June 9, 8 a.m., Buffy's House
"Spike, could you go get Buffy please? Breakfast is almost ready." Joyce Summers asked the vampire houseguest.
It had been a month and a half since Buffy had been attacked by Vermithrax. It had been wholeheartedly agreed upon that Buffy should have someone with her at home at all times. Who better than Spike? He _had_ to stay in all day. Finals came and went, with no further impediments on Buffy's 'normal life' and the grades were in. They were much better than Buffy had been expecting, but with all the extra time she had from not Slaying, she had more time to actually study. Not that she had actually wanted to, but what else could she do?
Spike reveled in Buffy's presence. To love her, to have her open to the idea of them being more than friends. It was marvelous. He helped her study for her finals, sat in the kitchen while Joyce taught him how to cook, listened to Dawn talk about school. He thought back to his past. It was so long ago in his mind. He was a different person now. Still dead, but a different person all the same.
In this new phase of their relationship, they proceeded very slowly. They already knew so much about each other, but still they talked.
A Couple Weeks Ago
Spike sat on the sofa with his arm draped across the back. Buffy had burrowed into the cozy space between his arm and his body. He had been a little cold, but had warmed with her nearness. He lowered his arm from the back of the couch to rest on her swollen midsection. They were watching a 'chick flick', as he called them, on TV. It was a movie Buffy had seen before she even found out she was pregnant, when she was with Riley.
"Tell me about Dru," she had asked him.
Spike was silent for a while. "Drusilla was a trip. I spent more than a hundred years with her, and I still couldn't figure that bird out. She was mad you know?" Buffy nodded her head into his stomach, "But, sometimes, she had such moments where she was more sane than the rest of us. She knew- in Brazil - when she left me for that Chaos Demon. She knew then that I was in love with you, even before I did."
With a great effort, Buffy raised herself into a sitting position. "Spike, I don't want you to think that I'm in love with you. I made that mistake with Riley. I know that now. I wish I could tell him that, but he's dead."
Spike nodded, wondering where this was going.
"But, I like you a lot. Probably more than I'm willing to admit."
Spike tightened his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug. Being with Buffy was nothing like Spike's dreams, which had once called nightmares. It was not as intense, but it was so much more. They both thought so. Like the necklace, it was something they didn't need to talk about.
Today
Spike made his way up the stairs, looking forward to seeing Buffy, waking her in the diffused light of the morning sun. His poet's mind raced. He doubted that a hundred years more could make his poetry any better than it had been in the nineteenth century, but to his heart, Buffy was poetry in motion.
There she was. She was wound around the enormous teddy bear Spike had given her at her baby shower a few weeks ago, after finals, with her fist lightly curled under her chin. Xander had even teased him about being a softie. The old Spike would have probably killed him on the spot. The Spike with the chip would have made a threat at least. This Spike just laughed it off and teased Xander about the gift he had given her. She was wearing it right now. It was a white triple extra large t shirt with a yellow diamond in the front. Across the diamond, black letters emblazoned, "Oracles on Board". The gang had shared a mixture of groans and stern looks when she raised it up for all to see.
As he opened the door wider, her eyes shimmered open. A light sheen was on her forehead due to the early morning summer heat. Her lips curved into a smile as she held her hand out to him. He grasped it tenderly and helped her first sit up and then stand. He didn't let go of her hand as they walked down the stairs.
They sat at the table just as Dawn was scooting into the kitchen. Her last final was today and she would finally be free of middle school and on to Sunnydale High. The prom and graduation were in two weeks and the whole family was looking forward to it. Spike had offered to take her to make up for not being there during the outdoor daytime graduation, but she had refused, saying that Xander was already taking her.
"Buffy, what's the matter? Are you feeling ok?" Joyce asked worriedly, noticing that her eldest daughter was barely touching the Spanish omelet she had made for her.
"Not really. My stomach is bothering me this morning." Buffy replied, toying with a green pepper.
"Do you think you should call Dr. Everhart?"
"No. I think I'll be alright. Just need to get out of the house. I think I'll hang out in the back yard for a little while and get some fresh air." Buffy stated and pushed herself away from the table.
June 9, 12 noon, Giles' House
Faith sat in the chaise lounge chair, dressed in nothing but a black bikini, taking in the sun. She had sunglasses on and was reading Giles' translated copy of the 'Dagon Manuscripts'. Two birds with one stone. A great tan that she would never get in jail and she would learn how to kill Glory before Buffy could. Giles had already left for the shop at nine. She pretended to be asleep when he checked on her. After he left, she gave herself a pep talk about the day and rose.
Today would be the day she killed Glory.
June 9, 2:30 p.m. Buffy's House
"I can't believe they did that to those two! They were meant to be together! How could she interrupt their wedding, wearing _that_ of all things?" Spike swore at the television. His addiction to soap operas was as bad as ever.
Buffy rubbed a comforting arm on his shoulder and said nothing, knowing better than to argue. Her stomach had never settled and it was feeling even worse. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead despite the air conditioning and her nearness to Spike. There was that stomach cramp again. Stomach cramp? She felt a wetness run down her leg. Oh no…
"Spike? I think it's time."
They had attended late night Lamaze classes together and both snapped into the procedure that had been drilled into them. Spike dialed the emergency telephone number and in between coaching Buffy's breathing and gathering the things they would need for the hospital, wrote a note for Joyce and Dawn.
As the ambulance arrived, Spike ran to it and in and yelled at the attendants who were helping Buffy to the open doors. He hadn't been in the sun for more than ten seconds, but a bit of smoke was still coming up from his hair when they finally got her inside. "I guess this means I won't find out if Rebecca really did that or if it was a dream," he said to Buffy with a sardonic grin.
"I'm sure," Buffy responded through clenched teeth, "that they have televisions at the hospital."
June 9, 6 p.m., Buffy's House
She had been waiting for over an hour before Dawn finally walked in the door. She watched as Dawn first picked up the scrap of paper with the chicken scrawl from Spike, then the piece of stationery from Joyce. Buffy was in hospital, the twins would be here soon. She knew she had no time to waste and didn't waste any wondering why Dawn had taken so long to get home from school.
She curled around the entrance to the kitchen. Dawn jumped, startled. She had always thought there was something creepy about this girl. The other Slayer. "Hi, Faith."
Faith tried to put on her best smile. "You have to come with me."
"To Buffy right?"
"Sure. Let's go." Faith cocked her head in the direction of the door and got on the motorcycle Wesley had lent her that had been parked around back. Handing the other helmet to Dawn, she waited for her to get on and they rode away from the house, throwing dust in their wake.
June 9, 7 p.m., Sunnydale Hospital
Xander was waiting just inside the front doors as the black classic convertible stopped under the awning. Joyce had called from the hospital around six. Anya had been upset because he had answered the phone when she was just about to try out that new idea she had heard about from the radio. She had calmed a little when she heard why. He had offered to go pick up Dawn, but when he got to the Summers' home, she was already gone.
The passenger side door opened to reveal a tall and impressive Angel. He turned and leaned down to say something to Cordelia and strode in.
Xander stuck out his hand in greeting, and said with a grin "Hey, Angel, long time no see. But, you could probably say the same thing to yourself."
Angel passed the offered hand by and began walking at a great pace. Xander had to sprint to catch up. Angel barked as he walked, "Where is she?"
June 9, 7:02 p.m., Sunnydale Hospital
Spike held her right hand as her mother held her left. The contraction had ripped through her worse than the last. Dr. Everhart was on hand to assist the on-staff obstetrician. They had been in about half an hour ago. They only smiled at her and told her that she was nowhere near delivery. First babies always took the longest.
"Where _is_ HE?" she cried out as the last wave of pain subsided.
Giles looked up from his vantage point in the chair across from Buffy's bed to see the door swing open. "I'm right here." Angel said from the open door. Xander was standing behind him Willow and Tara gave him a wide berth and Joyce released Buffy's hand. Angel picked it up lovingly. "I'm right here."
Buffy gave him a small smile which would have been funny considering her earlier monstrous outburst, and sank finally into a semi conscious respite. Angel stared at her for a long time, watching as her brow furrowed with each contraction, and finally looked up to see Spike staring directly at him with nothing but hate written in his eyes.
June 9, 9 p.m., Giles' House
He looked from Faith to Dawn and back to Faith again, "Are you quite sure this will work? I mean, are you sure about this?" Wesley asked in his Oxford British accent.
"Five by five." Faith replied simply.
June 9, 10 p.m. The Mansion
"I can almost taste that Slayer." Glory sniffed at the stale air inside the mansion.
Every underling she had sent to draw the Slayer out of hiding had failed for one reason or another. Most never came back. Hah. They were probably afraid that what she could do to them was a hundred times worse than being killed by the Slayer.
The air definitely felt different. She could almost see her. That blonde bitch who had caused a building to collapse on her, who had distracted her enough to let some of her true image come through the illusion, that had evaded her every attempt to ferret her out, no matter how hard she tried.
"Pull yourself together Glory. You've been around since the dawn of time. You can't let one mortal pester you so. So what if she's a Slayer? You've killed at least a couple dozen of them."
Glory smiled at the thought and waited. Something was going to happen, and she was going to be ready for it.
June 9, 11 p.m. Sunnydale Hospital
He pitched his cigarette butt across the parking lot as far as his arm would allow. As it landed, he turned to go back inside. As soon as they found out that she had been having mild contractions since the morning, the doctors had ordered everyone out so they could do a full diagnostic on Buffy. They were starting to get concerned. The labor had probably started before she had even woken up. Over twenty hours at least and she was still only halfway there.
She was almost within his grasp, finally, and he could quite possibly lose her tonight. After all she had been through, she could die like this. Spike sat down on the curb, looked up at the full moon and released a humorless snicker. "Bullocks."
He felt a presence behind him and turned to see Angel standing in the halo of the light from the doorway. "Spike."
Spike calmed a little before smiling and saying, "Angel!" he patted the pavement next to him and continued, "Have a seat, mate!"
Angel walked out of the doorway and over to Spike. "What are you doing here?"
Spike stood and stared directly into Angel's eyes, again. "What am I doing here? You want to know what am I doing here? What the bloody hell are YOU doing here? I've been here for Buffy while you play hero of the world up in LA. You couldn't even come down and visit her ONCE?"
Angel took a step back, baffled. Spike was shaking with rage.
Spike simply stalked after him. Soul-boy thinks he can just waltz in and out of her life, hurting her each and every time. He wouldn't let him this time. He grabbed the collar of Angel's coat and said starkly, "Remember, Angel, you're still a demon, and this chipper in my head doesn't stop me from harming demons. If she dies tonight I will have no problem killing you."
June 10, Midnight, Outside the Mansion
Dawn and Faith crept over the grounds of the Mansion. Dawn thought about all that had taken place since she arrived in her home to see Faith waiting for her. It was all too weird and upsetting.
Faith had taken her to Giles' house instead of the hospital. There, Faith had told her everything. About not being Buffy's sister, but, instead, some Key, about Glory, and about what they both had to do. She had cried at first, believing that Faith had turned evil again and was trying to torture her. But, she made her read the translated 'Dagon Manuscripts', which included the spell which had allowed her to come into being. She had tagged along with Tara and Willow enough to know that it was an extremely powerful spell.
Next, Faith showed her a part in the original which she said that she couldn't read. The writing pre dated cuneiform, Faith had told her. She had looked at the other Slayer, puzzled, because she could read it perfectly.
"And so the one who had no name will be restless, until the Key is given a form and will rise to stop her."
"And that's supposed to be me?" Dawn asked the older girl.
"You got it kiddo, but we need to hurry."
With Wesley's arrival, they began to prepare.
They were just outside the cellar door. Faith snapped off the rusted lock and they climbed gingerly down the stairs. Dawn hoped they would be able to do it. She hoped she was ready.
June 10, 12:30 a.m., The Mansion
"I can feel it." Glory breathed excitedly.
The Ronga demons that surrounded her shook their pointed heads and chattered amongst themselves. None of them were listening to the others; they just kept chattering. Their mismatched, brightly colored clothes only added to her growing headache. Angered, she considered cutting them all to pieces, just for their horrid fashion sense, but decided against it. They were mindless, but they were good at following orders.
"The Key is coming to me."
June 10, 1 a.m., Sunnydale Hospital
Angel and Spike paced outside Buffy's room at opposite ends of the hallway, the harsh fluorescent light of the hospital casting their faces into further shadow. At times one or the other would look up and give the other vampire a look which a brave man could not see and survive. Joyce, Tara, Willow, Anya, Xander and Giles were seated in a row across from the door. Wesley had called saying that Faith and Dawn were with him, but something had come up and they couldn't be there. They all knew that if Dawn was with Faith, she would be safe.
Finally, Angel stopped in front of the spectators and asked. "What is it that no one is telling me?"
Buffy had called dutifully after each visit with Dr. Everhart, except for that one week when she overslept and missed the appointment. Recently, though, she had stopped calling at other times during the week. He had assumed that finals were getting to her, and didn't question it. Willow cast a glance in Spike's direction and suddenly, Angel got the answer without anyone saying a word. "Him?" he asked incredulously, pointing.
Joyce was about to open her mouth in defense of Spike when the doctor opened the door and asked for Joyce, Angel and Spike. Joyce walked into the delivery room first, and Angel and Spike did the 'after-you' dance. At last, the doctor closed the door behind them and the gang looked at each other uneasily.
June 10, 1:30 a.m., The Mansion
Faith had picked through the various traps in the basement and she and Dawn made their way up the stairs that led to Glory. They went through the halls of the mansion they had heard about, but had never been, towards the only room where light emanated.
Faith kicked in the door, knocking over the two Ronga demons that were guarding it.
Glory stood in front of the dim fireplace. She turned nonchalantly and said, "Hello, Slayer." Noticing the young girl behind her, she did a double take. She was the Key? "Get them, but I want the girl alive!" she shouted to her horde.
The Ronga demons babbled in an affirmative to her command and Faith flew into the crowd and began picking them off one by one, leaving Dawn alone with Glory.
June 10, 2 a.m., Sunnydale Hospital
Dr. Everhart flipped through Buffy's chart and brought the first page around with a snap. "So you see, if she's not properly effaced within the next hour, we will have to perform a c-section. I was hoping with her health, that we could avoid that, but now, it's looking as though we will have to go through with it."
Buffy tossed her head listlessly in the bed as the latest contraction subsided. They were getting weaker as she was. "Stop talking like I'm not here," she muttered at no one in particular, "I'm the one who wanted them here."
Spike and Angel looked at each other, as they stood over her on opposite sides of the bed and silently agreed to sort out whatever problems they may have with each other later. Right now, all that mattered was Buffy.
June 10, 2:10 a.m., The Mansion
Cracking the head of the last Ronga demon against the marble table, Faith turned to see Dawn and Glory motionless. They stood, staring into each other's eyes, each one oblivious to Faith and the surroundings.
The Ether World [June 10, 2:15 a.m., The Mansion]
The gaseous haze swirled around the two beings as they conversed. It was like old friends meeting after a long absence.
The first, the hideous green monstrosity, unfurled its ragged wings and brought its dragon like head down, with its stinking breath and broken teeth, to speak to the other, the being that was composed entirely of light.
"So we meet again. This time you carry the Key within. Very clever. But I will get it this time. I will release the gate of hell and take my place as Queen of the Nine Depths and the mortal world above." the not-Glory being spoke.
"You can not extinguish the light, Glory. It will always be there to chase away your darkness. Yours and that of all your kind." the light-being replied.
June 10, 2:19 a.m., The Mansion
Faith had been transfixed by the two women before her. Suddenly, Glory snapped out of whatever trance had held her and roared in another language. She made a move towards Dawn and Faith moved to intercept her. "Dawn, look out!"
Dawn didn't flinch as Faith was tossed aside like a rag doll. Her head hung askew where she lay. An unseen wind began to course through the mansion, until it had gathered all around Dawn.
June 10, 2:21 a.m., Sunnydale Hospital
The fetal monitor beeped constantly with two distinct patterns. Buffy's monitor held a slow rhythm. Suddenly, that slow rhythm became the steady hum of a flatline.
Angel rushed out to get the doctors. Spike held Buffy's hand and pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "Don't leave me."
Joyce put her head down on the edge of the bed and alternately cursed whoever had 'called' Buffy and prayed to God that she would be alright.
The doctors ran in and stepped in between Buffy and her loved ones. They looked at her with anxiety as the fetal monitors began to beep frantically. They would have to perform the c-section before reviving her. The defibrillator would kill the infants. They worked quickly. They had to.
June 10, 2:21 a.m., The Mansion
At long last, the Key would be hers. All she had to do was kill this human. She walked towards the girl called Dawn with a steady gait and pulled a mace off the wall. She stood right in front of her, despite the wind that was ruining her hair, raised her arm in order to finish the frail slip of a teenager off.
She was shocked to see the mace rebound off the air without hitting Dawn. The wind had all finally arrived and concentrated itself around Dawn. A light began to radiate from her and her eyes began to glow goldenly. Dawn raised her arms, traced arcane symbols in the air and began to speak in that otherworldly language.
Glory covered her ears and began to shriek. She fell down and kept right on screaming as Dawn advanced on her, repeating the words over and over again. The earth shook violently and Glory was gone.
The wind died down and released Dawn. She collapsed, crying softly to herself.
June 10, 2:22 a.m., Sunnydale Hospital
"Ok, here's a big girl," the doctor said brightly without meaning it. He pulled the quiet infant out of the incisions he had made in Buffy's abdomen and handed her to the nurse. The nurse shuffled away quickly to clean the newborn, and the doctor let out an unconscious sigh of relief as he heard her squall from the other side of the room.
"And here's her brother," he finished his statement. The boy's eyes were open as he took in the new surroundings. Infants seen to, the other doctor commanded, "Ok, stitch her up as fast as you can and get that thing charged up."
To be concluded….
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