Oh, Baby!
MONTH ONE
Buffy stood in the bathroom, wiping her mouth. She picked up her toothbrush from its holder and quickly cleaned the pungent taste from her teeth and tongue. "Being pregnant sucks."
Strong arms encircled her from behind and she leaned into her husband's embrace. Warm lips trailed up and down her neck and she rinsed her mouth out, then turned to greet the man who had been the source of most of the annoyance and love in her life. "Good morning, luv," he murmured against her lips. She sipped at his mouth playfully, before swatting him on the rear and grinning.
"I need to get dressed," she said as she turned and headed out of the bathroom. "Doctor Johnson wants me in her office in an hour."
"Feel like a quickie?" he asked, nipping at her earlobe as he followed her into their bedroom in the penthouse.
They fell onto the bed laughing, their loveplay gentle and sweet.
~*~*~
A half-hour later, Buffy got out of bed again and walked over to her closet to find something suitable to wear. She pulled a long, gauzy skirt out, then rifled through her tops until she found a scoop-necked one that matched. She stepped over to her dresser and pulled out a cream-colored bra and panties set and put them on before pulling on the top and skirt. She found sandals and slipped them on her feet, then brushed her hair.
She then dragged Spike out of bed and over to his side of the closet. He stood dazedly, his tired, nude form swaying slightly as she pressed a pair of brown khaki pants into his hand, followed by a white tee and a light blue button-up. He pulled the clothing on slowly, then was hit in the middle of the chest by a pair of socks. He caught them before they hit the ground, and pulled them onto his bare feet. His black Doc Martens followed suit. When Buffy was sure that they were dressed appropriately, they walked out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Spike took his brown leather jacket (the duster was now used only for slaying purposes) and handed Buffy her tan coat, and they stepped into the elevator of the building.
~*~*~
Doctor Johnson was a fairly young OB-GYN with a kind face. She entered the room about ten minutes after the nurse left with blood samples from Buffy. "Hello Buffy, William," she said, nodding at the couple. "I'd like to ask you a few questions before we begin."
Spike sat stiffly in the high-backed chair, wrenching his hands together. He was obviously nervous. "This is your first pregnancy, right?" the young doctor asked upon noticing his discomfort.
"Yes it is. We can't tell you how excited we are. Spike didn't think he was able to have children," Buffy said with a smile.
"Spike?" The doctor lifted her brow. "Interesting nickname."
"Used to sing in a rock band," he said, his eyes darting from his wife to the doctor. He could've sworn he saw Buffy bite back a laugh as he said this.
"Well, Buffy, I have the results of your blood tests here. If it's alright, I'd like to schedule you for an ultrasound next month. It's still too early to see anything now. All I can say right now, from the blood test, is that you are indeed pregnant. Then again, you wouldn't have come here if you didn't know that. Also, I'd like you to look over these pamphlets about the lifestyle of expecting parents." She handed several folded, colorful pieces of glossy paper to Buffy, who stuck them in her purse.
"Now all you'll have to do is sign this form, and you're free to go." Doctor Johnson handed Buffy a clipboard with a form on it. She read it quickly before signing Buffy A. Bradford on the first line, then handed it to Spike, who scanned it as well before scrawling William Bradford on the second. He handed the clipboard back to the doctor with a tight-lipped smile and stood, holding Buffy's coat out for her to put on. He shrugged into his own coat and they left, hand in hand.
MONTH TWO
"Welcome back," Doctor Johnson greeted the blond couple as they entered her office. Buffy, if you'll change into this," she held out a johnny, "behind the screen, and then follow me into the next room. You can leave your skirt on, just lower it as much as possible without actually taking it off. Please remove your bra, however."
Buffy stepped behind the dark-colored changing screen and quickly changed into the johnny, then stepped out from behind and handed Spike her shirt and bra. "Can you hold these for me, honey?" she asked, smiling up at her husband.
"Sure, luv." The couple walked into the darkened ultrasound room, where Buffy hopped up onto the table that sat in the middle of it. Spike took a seat in a chair on the side of the table opposite the machinery, and took her hand in his.
Doctor Johnson turned to Buffy and asked her to lie back and lift the johnny to just below her ribcage. "This will be a little cold and slimey," she said with a small smile as she covered the ultrasound wand in gel and slid it over Buffy's hardened, slightly swollen belly. The image on the screen was fuzzy, but one could definately make out the forms of two tiny infants nestled inside their mother. Doctor Johnson examined the screen for a moment, before asking, "Do you want to know the sex of your babies?"
"Please," Spike asked softly, his eyes pausing to gaze adoringly at his wife. He rubbed her small hand with his gentle fingers.
The doctor pointed to the one on the left and said, "This one is a boy," then moved the wand around until she got a clearer picture of the infants. "This one... is also a boy. Congratulations."
"Jason and William," Buffy whispered, her eyes shining as she beamed at her love. Spike nodded.
The doctor turned a knob and suddenly a rapid percussive sound filled the room. "Two tiny, healthy heartbeats," she said, smiling at the lovely couple.
MONTH THREE
"Spike, honey, can you get me some chocolate ice cream?" Buffy called from her seat at the couch. Spike was reading in his study, which was conveniently located directly next to the kitchen.
"Sure, luv," he called back. He walked out into the kitchen and grinned when she followed up the order.
"With black olives, please, baby."
Spike scooped a medium amount of ice cream into a dish, then topped it with olives, sticking a spoon into the interesting concoction. He carried it out to her, handing her the bowl and making a dramatic show of wrinkling his nose. "Interesting combination, luv."
"It's good," she said, defending her slightly strange tastes.
He laughed, a deep, rich sound that carried throughout their home.
MONTH FOUR
"Today I'll be doing some tests. I'll have to draw some amniotic fluid. Don't worry. The needle will only hurt for a few minutes." Doctor Johnson pulled out a long, thin syringe with a rather large barrel. "Buffy, I need you to relax while I get you prepped."
Buffy was on the ultrasound table again, and the Doctor moved the wand on her stomach until she was satisfied with the image, then asked Spike to hold the wand in place while she slowly inserted the long needle into Buffy's belly. The ultrasound allowed her to rule out any possibility of injuring the infants in the procedure. She drew the fluid quickly and withdrew the needle, cleaning up Buffy's belly and placing a bandage over the small hole the needle had left in her skin.
"I'll be right back with the results." the Doctor said, standing and carrying the syringe out of the room with her.
Buffy was pulling the johnny down over her stomach when all of a sudden she felt a faint fluttering. She looked over at Spike as she placed a hand on her belly, feeling as her stomach moved on its own.
"What's wrong, luv?" he asked, concern flashing on his handsome features. Buffy took one of his large hands in hers and placed it on her belly next to her own. Spike's eyes widened as he felt the vibrations coming from her.
"They're kicking." she said softly. "That's our babies."
Spike closed his eyes momentarily, fighting back the tears of joy that threatened to spill over. He opened them and half-whispered, "Cor, that's our babies."
Doctor Johnson breezed back into the room with the test results. "Your sons are completely healthy," she announced happily. "I'm always happy when they far surpass the test for Down's Syndrome. Doesn't happen often, but Buffy, allow me to be the first to tell you that your children are geniuses."
Spike leaned in and pressed a kiss to his wife's still bare midriff, murmuring, "D'ya hear that, William and Jason? You take after your old man." His chest puffed up with pride.
~*~*~
Spike and Buffy entered the penthouse, their hands clasped. She leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before they walked up the stairs to their bedroom. They stripped quickly, then fell onto the bed, their hands and mouths exploring one another as if for the first time. They worshipped every inch of each others' bodies before Spike nestled between Buffy's thighs, nudging her with his hard cock. He rubbed his erection back and forth against her folds, and she reached down, took him in her hand, and pulled him into her warm, welcoming body. She arched against him as he thrust down into her wet heat, their mouths trailing over one anothers' faces and throats.
Their lovemaking was slow and unhurried, gentle and passionate. With each long thrust of Spike's hips they were driven to a higher level of pleasure, their bodies completely in tune. Sweat-slickened flesh slid against sweat-slickened flesh as they moaned. Buffy shuddered in utter ecstacy, whispering "I love you," over and over into her husband's hair. She cried out Spike's name sharply as she exploded into orgasm. Spike soon followed, releasing his seed into her womb. He held himself up rather than collapsing atop her, then pulled out gently and rolled to his back in the large bed, taking his wife with him. She snuggled against his chest, contented to listen to his heartbeat, one hand on her stomach and the other beneath her head.
MONTH FIVE
"Why," Thud. "Won't," Thud. "You," Thud. "Die?" Buffy panted as she pummeled a large, blue, furry demon. It lashed out with one meaty paw and she leapt into the air, landing next to her weapons bag. She pulled a long sword out of the black duffel and ran at the demon, screaming like a madwoman and swinging her sword wildly. The demon growled at her and backhanded her. She curled around her protruding stomach protectively as she flew backwards. She was suddenly covered in purple goo as the demon exploded, her sword embedded in its chest. She looked up to see Spike grinning at her. He rushed over to her side and helped her up.
"Are you okay, luv?" he asked her as she grimaced due to the stench of the slime.
"I'm fine. Slimy and smelly, but fine." She grinned wickedly and waggled her eyebrows at her husband. "Race you back to the penthouse!" she called over her shoulder, taking off like a rocket. She sprinted down the streets of Sunnydale, her husband right on her heels, and giggled as she made it into the elevator and the doors closed just as he entered the building.
She rode the elevator up to the penthouse, where she walked into the kitchen and plucked a plastic trashbag from one of the cabinets. She shucked off her slime-covered clothing and tossed it in the bag, leaving it where Spike would find it. They would bring it to Willow so she could do a cleaning spell on it later.
Naked and hair dripping slime, she walked up the stairs to the master bath and turned on the shower taps. She stepped into the large shower and stood beneath the waterfall-style showerhead, allowing the water to rinse the slime away. She picked up her bottle of shampoo from a corner of the shower stall and squeezed some of the sweet-smelling soap into her hand, massaging it into her scalp. A few seconds later, a purple-tinged Spike entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower with her. She stepped aside so that he could rinse the ooze off himself, then handed him his own shampoo. He rubbed it into his half-bleached hair (which he hadn't bothered to redo since becoming human) and sighed, his body drooping slightly from exhaustion.
Buffy pushed him playfully to the side, rinsing the shampoo from her own hair before massaging his soapy scalp with gentle fingers. He groaned at the soothing contact and she smiled, nudging him directly beneath the stream of water to rinse. She stood back and admired the way the rivulets of hot water ran down his muscular, lightly tanned form, following streams with her eyes down his muscular back and rounded buttocks, and then when he turned, across his hardened abdominal muscles and off his semi-hard length, in its nest of dark curls.
She picked up a bar of soap and began to rub it across his flesh, cleaning any remaining slime from his godlike form. Her soapy hands massaged his tired muscles gently, soothing his aching body. He sighed as she took his cock in her hand and began to run her fingers over it, the soap causing her touch to be extra slippery. She clasped it and moved her hand up and down, her other hand coming around his body to cup and fondle his balls as she worked his hardness. He soon came, a pretty spill of warm liquid across her soapy fingers. If possible, his body drooped even more and she gently rinsed him off beneath the spray of the shower, then quickly soaped herself up and rinsed the suds away.
She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her hair as she dried off her body, then handing another towel to Spike. He dried himself slowly, and hung the towel on a rack next to the shower. Buffy tied back her wet hair and hung her towels on the rack with her husband's, then they padded into the bedroom and lay down on the soft mattress, on their sides, Spike spooned to Buffy's back and his hand pressed posessively to her abdomen.
MONTH SIX
"Wakey wakey, oh hubby-of-mine!" Buffy called cheerfully as she stretched from her morning workout. She wore a maternity sports bra and a pair of athletic shorts, her swollen belly hanging out over them. "We're going baby shopping today."
Spike groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, his arm flopping onto one of the fluffy pillows. His words were muffled by his own pillow, and came out sounding something like "Mrrph," loosely translated, "Go away, I need my beauty rest."
Buffy shook her head and put her hands on her hips, then grinned impishly and tugged on a corner of the sheet. Her nude husband tumbled to the carpeted floor with a thud. One strong hand reached up and snatched a pillow from the bed, then pulled the blanket down to the floor. Buffy stifled a giggle as she watched Spike curl up on the floor and attempt to go back to sleep. A decidedly evil look crossed her features as she grinned and yanked the blanket from his body, then dropped to her knees and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly.
Soon he was gasping for air, pleading, "Stop! Please! I'll do anything... just bloody stop!"
"Get dressed. We're going baby shopping." Buffy hopped to her feet, pulling him up with her.
~*~*~
"Luv, I don't think we really need this." Spike was looking at her pleadingly. There was no way he was going to pay for such a frightening piece of merchandise.
"But Spi-ike... think of William and Jason! They would love it! Isn't that right, babies?" Buffy directed the last question to her abomen, then looked up at Spike and grinned. "William and Jason say they want it."
"No, luv."
"Pleeeeaaaaaasssseeee?" she asked, making puppy-dog eyes at him.
He huffed. "Fine," he grumbled, handing his credit card to the cashier. "I still don't like it."
Grinning, Buffy patted his arm as he took the reciept and his credit card from the girl behind the register, then hefted the box containing a Barney (R) playpen into his arms.
~*~*~
The decorators took over the next morning, and by the time they had left, the room adjacent to the master bedroom that had once been a dark, gloomy library had been transformed into a nursery in pastels. And standing proudly in the corner was the Barney (R) playpen.
MONTH SEVEN
The slayer couple walked into the gymnasium of the newly built high school to defeat their newest foe: Lamaze classes. "Bloody ridiculous if you ask me," Spike grumbled as he took Buffy's coat from her, then shed his own and hung them up on the wall. "Since when do you need lessons in breathing?"
"Spike, smile and pretend you love me," Buffy whispered softly enough for only his hearing to pick it up.
His eyes widened with shock and he took her in a tight embrace, murmuring, "You know I love you, baby."
She murmured back, "Then enjoy my breathing lessons and pay attention. I want you to coach me through labor, when the time comes."
The class passed quickly, as the couples moved into different positions as instructed by the leader. The final position was a mock birthing position. Fathers were told to sit with their legs spread and their knees up so that their partners could nestle between their thighs and lean back. They went through the breathing exercises once more. Buffy relaxed into Spike's chest as they learned this final part.
The class ended and the instructor called out, "see you next week, everyone!"
And thus the dreaded Lamaze class was slain.
MONTH EIGHT
By the end of Buffy's eighth month, her stomach was hugely swollen with the two infants that lay inside her. She had trouble tying her shoes in the mornings and taking them off at night, so it was lucky that she had such a doting husband that wished to see to her every need. Every night of slaying caused her back to tense up, and Spike rubbed the tight muscles for her after they came back in. Still she kept up her sacred duty. However, as her pregnancy progressed, Spike began to worry more and more about her safety, whether or not she would be an easy target for demons...
He voiced these worries one night as they were walking through his former home in Restfield Cemetary. "Buffy, luv, I wish you could quit. At least until after the babies are here." He said this softly, trying not to incite an argument with his wife, who was experiencing mood swings quite frequently now. "I'm worried about you."
A 'look' crossed her features. "I do too, baby, but the whole sacred duty thingy comes first." She kept walking. "I can't just quit being the slayer to have babies."
"Yes you can," came a voice from behind a crypt to their left. The blond couple's heads turned in the direction of the voice, and their eyes widened as Faith stepped into their line of sight. Beside her stood Drusilla. "I'm not needed in LA anymore. I died temporarily of appendicitis. There's a new slayer there, fighting the good fight."
"Four slayers? This has never happened before. Even I payed enough attention to Giles to know that one." Buffy was perplexed.
"It happens."
"Faith and I can take over your patrolling," said Drusilla kindly. "We'd like to help."
Buffy smiled. "Are you sure?" She looked over at Spike. "I mean..."
Spike shushed her. "They're offering. Let it be."
"Yeah, just name one of the kiddos after me, B, and we'll be even," Faith said, grinning.
"Umm... Faith? I'm having twin boys."
"Oh. Right."
~*~*~
Buffy answered the phone about a week later, surprised to hear Gunn's voice on the other end. He invited her and Spike to attend Cordelia's birthday party at the Hyperion. Buffy readily agreed, immediately running out and buying a gift.
They arrived in Los Angeles the next day at around noon. Buffy came bearing a gift box and a bouquet of flowers. She handed both to Spike, however, when she saw Cordelia. "Happy Birthday!" she screeched as she scurried over to the former May Queen and gave her a somewhat awkward hug, due to the large protrusion that was preventing them from embracing fully.
"I'm so glad you made it, Buffy!" she exclaimed, leading her over to a seat in the large lobby. Spike sat next to her after handing the gift box and flowers to Cordelia. Glancing around, the couple noticed that basically the entire gang from high school was there, as well as Dawn and Drusilla. Oz had even shown up. Wesley, Gunn, and Angel, however, were nowhere in sight.
Buffy noticed that there was a curtained stage set up in the middle of the lobby, and suddenly the lights dimmed. A disco ball appeared out of nowhere, suspended from the cieling. It twinkled softly and Barry Manilow began playing. The curtain parted and a green-skinned demon that Buffy remembered as Lorne stepped onstage. He held a microphone in his hand, and he held it up, singing, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Cordelia..." took in a huge breath, and finished, "Happy birthday to you!" He drew out the last note for about fifteen seconds before speaking softly into the microphone. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Cordelia's birthday party. But before we begin, I'd like to say just one thing. Buffy and Spike, THIS IS YOUR BABY SHOWER!" He announced it like the host of the former gameshow 'This Is Your Life', and Buffy clapped her hand over her mouth to prevent the shriek of surprise that threatened to escape. Spike chuckled at his wife's reaction.
"Tonight's festivities begin with a song from the amazingly talented, really old, Liam, "Don't call me Deadboy", O'Connor!" Angel stepped out onstage and took the mic from the Host.
"Thank you, Lorne, for your incredible exaggeration." He grinned as the music started. "This is dedicated to all of you crazy evil-fighters out there tonight."
Buffy groaned as she realized that he was about to start singing 'We are Family', then groaned louder when he actually began singing. Spike chuckled and draped his arm across her shoulders. Soon enough though, the song was over, and Angel bowed, leaving the stage with an "I'm very sorry."
Lorne hurriedly took the stage again and lifted the microphone to his mouth again. "Now that was entertainment, ladies and gentlemen. Let's hear it one more time for Angel! Nice job, sweetie!" A spattering of applause echoed throughout the building. "Now here comes a talented group of hunks straight from southern California into our hearts. Let's hear it for the Demon Hunters!" The curtain parted and revealed a full band. Gunn stood at the microphone, while Oz played a simple bass line, Xander sat at the drumset, and Giles played the guitar. The ensemble played a simple blues piece, which was followed by Dawn performing a stand-up comedy act. The last act in the show was yet to go. Spike excused himself and headed toward the bathrooms.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have one final act. And I promise I saved the best for last. Live, from Sunnydale, California, I give you Will Bradford!" Buffy's eyes widened. Spike came onstage carrying an acoustic guitar. He stood in front of the microphone and began to play. Tears came to her eyes as she realized that he was singing to her. He sang of love, of passion, and of utter happiness, his voice husky and rich. It was the most beautiful thing that Buffy had ever heard.
MONTH NINE
"Hello, Doctor Johnson," Buffy greeted as she waddled into the office. It was late in her ninth month, and her belly protruded to such a degree that it was very difficult for her to accomplish the smallest of tasks on her own anymore. She and Spike sat down in the chairs across from the doctor, who looked up from her paperwork long enough to tell Buffy, "If you don't mind, I'd like you to change into your johnnie once again, Buffy. I'd like to check your cervix. Your belly is very distended. I think you'll have these babies within a day."
~*~*~
Three hours after they had left the hospital, Buffy was standing at the refrigerator trying to decide what beverage she wanted to drink, when she felt the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. She made her way to the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later, calling loudly to Spike.
"Spike? Honey? Can you get my bag? I need to go to the hospital. The babies are coming." She stood calmly as a very frazzled Spike ran down the stairs, a red duffel bag in his hand. He grabbed his coat and ran out the door, into the elevator, leaving Buffy standing in their living room. He ran back in moments later, then walked out to the elevator with her, rubbing her lower back gently, eyes wide, after she locked the door to their penthouse. They walked very calmly out to his car, which, once she, the duffel bag, and himself were in it, raced to the hospital.
Buffy walked calmly up to the receptionist and signed in, then sat in a wheelchair and allowed a nurse to wheel her to the elevator bank. Spike paced back and forth for a few moments, jumping about a foot and a half in the air when another nurse tapped his shoulder.
"Mr. Bradford?" she asked. He nodded in reply. "Come with me. We need you to get changed into scrubs before you can see your wife."
Spike had never changed his clothing faster in his entire life. He folded his street clothes nervously before tying the head covering over his hair and following the nurse to the same elevator bank that his wife had gone to. They reached the second floor, and the nurse led Spike down the corridor to a private room, where he heard Buffy's groans of pain before he saw her.
Doctor Johnson stood and greeted him. "Hello Spike. You came just in time. It's a very short labor. One of the shortest I've seen." She nudged him closer to Buffy. His wife's hazel eyes opened and locked on him, and she screamed the longest tirade of curses he had ever heard in his entire length of existence. Peering over the shoulder of the doctor whose hands were beneath the sheet covering Buffy's groin, he saw the top of one of his son's heads crest and his eyes rolled back in his head as he hit the floor in a dead faint.
"Oh, dear," mumbled Doctor Johnson. She called two nurses into the room and asked for a gurney. One of the nurses wheeled one in and they lay the prone former vampire onto it, checking his head for injuries. He came to just as the cries of his second son filled the room. The doctors quickly tied off and cut the umbilical cord, cleaned off the small infant, and handed him to Buffy, who already held his brother. She was exhausted, sweat matting her hair down. Spike thought she had never looked more beautiful. He stood and walked over to his love, leaning over her and gazing amazedly at his newborn family.
"Welcome to the world, William and Jason," he murmured as he stroked his wife's hair. He bent and kissed her gently.
Buffy looked at the twins, and then at her husband who was grinning from ear to ear. "They look just like you," she said. "Even have your eyes."
"Thank you, luv," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears of joy. He kissed her again, careful not to jostle the tiny bundles on her arms.
"For what?" she asked.
"For being such a miracle. For healing me. For letting me love you." He pressed his forehead to hers.
"In that case, thank you too, baby. For loving me." For at least that one moment in time, as the two slayers marveled at their new family, all was right in the world. And they intended to keep it that way.