SquidgeWorld Archive

CLASSIFICATION: Faith/Angel partnership/relationship. Also Spike/Buffy, Xander/Cordelia, Willow/Oz and Giles/Joyce (so no one broke up in "Lovers Walk"). Mentions of past Buffy/Angel and Spike/Drusilla.

SPOILERS: Set in a slightly AU after "Becoming, Part 2": things that happened on the show have been sped up or changed (slightly or dramatically). Some events will never have happened.

DISCLAIMER: If you don't recognize it, chances are it's my own creation. If you do, Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Kazui Sandollar, FOX and the WB own it or them. Various friends of mine are holding characters hostage. You may see them by appointment only.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I saw this challenge actually when someone else mentioned they were answer a challenge posted by the Inquisitive One at UCFic4BtVS. I lost the list of requirements, but the concept was an interesting one. Also, answer to Improv #32 (roll -- cracker -- stupefy -- chunk), and I used Challenge In A Can and got "Buffy," "bittersweet" and "pillow."

At the chocolate scene, I skipped forward to the point where Buffy was almost a year along, so there's a huge jump.

Complicated Pregnancy
By Ragna
***

She watched him stumble backwards into that gaping pit. As much as she wanted to turn her eyes away she couldn't. She watched her one true love fall backwards into the pit of hell. When it was all over, then she could turn her head. She threw up, the same nausea that had been hitting her almost every day returning with more force.

She leaned her head against a brick wall, hoping it would cool her and stave off another attack. But her mind was working more than the brick was; one thought was primary in her mind and it chilled her to the bone:

"I'm pregnant."

***

"Buffy took off, didn't she?" Xander asked.

Willow nodded. "She had to kill the guy she loved. Then she couldn't deal here. That'd be proof of wigging out." She glanced over at the new Slayer, Faith. She'd come to replace Kendra and not a moment too soon.

Buffy had made a complete exit from Sunnydale. Snyder had already expelled her, so school wasn't a problem. Her Mom gave her her blessing to move in with her dad, her dad said come to LA.

Buffy left.

Two weeks later, Faith arrived, saying Buffy wasn't dead, just out of commission for a while, and the council had sent her after her Watcher had been murdered.

After a run-in with the vampire that murdered her Watcher, Kakistos, the Scoobies accepted Faith right off.

But Willow still had a nagging feeling that Buffy wasn't saying everything...

***

Buffy looked at the two people in front of her, the man and the woman. "So, what is going on? I thought vampires and humans couldn't have children?"

The Oracles shook their head. Buffy had found an old "friend" in Los Angeles, an acquaintance of Merrick's, who upon hearing her news and seeing the home pregnancy test, took her to meet with the Oracles. She felt nauseous just going through the doorway.

It would serve them right if she just threw up all over them. They were supposed to be helping her, and they weren't doing anything of the sort.

"Your scenario is...strange," the woman finally said. "The twins you are carrying are human. They will have superior senses, like a vampire. And yet..."

"They are strange," said the man. "One twin is developing now; they other will develop later. They will not look like twins, yet they will be." He looked straight at Buffy. "Do not involve the human doctors. It is for safety measures."

"Mine or yours?"

"Both, but more ours. It would be considered an anomaly, and it cannot be put up to scrutiny." The woman looked to the man, and in unison, they said, "Trust the creature outside the door. He is our only hope."

"You guys are self centered asses," Buffy said. Then clutching her mouth, she ran back through the doorway, throwing up onto a pair of black boots.

"Well, hello there, Slayer," Spike said without hostility, looking at the small blonde girl puking on his black combat boots. "Did Angel get you knocked up?"

Buffy looked up sharply, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "What?"

Spike offered her his arm and she reluctantly took it. "Angel, when he was Angelus, thought he might have gotten you preggers. Wasn't sure." He looked her up and down. "Now I'm sure."

"What were you doing here?"

"Dru left me the minute she woke up," he said, shrugging. "I figure she had the right to. So I was going back to Sunnyhell to make your life miserable when word gets me that the Sunnydale Slayer is here. Was going to go to the Oracles to find out."

"But...how'd you know..."

"About you being preggers? Most demons know." He sniffed the air. "You smell it. But look, I decided, hey, maybe doing the right thing is not always a bad idea. And you're going to need help. Some demons won't touch a pregnant woman. Others...let's say they're not choosy. Besides," he added, "Angelus and Dru are out of the picture, as are your friends. I'd say all we have is each other."

Remembering what the Oracles said, even if she didn't like it, she nodded. She knew she probably looked stupefied, but she didn't care. "I guess so."

"I heard nibbling crackers helps with nausea. Let's find you some." Spike held her arm lightly and walked out of the tunnel into the cold night.

***

It was a fight that was blurry and fast paced. Faith was on a roll beating the vamps, which had brought her to the Crawford Street mansion, with only Giles and Xander there to help.

She wasn't used to fighting vamps and having people help. And having four people other than the Watcher know was interesting. As she pushed her stake through another vampire's heart, she thought for a moment that it was nice to have the help. She wasn't entirely comfortable with everyone yet, like Cordelia and Oz, but she appreciated the help they put in.

And little by little they started to tell her about Buffy, about everything that had happened to her. And she had to admit, the chick had balls. She'd done a lot in a community where roughly 38% of the population was either demon or vamp, and most of the humans were clueless as all hell. That was a pretty big chunk to fight and protect.

It was the other things that had got her thinking, though. Things about Buffy and a vampire named Angel. Faith had never really loved anyone that much; she was a "wham bam thank you man" type woman. And for the lover to be a vampire...it wasn't something that was normal. But, not having ever met Buffy or Angel, it wasn't her place to really say anything.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light as the last of the vampires had been dusted. The three fighters turned around and saw a naked man lying on the floor. Faith looked at him. Her Slayer senses were screaming that he was a vampire, and she would have staked him if Giles hadn't walked towards him first, stake in hand ready to strike.

Then the vampire looked up. Xander's stake fell out of his hand.

Giles stopped mid stride.

Faith looked at the two of them. Something was up.

"Where's...Buffy?" the vampire asked. And then he fainted.

Xander and Faith moved up to Giles. "Who is he? Why aren't we staking him?" Faith asked.

"That, Faith, is Angel." Giles said.

Faith sucked in a breath. "Is he...still un-souled?"

Xander looked at Giles and Faith. "Until we know, we should chain him up," he said, motioning to the chains on the wall.

Giles nodded. "A good idea." He nodded to Faith. "Can you carry him?"

"Probably," she said, moving over to the naked vampire and easily lifting him up. He was limp, which made it easier. "Help with the chains." She then stopped. "Someone's going to have to watch him."

Xander shook his head. "Not me."

"I don't think any of the others would be a good choice, either. At least not until after we know," Giles said. He looked to Faith. "Will you?"

Faith nodded. "Okay."

***

Angel woke up, still feeling dazed. He looked around a saw a striking girl with dark hair staring at him. "Who are you?"

"Faith, the vampire slayer."

"Is Buffy dead?" He asked, alarmed. He started to stand up, and only then did he notice the chains. "What's going on?"

"Chill," Faith said. "She alive, just gone. Went to Los Angeles to live with her father. I got sent here to take her place."

"The council wouldn't have just let her go like that," Angel said.

Faith shrugged. "I only did what they told me to." She gestured to the chains. "They're not sure if you've got a soul or not. I think Willow was going to do a spell to check or something in the morning. Until then, I'm watching you. I'm not afraid to stake you, even if you are the infamous Angel."

"Don't you mean Angelus?"

Faith shrugged again. "Angel, Angelus, whatever."

"Don't ever get the two of us confused. Angelus is Hell in a human form."

"Then I'll make sure that if I ever meet Angelus, Hell will turn to dust."

***

Spike waited outside Buffy's apartment door while she checked to see if her father was around. It looked as though he was still away on one of his constant business trips. "Come in," she said to Spike.

Spike stepped through the doorway and looked around at the spacious apartment. "I'll admit it's nice, love."

Buffy nodded, going into the kitchen and reaching for the box of saltines she kept there. "Yeah, I guess."

"So...what've you been doing?"

"Nothing. I go to a community college, so I can get my GED, because Hemry wouldn't take me back. And I go to the movies, and I spend a lot of time alone."

"How far along are you?"

"A few months. I think. The Oracles said I'm having twins, but I'm not."

Spike looked puzzled. "What do they mean by that?"

Buffy shrugged. "I guess one twin's developing now and the other will develop later, or something like that." She paused and looked at him. "Why are you really helping me?"

Spike sat down, shaking his head. "I never gave you enough credit. I am helping you for some of the reasons I said, but I'm also helping you because the Oracles are forcing me into it. Something about it being my destiny to be by your side. That's why I was there; I wanted a straight answer."

"A straight answer? From them? Good luck." Buffy sat down across from him. "Have a place to stay?"

Spike shook his head. "Just got into town, love."

"Then stay here, I guess. It'll make protecting me a bit easier." Buffy got a strange look on her face, then put a hand over her mouth and bolted towards the bathroom.

Spike watched with a strange fascination. This was going to be very interesting...

***

"He's ensouled," Willow said. "This is Angel."

Giles nodded. He handed Angel some clothing, careful not to get too close. It looked as though Giles was still angry at what Angel had done to Jenny.

"Giles, I..." Angel began.

"Save it," Giles spat out. "I do not want to hear your apologies. At the moment, I'm not sure if I can stand to be around you, ensouled or not, without causing you harm. It will be best if I leave." He looked to Willow. "I'll be back at the library."

Willow nodded. She, Xander and Faith watched as the librarian left the room, keeping his head high and his shoulders tense. "Well, I guess you can get dressed, Angel. There's some fresh blood here, too."

"Does Buffy know I'm back?"

Willow shook her head. Xander said, "She's not really talking to any of us right now."

"You didn't do anything wrong. I did."

Xander shrugged. "Well, we're incommunicado with the Buffster right now. I don't even think any of us has her number."

Angel nodded, his heart beginning to feel heavy.

"Angel...I need to apologize," Xander said. "I didn't tell Buffy...I knew..." He stopped and took a deep breath. "Angel, I knew Willow was trying to re-soul you. But I didn't tell Buffy."

Angel remained very quiet, so Xander continued. "I hated you. And I did it for that reason. If I'd known..."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Angel said, looking up and noticing that Willow had an angry look on her face and was about to say something to Xander. "It didn't happen until the portal was almost completely open. If she hadn't...killed me...this place would be Hell right now."

"I bet you came back because you died as a sacrifice," Faith added quietly.

"Maybe." Angel took the clothes he'd been holding in front of him and moved them forward a little. "Can I get some privacy for a moment?"

Xander and Willow left, but Faith stayed, turning her back. "I've been here all night with you, so seeing you naked doesn't bug me. I mean, it's five by five, you know? But if you want privacy..."

She could hear Angel putting on the clothes. She waited until she stopped hearing noise and turned around to look at Angel. "You look nice with clothes on," she said. Normally she was flirty with men who looked hot to her, but with Angel it was...strange. Maybe because he was a vamp, maybe because he was Buffy's vamp...she didn't know.

Angel grinned, just a little. "You didn't tell me much about yourself last night."

"Not much to say."

"I don't know."

Faith shrugged. "I can tell you later." She looked around. "You going to stay here?"

"I did before." He looked at her. "Where are you staying?"

"Hotel near the edge of town." She shrugged. "Not a bad place, but not great, either."

"Stay here."

Faith looked surprised. "Why?"

"I figure if you stay here, keep an eye on me, maybe I can get back their trust."

Faith looked at him. "Let me think on it."

"Fair enough." He ran a hand through his hair. "I want to see Buffy."

"Hey, maybe I can help you find her," Faith said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Angel looked at this new Slayer who he'd known for barely a day and had already invited to share his home with. "Thanks," he said.

"No prob."

***

"Tried talking to your mates lately?" Spike asked the next day.

Buffy shook her head. Spike had actually gotten up and cooked her a meal of toast and scrambled eggs. It was a bland meal, but it was something she could keep down. "Not much to say. They don't know I'm preggers."

Spike nodded. He was flopped down in the loveseat while Buffy sat on the sofa across from him. The TV set was on, tuned to "The Ricki Lake Show." Neither of them was paying much attention to it. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"I don't know if they'd have believed me." She nibbled on the toast. "Besides, I feel like I've abandoned them. I...I just can't deal with them and this at the same time," she said, gesturing at her slightly rounded stomach.

"Must be rough," he said sincerely.

Buffy looked at him. "I hate this destiny crap."

"You don't want me around?"

"Spike, if I didn't want you around I wouldn't have offered to let you stay here." She smiled slightly. "No, I just don't like how it takes away choices. I didn't want to be seventeen and pregnant, you know. And for that matter, how is it even possible?"

"Maybe it was destiny," Spike said. A second later, a pillow hit in the face. "Bloody hell!"

"And maybe it was destiny for that pillow to hit you in the face," Buffy said, smirking.

"If you weren't preggers, I'd..."

"You'd what?"

"Hit you in the face with a pillow of my own."

"Ah," Buffy said. "Then maybe I should be glad I'm pregnant." The smirk faded. "But I'm really not."

Spike looked at her. "Why?"

"Because I'm alone."

"No, you're not. You have me to help."

"Yeah, but...I'm alone in the other sense. I mean, Angel's not here, and..." She raised her hands up. "I don't know. My life sucks right now."

"It'll sort itself out," Spike said. "Now, about taking care of you for a bit..."

***

Almost A Year Later

***

Buffy took the bar of chocolate from Spike and took a small nibble. She made a face at him. "What the hell?"

"Bittersweet chocolate."

"But why?"

"From what I heard, women who are preggers get strange cravings. You said you wanted chocolate, so I figured..."

"I wanted something like a Hershey's bar," she said, setting the bar of chocolate down. "I guess we can find a use for the rest of it later."

Spike tossed her another chocolate bar. "Like I said, I figured you'd want bittersweet. And then I thought maybe white chocolate, or dark, or something, so I got a little of everything."

"How little of everything?" she asked, tearing into the Hershey's bar she now had.

"About three bars of white, three bittersweet, two dark because that was all the had, and a six pack of Hershey's. Plus there's an Almond Joy or two and some Reese's Pieces, in case you wanted either of those."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks. You didn't have to get me chocolate."

"Yeah, well, it's the first time in about three months you've actually craved food."

Buffy tilted her head a little. "Three months. Funny...I didn't realize it had been that long."

Spike nodded. "But I have to say, three months and your father hasn't been here?"

Buffy shrugged. "Used to it." She nibbled on some more of the chocolate. "Christmas is coming up."

"And?"

"Well, I used to get a huge stocking, every year. Even after I got into middle school, my mom used to fill one up for me. It was...sweet." A tear fell down her cheek. "I don't think I'll be getting one this year."

"Love, Joyce loves you," he said, moving next to her. "And I'm sure if it's a tradition, she'll keep it up."

Buffy nodded a little, wiping away the tear. "God, I'm an idiot. Crying over a Christmas stocking I may or may not get."

"Well, it's the small things that get you the most, right?"

"I guess so."

Spike threw an arm around a shoulder, a gesture they were both comfortable with after many months of living together, taking care of each other. "Love, I promise, you'll get a stocking next Sunday."

Buffy smiled and quickly kissed Spike on the cheek. "Cool."

Spike sat up a little straighter, slightly stunned. She'd never kissed him before, in any way. It was a strange feeling.

"Anything to make you happier, love."

***

Sunnydale had had one hell of a last few months. After they realized Angel wasn't a threat, a new menace came to town, a vampire named Mr. Trick. First, he'd organized a little Slayer Hunt so that certain killers could try and bag a Slayer. Angel took care of half the killers while Faith got the rest, and everyone else had a great Homecoming dance.

Then Mr. Trick made a deal with Giles' old friend Ethan Rayne to make the candy that the Sunnydale High students were selling turn adults into teenagers. It almost worked, but when Willow stopped by Buffy's old house to see if anyone had heard from Buffy and saw Joyce and Giles kissing, she realized something may have been up, and that she never wanted to see that sight again. It was good old Xander who got Mr. Trick in the end, though, rounding up all the adults by the promise of a keg party so that Willow could find an anecdote to cure them all and make sure they'd be in one place. Turned out is was all about a ritual sacrifice that required babies, who were found unharmed and returned to the hospital.

Everyone was put to the test when a new Watcher arrived for Faith. It turned out she just wanted to find a magical glove but, surprisingly, Cordelia found it first and had one hell of a cat fight with the Watcher to keep her from getting it. Even though Cordelia ended up having to get all of her nails redone and a new outfit, Giles was glad to pay for the expenses in appreciation. He'd even agreed to work with Angel on destroying the glove after they turned the rogue Watcher into the Watcher's Council. It was a huge first step for them both.

And then there was Drusilla's appearance. She was looking for Spike, but no one had any idea where he was, and after wreaking a little havoc she left Sunnydale. The whole incident shook Angel, who she'd tied up and tortured to find out what he knew. It also caused trouble for Willow, because when Drusilla found out she was a witch, she went to her for a love spell. Thankfully, she and Oz were doing a group bowling night with Xander and Faith, and they managed to firmly convince Drusilla to tell them where Angel was and in what condition he was in.

Faith and Angel had really started to bond in the last few months, and this latest major event had her freaking out about his sanity.

"It's like...I swear, Harris, I think he's seeing things," she told Xander two days before Christmas while he was helping her train in the library. "I mean, yeah, Dru was a psycho and all, but he keeps talking about all these people he's killed and..."

"Maybe it has something to do with the dead Christmas trees."

"You seeing a connection I don't?"

Xander shrugged. "They're just two weird events going on in Sunnydale."

"Xander, everything in Sunnydale is weird," Cordelia said, looking up from her math homework. "You know, Principal Snyder was actually being nice to us cheerleaders today instead of grumbling about our lack of school spirit like he usually does. Wonder if he's, you know, possessed?"

Willow laughed, causing Oz, who's lap she was sitting on, to jolt up from his sleep. "He could be. Maybe we could ask Giles to find out."

"I'm still worried about Angel, though. I mean, never thought I'd be worrying about a vamp, but it's not five by five at the mansion, you know?"

Willow nodded. "Go into his room and leave a tape recorder. See if he's talking in his sleep."

"I know he is." Faith sent a roundhouse at the pads Xander was holding in his hands to block the blows. "I heard him last night when I went to go get something to eat. He was talking about a Jenny."

Everyone else sort of looked at each other.

"What'd I say?" Faith asked.

"Jenny was Giles' girlfriend, the one Angel killed. When he was Angelus, I mean. And...I'm going to shut up now," Willow said as she heard the office door open.

Faith stopped moving and looked at Xander. "Harris, feel like taking me home and helping me with something?"

"Like what?" Cordelia asked, glaring at Faith.

"Like finding out what's up with Angel." She went over to the table and grabbed her jacket. "Don't worry, your honey will be home soon, but I don't know enough about the local history around here to make this idea I got work, and I figure it's Xander or Willow, and--"

"I'll come too," Willow said. "Xander can hold him back if we need to and we can both fill you in."

"Sounds good." Faith looked at Cordelia and leaned close. "Listen, I don't want Harris. He's all yours. But he's a good guy to help back me up, that's all. Understand?"

Cordelia nodded, some of the anger leaving her eyes. "Yeah."

"Cool."

***

Buffy looked around the apartment. She realized, vaguely, that if this was a normal pregnancy she'd have a little baby wailing in the background, not soft Christmas music. There'd be cloth ornaments instead of the glass ones Spike had bought, and the tree would probably have been fake.

But in the last six days, he'd set up a nice little Christmas in their apartment. And it was their apartment, considering that no one else ever came over.

"You know," Buffy said, looking around, "we don't need the Christmas music."

"Love, I swear, I don't know why I bought it, but I have this need to listen to it."

"Ah, a domesticated vamp," Buffy said. She looked down at her stomach and realized that she was only showing a little.

"Maybe. Or maybe I just like the holidays."

Buffy raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Halloween, I'd believe. Christmas, no way." She sighed. "I have to call my mom tonight. It's Christmas Eve. I bet she feels lonely right now."

"Love, remember that she's dating your former Watcher. They probably have plans for after your phone call."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I'd have had plans, too. A nice dinner, opening a gift before I went to bed..."

"Well, then, here," Spike said, handing her a gift. "For you. Went up to Sunnydale last week and got some gifts from your mum, and dropped a few off."

"So that's why I couldn't find the ones I wrapped!" Buffy said, hitting Spike's shoulder lightly. She took the square box from Spike and took the card off. "To Buffy, from Mom. Sweet dreams!"

Lifting the box top off, she saw a beautiful pillow, a black satin one with a strange smell.

"Honeysuckle," Spike said.

"You're across the couch! How could you tell?"

"Vampire senses." He shrugged. "She seems to be taking the fact that I spend time with you well."

"Did you tell her we live together?"

"No."

"Then that's why." Buffy stilled for a moment. "Did anyone see you?"

"Just your mum, and she said she wouldn't say anything."

Buffy nodded. She took the pillow out of the box and put it to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent.

Spike sat, riveted. She was beautiful, he hated to admit. He hadn't wanted to grow close to her, but it just happened.

It was fate, he supposed.

Buffy caught him staring and blushed slightly. She reached down under the couch and pulled out a thin square package. "For you. I have a few others stashed around."

He took the package and tore off the paper, looking down at what he now realized was a record. He flipped it over and grinned. "Sex Pistols!"

"Thought you'd like it."

"You have a record player?"

"In my room. It's on my old CD stereo system from when I was a kid."

Spike leaned over towards her. "Thanks for the gift."

"You're welcome."

He leaned in a little farther. "Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

He leaned in the last little bit until he kissed her lips lightly. "Thanks. Never really had a nice Christmas. Ever," he said quietly when he moved back a little. Instead of replying, Buffy just leaned forward and kissed him, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck to bring him closer.

She shut her eyes, the last coherent thought in her head being, "What a merry Christmas to have this year."

***

Faith and Angel looked at the snow. He'd finally opened up to her, Xander and Willow two nights before. Told her about the First and how it was coming to him in forms of the people he'd killed. There had been so many that he'd gotten confused and scared and just wanted to end it all.

Faith had physically kept him in the mansion the next day, but she had to sleep. When her eyes shut and she started to sleep, Angel made his way into the gardens to await the sunrise. He'd taken some time to write a note the first time he thought about it, and he'd left the note by Faith's head.

But then a miracle happened: it started to snow. And the snow meant no sunlight, not that Christmas. And it dawned on Angel that maybe there was a reason for this, a reason he didn't understand. He'd gone back inside, intending to tear up the note before Faith woke up, but he was too late. She was holding it in a death grip and had whirled around to face him as he walked in.

"You have no right."

He had been shocked silent as she continued.

"You can't give up. You have to fight. Sure, you did a lot of crappy things to people, but you can't toss your existence away and think that's making up for it. Suffer. Deal with it. And then move on." And then she'd tossed the noted at him and stalked to her room.

Angel had followed and, finally able to speak, had started to apologize. It took only a few minutes of apologizing through her shut bedroom door before she opened it and suggested a walk outside.

So now they were sitting on one of the few snowless benches, watching the snow fall.

"Glad you changed your mind," Faith said.

"I'm glad it started snowing."

Faith shrugged. "Snow's cold and wet and gets into places it shouldn't be. It's no big."

"It is if you live in California."

Faith laughed a little. "Maybe." She turned and faced him. "Don't do it again, okay? Promise me."

Angel nodded. "I promise."

"Good."

***

It was a strange feeling when Buffy woke up. She felt...bigger. Like she as more pregnant than she had been the whole year she was pregnant. And then it hit her.

"Spike," she said softly, whispering in his ear. "I need you to wake up.

Spike turned in bed. She paused for a moment to look at him, half awake, fully naked down to his hip bones. "Yeah, love?"

"Feel my belly."

Spike sat up, looked at her belly...and stared. "Love, you're larger."

"I know."

"I mean...larger."

"I know." She swung he feet out of bed gingerly and sat up. She started to cry silently until she felt Spike's hands wrap around her, just under her breasts and over her stomach which was now twice as large as it had been before. "God...it happened."

"What happened?"

"I'm supposed to have twins, two children who look different and have different fathers, remember? Angel's the father of one...you're..."

"The father of the other," he whispered softly. He rested his head against the side of hers so he could whisper in her ear. "Your first time, with both of us...that caused the pregnancies?"

"I...I guess."

"So, now what?"

"Spike, I look like I'm full term."

Spike nodded. "I think we need some magical doctor-type people here. Now." He paused for a moment and smiled, giving her a small kiss. "I couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift."

***

Joyce shook her head. "She doesn't want us up there!"

"Mrs. Summers, she's hiding something. We just want to know what," Willow said. "Please? She's our friend."

"But it's Christmas. Stay home with your families."

"I'm Jewish and besides, my family doesn't pay much attention to me. Same with Xander and Cordelia. And...we're worried, we really are."

Joyce sighed. "Fine. We'll all go up. But if she gets angry, I'm blaming it all on you, Willow."

Willow smiled. "No problem."

***

"Oh my god..."

"What?"

"I think my water broke!"

"Damn!"

Buffy started to sob, and Spike was there, wiping away the tears. "Love, it'll be okay. They'll get here soon."

"But...but I want my mom."

There was a knock on the door before she could say anything else. "See, love, I'll bet that's them now." He went to the door, opened it, and found himself staring straight at Angel.

Buffy looked past Angel and saw the woman she wanted to see most in the world. "Mom!"

"Honey!" she said, half startled and half happy to finally see her daughter again.

Angel opened up his mouth, but Spike shook his head. "I can explain later, all right, mate? Just help get her comfortable while we wait for the medical assistance...if it ever bloody shows up."

***

Three hours later, Willow and Cordelia were cooing over the blond haired, brown eyed baby girl while Joyce held the brown haired, blue eyed baby boy. The doctor had assured the mother and both fathers that the babies were 100% human, and that everything checked out fine.

And then Spike sat down and explained the story to everyone, about how Angel got Buffy pregnant, and that by some twist of fate, Spike was supposed to be the father of the other twin. About how Buffy didn't know what to do so she went to the Oracles and ended up running into him on the way out. And Buffy added the part about how sorry she was that she'd lied to everyone.

It took a moment for it all to sink in, but it was Faith that finally stood up and went over to Buffy. "Hey...Buffy? I'd have done the same thing."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks."

Giles cleared his throat. "So, now what? Do you want to return to Sunnydale, Buffy?"

Buffy shook her head. "And do what? I've been kicked out of school, and...Mom, as much as I love you, I really love living here with Spike. And..." She turned to Angel. "I just don't know what to do about the babies."

"I couldn't take care of them," Angel said. "And I have a new life in Sunnydale." He glanced at Faith, who blushed ever so slightly. "I think you should stay. Though I want to come and visit."

"Of course."

"We haven't even named them yet," Spike said. He glared at Angel. "And no Irish names, either."

"So...who should name who?" Angel asked.

"I name the blonde, you name the brunette?" Spike said.

"Sounds fair." Angel thought for a moment. "How about Tyler McInnes?"

"No Irish names!" Spike said.

Buffy put a hand on Spike's shoulder. "It's not the first name and, besides, I like it." She smiled at her newfound lover, her friend, her confidant. "Your turn?"

"I think...Taylor Avonlea?"

"I like it," Buffy said.

"He stole my idea!" Angel said, and Faith shook her head as she put a hand over his mouth.

"I like it, too," Faith said.

She looked at the other Slayer, and then to the rest of her friends. "You will come visit...right?"

"Of course!" Xander said. "Can't leave the niece and nephew alone for too long!"

Giles nodded. "Meanwhile, maybe I can work on getting a spell to turn Spike and Angel human. I think it'd be a tad...strange...to explain to your children why their fathers never age."

"The whole situation's going to be hard to explain," Cordelia muttered.

"That'd be nice, mate," Spike said sincerely. "Thanks."

"Buffy?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah?"

"Who's last name are they going to have?"

"Mine," she said simply, "considering their fathers are both technically dead and have no last names, really." She smiled. "Tyler McInnes and Taylor Avonlea Summers. Nice ring to it." She yawned slightly. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

"You know," Joyce said, "if you don't mind, we'd love to have Christmas dinner here. I think we even brought food."

"Really?" Buffy said. She smiled the blissful smile almost all new mothers have. "I'd love that, very much."

END