Blood Red Rivers
Part 1 – Embrace
“How do I look? Do I look okay? Am I fat in this shirt?” Xander paced nervously through the room.
“Calm down, luv, you look fantastic.” Spike watched with slight amusement as his lover changed his shirt for the fifth time that evening.
Xander studied himself in the mirror, before turning sideways and sighing in frustration. “Gods! I’m so huge! Do this alone, Spike! I am not going out there!”
“Now, now, pet,” Spike moved to Xander’s side. “You’re not huge, you’re perfect. And I thought you looked stunning in the green silk. Put it back on, luv. Our guests are waiting.”
After Xander had the shirt pulled onto his arms, he reached for the vampire, who happily stepped into the embrace. “I love you, you know.”
“ ‘Course you do, pet. But those demons out there might not if we’re any later.”
“Can’t we stay in here?” Xander pouted.
“No, luv, and don’t use that face on me. Besides, the doctor said…”
“No sex until the babies are born,” finished Xander.
Malachi knocked on the door, “Are you ready, Xander?”
“Speaking of children,” said Spike, smirking a little. “Here comes the surrogate son now.”
“Oh, I wish we were having girls!” moaned Xander, as the left the bedroom.
“But then you’d have to worry about boyfriends and shopping and all that rot,” said Spike pragmatically.
“I already have to worry about the boyfriends, and with Jericho around, our kids will definitely be pulled into the world of shopping.”
“Hey, they might not turn out like Malachi,” Spike pointed out.
“Right,” said Xander dryly. “Then next time, you get to be the one to explain to Joholen why his son was fucking a Ryshian in the middle of a mall.”
* * * * *
Angelus looked at the door again and sighed. Next to him, Doyle shifted in his seat again. “Will you stop that?” hissed the irate vampire.
“Only if you stop sighing like that,” replied Doyle. “The boys will get here when they get here. You know Xander’s very emotional now that he’s in the last month.”
“I know,” growled Angelus. “But you’d think they could be on time for at least ONE functionary dinner per week, wouldn’t you?”
Spike and Xander entered the dining hall, followed by Malachi. They made their way up to the head table, where Angelus greeted them. “So glad you could make it, boys.”
“Sorry, Peaches,” sneered Spike quietly. “We were having a bit of a problem getting dressed.”
“What, did someone ruin your black dress t-shirt? Oh, wait, you have fifty more,” snickered Angelus.
Spike pulled Angelus to the side, making it appear as if they were hugging and hissed into the older vampire’s ear, “Look, Xander here got a little upset ‘bout how he looked in his shirt, so you smile and tell him he looks damn pretty. Or he’s gonna cry and pout, an’ we all know how that goes.”
Angelus pulled away from his childe and straightened his shirt collar where Spike had been gripping it. “Xander, you look stunning. Now, may we please be seated so we can get started?” Spike helped Xander into his chair, then he and Angelus sat down.
“Did you only say that so that I wouldn’t cause a scene?” asked Xander, tears beginning to form in his eyes.
Spike groaned inaudibly as Xander’s eyes seemed to get even larger and more kicked-puppyish.
“No,” said Angelus quickly. “No, of course not. I was covering for the fact that I want to whisk you away to my rooms and never let you out again.” He leaned toward the boy, “Do you think Spike would be willing to trade you for Doyle?”
“Uh uh, I’m Spike’s,” said Xander, his eyes ceasing their anime impression. “You can’t have me.”
“Well, then, back to business,” said Angelus.
* * * * *
Willow ushered the last few people in and closed the doors behind her. She rejoined Tara, Giles, and Buffy at the front of the building.
Giles stepped forward, “People, please. I need silence in order to be heard.” Instantly the slight murmuring ceased. “Thank you. Now as you are all aware, many unexplainable things have happened in the past couple months. We have brought you here to explain some of these things to you, and to help you fight them.
“Demons have taken control of the world. Yes, demons are real. Vampires are real. Many of the things you believed did not exist actually do. If at all possible, we would like your help in fighting them. Because if we do not resist, no humans are safe. We will become slaves, pets kept to amuse them, or even as livestock to feed them.”
Outraged and disbelief met his statements as Giles’ words sank into the gathered crowd.
“What can we do? They’re more powerful than us!” yelled an anonymous voice.
“With the proper knowledge and training, you can defeat the demons,” said Giles. “We must arm ourselves with both information and weapons.”
* * * * *
Just as Angelus was preparing to start his welcoming speech, Xander doubled up in pain and would’ve fallen off his chair if Spike hadn’t caught him. “Easy, luv, what’s wrong?” asked the terrified vampire.
“He’s going into labor,” said Doyle. “Someone fetch the doctor!” Malachi ran from the room, in search of the doctor.
Angelus turned to the small gathering of demons. “I’m sorry to have to do this to you, but we will have to adjourn and reschedule this meeting. My childe’s lover is giving birth.”
“Of course,” said one F’yarl demon. “We understand, your unholiness. We will await instructions in our rooms.” The visiting demons exited the hall.
“Dammit,” snarled Angelus. “Now they’re going to be here even longer!”
“Angelus,” said Doyle sharply. “You’re scaring Xander.”
“S-sorry, Deadboy,” said Xander through pain-clenched teeth. “Picked a b-bad time for this, huh?”
“No, Childe” said an immediately contrite Angelus. “You had no control over when this would happen. And I overreacted.”
Xander made as if to reply, but howled in pain. Spike looked up at his Sire through golden eyes. “Where the bloody Hell is that doctor?” he snarled.
“Right here,” panted the doctor, racing into the room, Malachi hot on his heels.
“Malachi, leave,” said Spike.
“Why?” asked the boy.
“You’re too young to be here,” growled the vampire.
“Am not!” protested the youth.
“You are too,” said Doyle, leading the young Grogthk demon out of the room. “But, I’ll keep you company.”
Angelus and Spike both turned burning golden eyes on the doctor, who gulped audibly. “H-he’s doing fine. The labor’s progressing a bit faster than I thought it would. He’s almost dialated fully.”
“Where are the babies going to come out?” asked Angelus, a bit queasy.
The doctor looked the older vampire as though he’d lost his mind. “Gorgthk demons have an undetectable birth canal. The only time it can be seen is during labor. How did you think this was going to happen?”
“I didn’t really think about it,” admitted the demon.
Xander screamed as a contraction ripped through him and gripped Spike’s hand so tight an audible crack echoed through the room.
“Xander,” said the doctor. “Xander, listen to me. The next time you feel a contraction, I want you to push, okay?”
Xander nodded and relaxed slightly. Just as he loosened his grip on Spike’s hand, another contraction ripped through him. He tightened his hold on Spike and pushed as hard as he could. A baby’s cry soon filled the room.
“Good, Xander. Now I need you to do that again.”
“No…” he whimpered. “No mo-augh!” his words were cut off by a pain-filled scream and he lost consciousness.
“Luv? Xander?” Spike held tightly to his mate. He glared at the doctor, who was cradling a newborn infant in his arms. “Fix him.”
“He’s fine,” the doctor reassured Spike. “The pain caused him to pass out. He should be waking back up any time now.”
As though to prove the doctor correct, Xander stirred in Spike’s arms. “Spike-luv?” he asked dazedly.
“Right here, pet,” said the blue-eyed vampire. “Look!”
The doctor carefully handed Xander his two babies. Xander relinquished his hold on Spike’s hand to cradle the two infants. “Tow fine healthy males,” said the doctor.
Xander and Spike looked at the infants with wonder and astonishment. Angelus was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Xander sighed happily, “Jesse and Daemon, my two little angels.”