Chapter 32 - Lessons

Thanks to everyone for being so patient with the updates. Ch 33 is already written, so leave me nummy reviews and I'll post quickly!

*hugs* Opal

Thanks to Meli for her work as a beta! :) She has been so very hectic with her own real life work, so extra thanks to her for finding the time to do this.

**Hugs**
Opal

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*Banner By Ariel Dawn*
Thanks AD! Hugs~Opal

Story Dedicated to Meli!
Thanks for being a great Beta. Hugs~Opal


Single Quotes = thoughts to oneself or between Buffy & Spike


Chapter 32 - Lessons from Dad

Buffy could feel a cold, hard surface beneath her legs, and a cool soft surface cradling her head. At first, she thought Spike was holding her, until she remembered being knocked out. Before she could jump up, her captor spoke up.

It was not at whom she expected it to be.

“Mum, it’s just me. William.”

“William, what are you doing here? I thought you went home?”

“I went home; home to Grandma Joyce sending me back to fix a few things.”

Buffy sat up and gave her son a perplexed look.

“So, kidnapping your mother is supposed to fix things?”

“You wouldn’t be sucking air right now if I hadn’t.”

Buffy scrunched up her nose.

“Huh?”

“I’ve got two words for you. “

“Spill them quick, because right about now that laundry list of stuff you wanted…not looking so good on being fulfilled.”

“Quentin Travers.”

“Oh.”

“Travers finds out about our family, and if I hadn’t intervened then you would have just been off'ed by his assassins. So I think that although I didn’t go about preventing your untimely death in the best way, I do think some of those items on my little list can come back, yeah?”

“Well, did you at least kill the assassins?”

“No, they are still out there. “

“Then it looks like we’re taking the sewers back to the house and if you couldn’t tell already, your father is pissed at you.”

”That’s Dad. It’s to be expected. But it would sure help him to open up and listen to me, but since he’s blocking me out from the link, perhaps if you would use your charm on him mum and get him to be reasonable.”

Buffy made her way over to the sewer entrance at the back of the crypt. She waved to William, indicating that he was to follow her.

“Come this way. Maybe by the time we get back to the house, he’ll have stopped fuming.”


**

Spike had paced around for what seemed to be forever. Buffy had only been passed out for a matter of minutes, it had not helped that his son did not at least send a warning to either Buffy or him. He effective blocked all further communication attempts that William had taken to communicate with him, but by the time Buffy and William had arrived back to the house, Buffy had calmed him down and relayed their son had yet again saved the day.

Still did not mean he was not going to give his offspring bloody hell.

As Buffy and William rushed through the door, William stopped when he saw his father’s glare of anger. He was not about to shrink back, but he was not going to confront him either.

“You bloody idiot!” Spike yelled. “Do you have any idea how ignorant, disrespectful, and stupid it was of you to do what you did? Do you have any idea of the consequences of your decisions?”

“But Dad...”

“No ‘but Dad’. How effective did you think scaring us all half to death would be to achieve your objective?”

William had had enough of his Dad’s ranting and finally moved to go up the stairs to the spare room. Before proceeding up the stairs, he turned to his father.

“I did what I had to do to keep mom alive.”

William then proceeded to go up the stairs without waiting for his father’s response.

“Was that really necessary Spike?”

“Yeah. The bugger scared the shit out of me!”

“He saved my life!” Buffy yelled back at him.

“And nearly almost lost his!” Spike screamed back.

“What? What do you mean almost lost his?” Buffy asked as she walked over to Spike within an inch of his face.

“When you were suddenly gone from me, I was holding infant William at the time. I was so frightened by the loss of our connection that I dropped him.” Spike softly replied.

“You what!” Buffy shrieked.

Spike looked at her and leered right in her face.

“I said I bloody dropped the baby, love. His little bitty body fell right from my arms and smack…”

“NO!” She yelled as she tried to run past Spike and up the stairs. William, having overheard the conversation, ran down the stairs to care for his mum but stopped as his father put his hand over Buffy’s mouth.

“…right in the middle of our big fluffy bed in between the pillows; where he is sleeping now.” Spike finished.

Buffy visible relaxed.

“So, he’s okay now?”

“Yeah love, he’s okay and the adult size version is standing on the stairs doing just fine too. As I was saying earlier, our decisions have consequences. Lucky for you William, that ended up being a pile of pillows.”

Spike scooped Buffy up in his arms and began to walk up the stairs. As he got to the step that William was on, Spike looked right at him.

“I’m only an ass because I love you all so much. Sometimes we make decisions that seem right at the time, but in the long run, they aren’t. When it comes to my family, I…”

“Protect what’s mine. Yeah Dad, you are right. I didn’t think, I just did.” William responded.

“That’s right. Here endeth the lesson.” Spike replied.

The family made their way up the stairs. Spike stopped to gather some blankets and pillows before proceeding to the bedroom. When William realized that he would be staying in the same room as his parents, he recalled the paradox clause that Grandma Joyce had mentioned.

“I don’t have to stay with you. I can stay in my room, with infant me.”

“But you’ll cancel yourself out, won’t you?” Buffy asked.

“The Powers gave me the gift to occupy space and time with the infant version of myself without any consequences.” William revealed.

“And what else did the Powers that fuck with our lives tell you?” Spike asked.

“That this is my last time coming back.”

“Well then, you better go sleep in your room. We will have to plan carefully to make sure that what we do this time is the right thing.” Spike advised.

Buffy sleepily walked over to her son and pulled him into her arms.

“I love you and thank you for saving me, yet again.”

“Love you too mum.” William replied as he took the blankets and pillows from his father.

Buffy turned to walk into her room, but she peaked out quickly.

“William, do you want me to tuck you in or read you a story?” Buffy asked.

“As much as I would love one of your stories, I think just a tuck in. Love you mum.”

“Love you too William. Spike say goodnight and come to bed,” Buffy said and then went inside her bedroom. From there she yelled, “And quit giving the poor boy shit because you dropped him!”

Spike rolled his eyes and turned to William.

“Not going to bloody live that down.” Spike said.

“Probably not ever,” William replied.

“Yeah, but I’ll be hearing about it for the next two months.” Spike spoke. He then quickly pulled his son into his arms and held him.

“Thank you for saving her,” Spike said, “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

“No problem Dad. Sorry I scared you.”

“’s okay. You obviously take after me in the ‘planning department.’ Go on,” Spike said as he gestured to William’s bedroom. “Go grab some sleep because tomorrow all the Scoobies and the Watcher will be here and we won’t get any peace and quiet until this issue blows over.”

“Sure Dad.” William replied as he walked into his room. As he threw his blanket, pillows and finally himself onto the floor, Spike poked his head into the room.

“Don’t ever forget son, I love you.”

“Love you too Dad.”

“And if you’re infant self wakes up because he needs his binky, diaper changed, or just wants to be held, you are going to take care of yourself! Goodnight son.”

“Good night Dad.”