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Thirteen
 
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Chapter Thirteen

Buffy bit out a slight scream and her face scrunched up as the pain hit her and she tried to double over. She pulled one hand free in doing so. She tried to free the other hand from its shackle, but couldn’t get it to budge. Buffy felt someone slide under her free arm, trying to hold her up, and she could hear lots of commotion going on around her. When the pain finally subsided, Buffy looked up to see Angel dispatch the last fledgling. Spike was pulling on the chain hooked to her remaining shackle. She looked over and noticed that it was Wes who was holding her up. What were he and Angel doing in Sunnydale?

“Buffy how close are the contractions?” Wes asked her. Spike was still trying to break the chain and Angel was now trying to help him.

“Too close,” Buffy bit out as yet another hit her. The chain finally gave and Buffy started to sink down to the floor. Spike swept her up in his arms and Buffy grabbed his shirt, and ripped it almost in two as she yelled for him to stop.

“Slayer, we need to get you to the hospital,” Spike said firmly and started back toward the entrance.

“No…time…” Buffy managed to say, scrunching her face again.

Spike felt her whole body tense up and she had started making a humming noise. Similar to the one Dru made when the visions came. He silently implored Angel and Wes to help him but both were staring oddly at each other.

“Buffy, what are you...?” His eyes widened in realization, “You’re pushing! No, baby, not here. You can’t do this here,” Spike told Buffy, as if she had control over it.

“Tell...them...that,” Buffy panted out.

Wes quickly took charge of the situation.

“Angel, give me your jacket. I’ll need your shirt as well,” Wesley took off the jacket he’d been wearing and spread it out on the ground next to one wall then put his own shirt over it. “Spike put her down here,” Wesley indicated to the shirt. Spike looked a Wes like he’d suddenly sprouted horns. “Spike! I said put her here.”

Spike looked torn for a moment before he finally nodded and set Buffy gently down. Wes waited until her face relaxed again and then he looked her in the eyes. “Buffy, I’m going to have to look,” Buffy didn’t hesitate a second before nodding her consent.

“Over my dead...” Spike shouted in protest.

“Look Spike,” Wesley cut him off, “Like it or not, Buffy is probably going to deliver the first baby here. We don’t have time for arguments. I can’t help her without looking. Perhaps you would like to deliver her yourself?” Spike shook his head. “No? I thought not. Then let me do this. With any luck we can get her to the hospital before the other one delivers,” Wesley said as he draped Angel’s coat across Buffy’s knees. Wes quickly gave Angel a few instructions, as another contraction hit Buffy and she started humming again, and he quickly made the necessary inspection.

“Oh dear,” Wesley mumbled, glancing back up at Buffy. “Buffy, I need you to focus. I assume Rupert has been working with you on some techniques?” Buffy nodded her head. “Good. I need you to breathe now. You’re much too strong Buffy, and I can’t control this if you completely push. Spike, you need to get her to focus.”

Spike nodded and took Buffy’s face in his hands, turned her face to his, and looked her straight in the eyes. “OK Buffy, you can do this. Remember what the watcher taught you? You have to do it now, luv.” He started talking her through each contraction in his most soothing and rhythmic voice. Soon he found that he had Buffy focusing almost entirely on his voice. Spike had never used the little trick he’d picked up from Drusilla, but right now he was mentally thanking her. “That’s my girl, Buffy. Just keep listening to me. Wes, what do we need to do?” Spike asked without breaking eye contact with Buffy.

“I need small pushes. Nothing big,” Wesley instructed.

“All right then, this is it, slayer. Little pushes. Just like the man said,” Spike told her. Buffy nodded her head and complied. In a matter of moments it was all over.

“It’s a girl,” Wesley announced. He quickly cleaned and wrapped her as well as possible and she started crying.

Spike broke eye contact and turned his head toward the wondrous sound of the baby girl. Tears clouded his vision as he gazed in awe at her. She was so tiny.

“Is she OK?” Spike asked with a broken voice.

“I think she’ll be fine, but we should get them to the hospital now.” Wesley said as he handed the infant to Buffy, and indicated for them to stand. As Spike picked them up, Buffy let out another cry and Wesley turned to see she had resumed her vigorous pushing.

He had hoped she wouldn’t progress this fast. First time’s weren’t supposed to progress so fast, and there was usually some modicum of time between each child. Then again, they had virtually no idea how a slayer’s physiology would affect a delivery, much less with twins. He supposed they were quite lucky to have arrived when they had.

“Or we could be not so lucky,” Wesley ruefully added, as Buffy demanded to be put back on the floor. He knelt down once again to check on Buffy. His suspicion was confirmed as Buffy began pushing again. “Spike, I’m afraid it’s time for round two.”

Spike nodded his head and turned to Buffy but was interrupted as he began to speak.

“Oh dear Lord,” Giles had come around one of the entrances and promptly spun around, putting his back to the group. “Terribly sorry. Didn’t realize...” Just then Willow came running in, “Oh my!” She gasped and blushed deeply before joining Giles staring at the cave wall.

“Oh good grief....”Spike muttered staring at the backs of the two. Buffy started her humming again and pushed with vigor.

“Spike!” Wesley yelled.

Spike returned his attention to Buffy and soon had her back in her semi-hypnotized state.

“Rupert,” Wesley called “I’m afraid I’m going to need your shirt.”

“Yes, yes, of coarse,” He said as he shed the shirt and handed it to Willow. She eyed it with horror and shook her head at Giles. They quickly passed it back and forth as if it would burn their hands.

“Oh for the love of...” Angel muttered and rolled his eyes, then he walked over and took the shirt from them. He handed the shirt to Wesley and returned his attention to the little girl he was monitoring while Spike and Buffy’s attentions were otherwise diverted.

Soon the cave was filled with another cry as Wesley cleaned and wrapped the small boy and handed him off to Spike and returned his attention to Buffy.

Angel ensured that Buffy had full control of her daughter, then stood back to watch the new parents. He saw Spike’s expression and recalled his own son’s not so distant arrival and the joy he had felt as he had picked up the small infant still covered in Darla’s ashes.

After seeing to the cords and afterbirth, Wes finally proclaimed that they were ready to move. Angel took the girl back and Spike handed his son back to Wesley, then wrapped Buffy up in the jackets and scooped her up in his arms.

**********

Buffy was sitting up in her bed as she watched the two vampires, each holding a tiny bundle. Giles, Wesley, and some of the girls were admiring little Thomas, as Dawn, Xander and the rest cooed over little Isabella. The doctor had assured her that the babies were fine and healthy. They had even seemed to buy wholeheartedly, the whole home birth story the group had concocted on the way to the hospital.

“All right everyone, you’re going to have those babies sick and spoiled.” Willow came in and was shooing everyone out the door. “Besides, mom needs her rest,” She said as she began pushing the highly protesting group through the doors.

Buffy still couldn’t believe they were at the Crawford street mansion. Angel and the others had moved the whole house while she’d been in the hospital. They hadn’t even told her until she saw them turn on to Crawford and questioned Spike about it. She’d cried when she walked into their room and she saw the nursery off to the side. He’d put a door in between the two rooms so they could easily access the nursery from the bedroom.

Angel placed a small kiss on little Bella’s forehead and then one on Buffy’s cheek before he too left the room, closing the door behind him. Spike came and sat on the bed next to Buffy, bringing Tommy with him. He sat there for long minutes just staring at the sleeping child.

“I didn’t get you anything,” Spike finally said quietly.

Buffy looked at him, confused by his statement.

“You gave me three incredible gifts and I didn’t get you anything,” He clarified, looking up at Buffy with that look of love that always seemed to melt her heart. “And I have nothing to say that could thank you enough for them.”

Buffy felt her heart swell. Spike always seemed to know what to say to make her feel this way. Wait a minute, three? He’d said three gifts.

“What’s the third gift, Spike?” She asked.

He leaned in to place a soft kiss, but stopped just shy of her lips.

“You, luv. It was you.”

**********

The End...or is it the beginning?
 
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