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Check Mate by Xela
 
Part IV
 
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Buffy clutched Spike’s hand, trying to calm her racing heart. She hated doctors. A lot. Not even the gynecologist was exempt. Though the different demons scattered around the office were, weirdly enough, making her feel a little more comfortable. Demons were way easier to deal with than doctors.

“It’s going to be fine, luv,” Spike’s long-suffering voice broke through her thoughts. “Really…promise…” Buffy frowned at the uncharacteristic strain she could hear.

“Oh! Oh God! Sorry, I’m spazzo girl, and I…” Buffy stared mournfully at Spike’s slightly mangled hand.

“Think I prefer you breakin’ m’nose,” Spike mumbled, gingerly shaking the injured appendage. A loud sniff made him look at his love, whose eyes were large and filling with tears. “Oh, kitten, was just kidding.” Spike gathered the tearful slayer in his arms. If she was going to be like this for the next nine months…

“Ms. Summers?” a nurse called out.

“Show time, pet.” Spike smiled at her, wiping away the tears that had made their way down her face. She graced him with a small smile, allowing him to pull her up and towards the back rooms.

“Ms. Summers? I’m Sheila, your nurse. How are you feeling?” Buffy eyed the smiling woman with the violet eyes distrustfully

“Aroga’nack demon, luv. Peaceful, and very good at healing.” Sheila—what kind of name was that for a demon?—smiled reassuringly at her.

“Yeppers! Now, if you’d just hop right up here, I’m going to take some blood so we can verify your pregnancy and make sure there aren’t any other nasties floating around in there…but you’re the slayer so this is mostly a formality.” Sheila busies herself by arranging all of her blood-taking paraphernalia, which Buffy tried to ignore. For someone who was covered in blood and gore most every night, needles still made her queasy. But Sheila just keep nattering on. “It’s such an honor to meet you, by the way. You’re something of a legend, and not just here on the hellmouth!” Buffy perked up at that.

“Yeah?” she asked with curiosity. Spike smirked to himself; Buffy did have something of a vain streak to her. But as the only useful Slayer in existence, he felt she deserved it from time to time. She’d had any semblance of normalcy taken from her at a young age, a little flattery was hardly a fair trade. And it was a good thing he’d called the clinic to tell them about Buffy’s little needle…dislike before they’d arrived.

“Oh, of course! It’s not every slayer that defeats the Master, brings a hell god to her knees, and has such a record as you. You’re pretty famous! AND mated to an Aurelius master vampire? Pretty big on the demon prestige scale there. All done!” Buffy looked down in surprise as Sheila capped the blood vials and pressed some gauze into her arm. Buffy watched as the efficient nurse labeled everything and started making notations on her chart. “And I see here that you want us to do a work up on you, Mr. Spike.”

“You have to take his blood, too,” Buffy said petulantly. Spike took a moment to glare at Buffy. So maybe Buffy wasn’t the only one who wasn’t overly fond of needles.

“Luv,” he ground out, “I’m a vampire. S’not my blood.”

“I had to do it, you have to too!” Buffy said stubbornly, folding her arms over her chest. Spike opened his mouth to argue, but Sheila cut them off.

“Blood tests won’t tell us much unless there’s something magickal directly affecting his blood, which is a possibility and can’t hurt.” Sheila’s huge grin didn’t falter under the force of Spike’s scowl. When Buffy batted her emerald eyes at him, Spike grudgingly held out his arm and let Sheila poke and prod at him. “Aa-all done! I’m going to get these to the lab, and the doctor should be in as soon as the results come though.”

Buffy thanked the grinning demon-nurse, sharing a woman’s look over Spike’s head, and then burrowed into her mate’s arms.

“Dirty pool there, slayer,” Spike grumped. He felt her smile against his chest.

“I shouldn’t have to suffer alone!” she protested, giggling when Spike growled at her. He tilted her head up and captured her lips in a kiss. The kiss deepened, their tongues tangling with each other, rediscovering the sensitive spots that made them moan. They were so wrapped up in each other that they failed to hear the knock on the door, or the door open, or the polite cough. Rose smiled at the oblivious couple; she’d heard stories about the slayer and her vampire mate, but to actually see them was just too cute! Two of the most fearsome warriors in the world were making out on her exam table like a couple of hormone-filled teenagers. Filling her lungs, she coughed again…*LOUDLY* The startled couple jumped apart.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Rose Smith,” she said with a smothered laugh. “Buffy and Spike, right?” The two disheveled blonds nodded silently, trying to find their voices. The vampire regained his equilibrium first, sending the doctor a charming smile. Oh, this one was a looker!

“Thanks for seeing us so soon, pet.” Rose just arched an eyebrow at the vampire’s suave seductiveness, and shared an amused look with the Slayer. She was a pretty little thing, so tiny to hold so much power. But in her time serving the demon community, she’d seen some equally deceptive things…and some very weird ones, of which this one barely even ranked. Well. Maybe it ranked a little.

“Right. So, Spike…may I call you Spike?” In her experience, the few vampires that came through here didn’t stand much on human titles for respect. At the vampire’s nod, she continued, “Could you detail your symptoms for me?” Spike looked a bit taken aback, but soon shook it off.

“Ah, after the spell had some nausea, felt all hot, passed out somewhere there. Temperature’s still up, blood doesn't taste like it should, doesn’t sit well. Been having…” he trailed off and glanced at Buffy, “been havin’ these, ah, human…urges.” He was suddenly the intense focus of two women.

“What kind of urges?” the doctor asked, all business. Buffy’s eyes asked the same question, but with a lot more anger and accusation.

“Ah, like, wanting to eat food and, um, feels like…at least I think it’s…I haven’t been alive in years, this isn’t—“

“Spike!” Buffy warned him. She was pretty pissed that he hadn’t told her any of this, and she was so going to kick his ass when they got out of here.

“Feels like I gotta *ahem* gotothebathroom.” If he could have blushed, he’d have been bright red. He ducked his head and stared firmly at the ground. Buffy’s tiny hand slipped into his, and he squeezed it reassuringly. They watched as Dr. Rose scribbled down notes on her pad.

“That’s all I needed to know. Spike, I’m going to schedule you for a follow up in three months.”

“Three months?!” Buffy exclaimed. She was starting to reevaluate this doctor. Perhaps they needed a second opinion. “What are we supposed to do for the next three months?!”

“Well, I’d imagine what most expectant couples do,” Dr. Rose said blithely. “Build a nursery, buy some baby clothes, throw a shower, make sure Spike doesn’t get too stressed. Oh, and make sure you take your prenatal vitamins. The likelihood of this pregnancy progressing normally is highly unlikely. You may experience faster development in some stages and prolonged gestation in others; this is all purely speculation on my part, but…” Rose trailed off as she realized neither of the expectant parents were really paying attention to her.

“You mean…I’m really pregnant?” Buffy said with awe. Her hand fluttered over her stomach, and Spike’s rose to cover it. They shared a look that only expectant parents can muster.

“No.” Freezing water was dumped over Buffy’s happy baby thoughts, and she was brought forcefully to reality.

“What do you mean NO?” the Slayer asked menacingly.

“You’re not pregnant. Spike is.”
 
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