles on her own, but she had continued to find things to do other than call the former Watcher. Spike had had another terrifying dream involving the huge black demons, and although he couldn’t remember the details this time, he did remember the bone-chilling fear that the dream had left behind. Unable to stand it another day, he took the detour to Giles’ hotel on the way to his usual poker game.
 
“I didn’t think you needed an invitation to a public place like a hotel.”
 
“Just being polite,” Spike said. “So, can we talk?”
 
Giles pursed his lips in annoyance, but stepped aside and said, “Come in, Spike.” Spike swept past him and planted himself in one of the two armchairs, propping his boots up on the coffee table. Giles took the other chair and said, “Now what is it?”
 
Spike took an unnecessary deep breath. “Slayer needs your help, and she’s too stubborn and too emotional right now to ask you for it. I’ll probably be sleeping on the couch for a week when she finds out I told you, but I don’t care. I’ve got to keep her safe, even if I piss her off.”
 
Giles sat up. “Keep her safe? Safe from what?”
 
“She’s pregnant.”
 
Giles’ mouth dropped open, completely thunderstruck. “I beg your pardon?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
 
“She’s pregnant, Rupert,” Spike repeated. “She’s a little more than two months along.”
 
“Good lord,” Giles exclaimed. He took off his glasses and polished them in stunned silence for a moment. Then he had a sudden realization. “Is this why you married her so suddenly?”
 
“Partially,” Spike admitted. “Still got a bit of a Victorian streak in me I guess. But I had been thinking on it even before we knew she was expecting.”
 
“But, does the child’s father know? I’m fairly certain that most men would object to their child being raised by a vampire.”
 
Spike had to restrain himself from smacking the Watcher upside the head. Did he really think Buffy would be sleeping around? With a bit of a growl to his voice he said, “Rupert, I am the child’s father. She’s not been with anyone else since she got back.”
 
Giles’ eyes widened impossibly. “How… what?” His words completely failed him.
 
“Now you see our problem,” Spike continued, running his hand through his hair. “She’s pregnant, despite the fact that this is completely impossible. We don’t know who could have done this to us. But she and I have both been having Slayer-type dreams about demons coming after her and the child.”
 
“But this is absurd,” Giles insisted. “Vampires can’t have children.”
 
“You think I don’t bloody well know that?” Spike snapped, sitting up and leaning forward to explain. “All I know is that we were shagging, and there was this… heat or something. Both of us felt like we were burning up. About two weeks after that we figured out she was expecting.”
 
“So you think it was a spell? Was it Willow again?” Giles asked.
 
Spike shook his head. “We asked around. Willow was on the wagon at that point, Tara doesn’t have that kind of power, no demons or other enemies we know about. Can’t figure it out. We’ve been researching best we can, but we’ve pretty much exhausted the library at the Magic Box to no avail.” He fixed his blue eyes on Giles, and his voice dropped lower. “Pretty soon every demon in Sunnydale is going to figure out that the Slayer is pregnant and come gunning for her. I can’t let that happen, Rupert.”
 
Giles marveled at the slight quaver in the vampire’s voice. Spike was afraid. William the Bloody, a quarter of the Scourge of Europe, Slayer of Slayers was terrified at the thought of losing Buffy. Giles was stunned at the revelation, but he was in complete agreement on that one thing: he didn’t want to lose her again either. “Are we sure it’s a human child? What could possibly result from the union of a Slayer and a vampire?”
 
“Don’t rightly know,” Spike admitted. “But its heartbeat sounds human, and her pregnancy seems to be pretty typical.”
 
Curiosity got the better of Giles and he said, “You can hear its heartbeat already?”
 
“Yeah, as of a couple days ago. I have to be pretty close to hear it at this point, but in a couple weeks it’s gonna sound like a bass drum to the local demon population.”
 
Giles fell silent again for a moment then quietly asked, “What do you want me to do?”
 
“I know you’ve got access to more sources than we do. And I love Buffy with all my heart, but research isn’t exactly her strong suit. We need to find out how this could have happened to us, and we need to know what these demons are we keep dreaming about.” He fished a piece of paper out of his duster pocket. “I did my best to sketch one, but they’re not very clear in the dreams.”
 
Giles took the drawing, which showed a tall, black skinned demon with a ridged forehead. It looked totally unfamiliar to him. His head was spinning. Buffy was pregnant. Spike was the father. Either of those thoughts was impossible, but the combination was completely preposterous. Another thought struck him. “What will you do once this child arrives? How can a vampire expect to parent a human child?”
 
“Guess we’ll figure that out when it comes time,” Spike said as he stood up. “For now, we need to worry about keeping my wife and child alive long enough for the parenting to become a problem.”
 
His wife. Giles was still unable to quite understand how that came about. The Slayer was the wife of this cocky creature of darkness. The Watcher in him still bristled at the very idea, but he bit back any comments. Buffy needed help, and he couldn’t find it in him to deny her that help. “I’ll see what I can turn up. In the mean time, keep me informed of any further developments.”
 
“Thanks, mate,” Spike said. He paused in the doorway and turned back to fix Giles with those ice blue eyes once more. “I know things are still a bit tense between you two. But I have the feeling she’ll come round soon. Just give her time, yeah?”
 
“I will,” Giles promised, and Spike turned and disappeared into the night. Giles closed the door and went over to a side table where he poured himself a glass of scotch. He sat down to drink it, pondering where to begin.
 
**************************
 
The next morning found Buffy enjoying her usual Saturday morning peace and quiet, as the teen and the creature of the night slept until noon. Buffy had some yogurt along with her toast, which she supposed was something of an improvement. As soon as this kid comes I am never eating toast again. Ever. She finished her coffee and belched. Ew. Hey, junior, quit with the heartburn, ok? She found herself pulling her robe aside to stare at her stomach. She couldn’t see any physical changes yet, but the idea was firmly fixed in her mind. There’s a baby in there. Our baby. Mine and Spike’s. If she was honest, part of the reason she was reluctant to tell anyone is that she didn’t want to share. To bring in Giles and the others was to turn this miracle into a problem or another impending apocalypse or something. As it was right now it was this pleasant, if bewildering, secret between her and her man, and the others weren’t involved. Buffy sighed and closed up her robe. Need to tell the others, especially Dawn. Maybe at Christmas time? That would probably be the right time. She’d be three months along then, less chance of miscarriage, more time to assure themselves that it was human. Christmas it is then. Best invite them all over and get it over with. It seemed like a sound idea, although she had trouble generating a lot of enthusiasm for it. It still felt more like something vaguely unpleasant that needed to be done – like a dentist appointment.
 
She cleared her place and went upstairs to see if Spike was awake yet. He had come back late from his poker game, and had seemed to be guarding some of his thoughts the night before. She idly wondered if he had lost money and didn’t want to tell her. She found that he was still sleeping, and she paused in the doorway to take in the sight. She never got over how young and almost delicate he looked when he was sleeping. His muscles were still there, carved and rippling, but his face relaxed into such a peaceful, sweet expression when he slept that the poet underneath was clearly visible. Really wouldn’t mind a boy with those eyes and curls, she thought, rubbing her stomach unconsciously. She drank in the view for another few minutes, then quietly got some clothes out and got dressed.
 
She went down in the basement to train for a while, working on kicks and punching the heavy bag that Spike had rigged for her. The spinning kicks were gradually getting a little less difficult, as the nausea slowly improved, but they still weren’t what they had been. She started experimenting with ways to get around them – she imagined that they were going to become well nigh impossible once she started to show. Not like Spike is going to let me use any of these kicks once I start to show, but I should be able to defend myself.
 
After an hour or so she felt that little buzzing in the back of her mind that signaled Spike’s waking state. Good morning, she hailed him as she came up the stairs to the kitchen.
 
Spike was making his way down to the kitchen, still tousled and drowsy looking in his bathrobe. “Morning, love. What’ve you been up to?”
 
“Training. Trying to figure out how self defense is going to work once I start looking like someone grafted a beach ball onto me.” She grabbed a bottle of some sports drink out of the fridge and sat down to drink it while Spike heated his blood.
 
The microwave beeped, and Spike sat down. “You do know that there is no way in hell I am going to let you patrol once you pop, right?”
 
“Somehow, I knew you were going to say that, and not just because I can read your mind,” Buffy said, frowning. “I don’t suppose you could go crazy and, I dunno, let me decide when I can’t do it anymore.”
 
“Slayer, I’m not doubting your physical abilities. I’m just saying that it seems foolish to put you and the child in harm’s way when you get to the point that your body is fighting against you.”
 
“And I’m just saying that I think I’m a better judge of when that is,” Buffy retorted.
 
Spike ground his teeth slightly in frustration. “So, what, I’ve got no say in this? I did have a hand in bringing this whole situation about, you know.”
 
Buffy could feel the fear that lay beneath the surface of his aggravation, and tried to understand. But it just felt like another case of ‘we know what’s best for Buffy’ to her, and she was tired of that attitude from everyone around her. “Look, I understand you’re worried about me. Just, don’t let that worry translate into bossing me around, ok?”
 
Spike sighed. “I’m sorry, pet. I just…“ He couldn’t even say the words out loud. Can’t lose you, Buffy. I’ll die without you.
 
Buffy came over and pulled him into a hug. You won’t lose me. I promise. Spike held her, desperately hoping that her promise would hold.
 
**************************
 
The rest of the day passed normally, on the surface. But there was a small undercurrent of tension between them that was unusual. Even Dawn noticed it, when she finally got up. Spike dashed out about mid-afternoon to go get some cigarettes, as he had not fully managed to ditch that habit. Dawn noticed that Buffy seemed preoccupied and asked, “Are you ok? You seem really quiet today. Both of you do.”
 
“We’re ok,” Buffy said. “We just had a bit of a disagreement this morning, that’s all.” Buffy shrugged and laughed a bit. “I guess every marriage needs to have its first argument.”
 
Dawn looked concerned. “Just as long as you don’t break up. I’d like to have one adult relationship actually survive in my life.”
 
Buffy came over and gave Dawn a hug. She knew exactly what Dawn was talking about. “Look, Spike and I aren’t just married, we’re mated. We literally can’t break up. And unlike Dad, Spike can’t cheat on me without my knowing. He was just going all overprotective on me, and it irritated me. That’s all.”
 
Reassured, Dawn said, “Good. Because if you guys even try to break up I’ll… duct tape you together or something!”
 
Buffy laughed. “Duly noted.” Inside, she was still concerned about what Spike wasn’t telling her. She could sense him guarding his thoughts, and it nagged at her. Relax. If you start demanding he share everything at all times you’re going to push him away, she told herself.
 
When Spike came back home an hour or so later, smelling of cigarettes and looking calmer, Buffy greeted him with a hug and a kiss. Sorry I snapped at you this morning, she apologized. The past history got in the way again.
 
Love you, Buffy, he responded, deepening the kiss and moving his hands down to grip her hips. And if I start smothering you, you need to let me know. Don’t want to push you away. Their tongues searched each other’s mouths until they heard a voice say, “Ugh! Get a room already!”
 
“Watch it, Nibblet,” Spike growled, reluctantly having broken off the kiss. “You just wait until you start bringing boyfriends home. I’ll have my revenge.”
 
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do?” Dawn challenged.
 
“I’ll just answer the door like this,” he said as he vamped out. “Boyfriend problem solved.”
 
“Do I have to stop the car?” Buffy scolded.
 
“He started it,” said Dawn. She stuck out her tongue, then grinned, while Spike shook off his game face and grinned back. Dawn was relieved that Buffy and Spike had apparently made up their quarrel.
 
Dinner time finally rolled around, and Spike offered to cook. Buffy raised her eyebrows – it was a rare occasion indeed when Spike volunteered to cook, but he was actually not bad at it. An hour later, three steaks and some baked potatoes made their way to the dining table. Granted, Spike’s was incredibly rare, as he liked it, but the girls’ were cooked to perfection.
 
“I don’t get how someone who doesn’t actually need to eat is such a good cook,” Dawn said, digging into her dinner.
 
Spike shrugged. “I like human food, so I figured out how to cook the stuff I like. At least some of it. Just don’t ask me to do anything too complicated. Not a bloody chef here.”
 
Buffy did her best to enjoy the food in front of her, but the nausea was making it difficult. Ugh. Why do they call it morning sickness if it goes on all damn day?
 
Spike looked at her with sympathy. Poor Slayer. Eat what you can, don’t worry about offending the cook.
 
Dawn looked at Buffy as she picked at her food. “Are you ok? You’re hardly eating!”
 
“I’m ok,” Buffy assured her. “Just have a bit of upset stomach, that’s all.”
 
Spike looked at her again. You know, we really should let Dawn know sometime soon. She’s gonna figure it out eventually anyhow.
 
Not now. Christmas. I’ll tell everyone at Christmas. She looked at him meaningfully, warning him to silence.
 
Dawn cleared her throat. “Ahem? Silent conversations are still rude when I’m here!”
 
“Sorry,” they chorused. Then Spike asked Dawn about the movie she and Buffy had watched last night and the conversation began flowing to safe topics.
 
When dinner ended and the dishes were cleared, Buffy and Spike geared up for patrol as usual. Dawn said, “Have fun!” and grabbed the phone to settle in for a long Saturday night gabfest with Janice. The two blonds stepped out on the porch, Buffy put up the wards, and they walked off into the night. Unseen, the Kratash demon stepped out of the bushes and followed them.
 
*****************
 
“Blech!” said Buffy, spitting vampire dust out of her mouth. “Stupid wind!” They had come upon three vampires chasing a girl across the UC Sunnydale campus. They had caught up with them easily and engaged in a brief battle. Spike had taken out two of them before Buffy even managed to get in a blow, and when she had dusted the third one a gust of wind had blown the remains right into her face.
 
“Hope vamp dust isn’t bad for pregnant women,” Spike said, half jokingly, after they had sent the co-ed on her way.
 
“I’m pretty sure it isn’t listed under things to avoid in the ‘What to Expect’ books,” Buffy replied, brushing her clothes off.
 
“We might need to look in some other books,” Spike said. As he said it, he involuntarily wondered if Giles was having any luck.
 
Buffy stopped and turned to him. What were you thinking about just now? She had caught some of that thought, and found herself suddenly suspicious.
 
Shit, Spike thought. Busted. Realizing he would just make things worse by trying to cover it up, he took a deep breath and said, “I went to see Giles last night. I told him about our little problem.”
 
“You did what?” Buffy yelled. “After I specifically asked you not to? After I said I would handle it in my own time?”
 
“Oh, and when exactly would that be?” Spike snapped back. “When the kid is ten? Or do I just get to explain to Giles after some demon kills you?”
 
“So you just decided that this was your decision to make?” All the irritation of the morning came flooding back again as she glowered at her husband.
 
Spike was livid as well. “You don’t seem to understand the danger you’re in! I had to do something! It was for your own good, you stupid bint!”
 
Buffy’s eyes widened, and Spike knew instantly that he had gone too far. Certain phrases had incredible power for them. For Spike, the phrase beneath me would always reduce him to that pathetic poet, crying bitterly in an alley. For Buffy, the phrase for your own good was always going to conjure up Angel, Riley, and the rest leaving her, deceiving her, and acting unilaterally without consulting her. Buffy’s fists clenched in anger. “So now it’s your turn? You get to decide what’s best for Buffy now? Figures. Managed to get Angel, Giles, and the others out of my hair, so obviously someone had to fill the void. No way I could actually make decisions for myself or anything.” Her eyes filled with tears of rage and anger as she turned and stalked off.
 
“Buffy, wait, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, starting to follow her.
 
“Just leave me alone,” she snarled, stalking off across campus with Slayer speed.
 
Goddamn stubborn… Spike turned and kicked the nearest tree in anger. Just then the wind shifted again and Spike caught an unusual scent. Whipping his head around he scanned the area, and saw it. A figure was melting into the shadows next to a building. Spike took off in the direction Buffy went, but then dashed for cover behind a tree and waited. Soon the dark figure came out of the shadows, looked around, and started off following Buffy. As soon as the figure passed him, Spike silently crept out from behind the tree and with a roar, tackled him to the ground.
 
“What the fuck are you doing, mate?” Spike growled. He sniffed again. “You’re one of those spying Kratash bastards. Can tell by the smell.” Spike stood up and hauled the creature to its feet, twisting its arm behind its back and slamming it into a tree. “Why are you following her?”
 
Buffy had been heading back toward home when her own anger was interrupted by the sudden surge in emotions from Spike. She felt his anger at her turn to curiosity, then felt the complex mix of mental sensations that popped up when he was hunting. She heard him think Kratash? What do they want with her? She slowed her steps, then turned and sped back toward Spike. A sense of danger, mixed with rage, was flowing over their mental link and all of a sudden she was afraid. She fled toward him, imagining him being attacked by something. Spike? What is it?
 
She returned to where they had parted to find Spike with what looked like a human up against a tree, twisting his captive’s arm practically out of the socket and saying, “Talk, or so help me I’ll rip it off!”
 
“Spike! What are you doing?” she yelled. How can you be attacking a person? Your chip!
 
“Not a person,” he growled. He spun the figure around and held him by the neck. “Show your true face, if you want to live any longer.”
 
The Kratash struggled for a moment, then slackened. Buffy’s eyes grew wide as she watched the figure slowly melt from a human to a gray thing. It was humanoid in shape but featureless. Its face was a gray circle, with only the black, swirling eyes unchanged, and a thin slit of a mouth. “What the hell is that?” she sputtered.
 
“This,” said Spike, slamming the creature against the tree again. “Is a Kratash demon. Shape shifting little weasels who happen to be some of the highest paid spies in the demon realms. And I want to know why he’s spying on us.”
 
The Kratash writhed a bit more before giving up. “If I talk, will you let me go?” it gasped.
 
“Depends on how I like your answer,” Spike growled. He let up slightly on the creature’s throat so it could speak.
 
“I was sent to find a pregnant woman. She was supposed to be living near a hellmouth, with a demon mate. We tried Cleveland, but we found nothing. I was the first one sent to check this place out.”
 
“Who are you working for? Why do they want to find this woman?” Spike snarled.
 
“I don’t know!” Spike vamped and throttled him again, but the Kratash squeaked out, “I only report to my controller. He’s the only one who knows the real client. I was just supposed to find any likely candidates and report back, then keep an eye on  her and let the controller know when the child was due to be born. I swear that’s all I know!”
 
“Have you made your report yet?”
 
The Kratash hesitated, which caused Spike to twist his arm again even more painfully. “I just let them know I had a possible target! I said I didn’t know if she was pregnant or not! I swear!”
 
“How many more of you are in Sunnydale?” Spike demanded, cranking the creature’s arm up another notch.
 
“Just me! The others will come later!” the Kratash gasped.
 
Spike, I think he’s telling the truth. Buffy was completely dumbstruck by all the demon was saying.
 
I think he is too, Spike replied. Then with a roar he snapped the Kratash demon’s neck and dropped its body to the ground with disgust.
 
Buffy was somewhat shaken by the scene. “Spike what…?”
 
He turned to her, shaking off his gameface. “I sensed something was following us the other day, but I didn’t see him then. After that, and another one of those fucking dreams I went to Giles. These things,” at this point he kicked the corpse angrily, “Are the best spies in demonkind. They charge a premium for their services, and they usually deliver. Someone is after you, someone big.”
 
Buffy felt the anger and fear rolling off Spike in waves. She came up to him and tentatively put her arms around him. I’m sorry. I didn’t understand. I forgot you’re not like the others and I overreacted. Please forgive me. Please. She buried her face in his chest.
 
Spike wrapped his arms around her and held her close. I know I went behind your back. I’m just so afraid of losing you again. I’d rather have you alive and hating me than have to bury you again.
 
Buffy picked her head up and kissed him softly. “I don’t hate you,” she whispered. “I love you. You were right. I should have told Giles. You were right.”
 
“Love you, Slayer. Always. But we’ve got to have some help with this, yeah?” Buffy bit her lip and nodded. Spike gathered her to his chest and held her tight, emotions flowing back and forth between them like a flood. When they finally straightened up both of their eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Come on, pet. Let’s go home.” Buffy nodded again and they walked home with their arms around each other.
 
TBC