| On The Road |
| DISCLAIMER: All hail Joss Whedon, UPN, the WB, FOX , Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. Theirs not mine A short time later, Xander pulled the van into a fast food parking lot. Spike got out and opened the sliding door. Anya ran into the restaurant. �What can I get you ladies?� asked Spike. �I want a chocolate milkshake,� said Dawn. �Me too,� said Tara sleepily. �Me three,� said Willow, her eyes still shut. �I�ll go with,� said Buffy, as he helped her out of the car. They went into the restaurant and stood in front of the counter. �Ooh,� said Buffy, �I want some of those nuggets too. Those look good. And a pie.� �Can I take your order, sir?� asked the smiling cashier. After he placed his order, Spike turned back to Buffy. �It�s good to see you with an appetite, love.� He looked at her earnestly. �You�re not feeling sick yet? You still feel fine?� She nodded at him, smiling. �Can you feel the baby yet?� he asked, stroking her abdomen. �It�s too early for me to feel anything, Spike,� explained Buffy. "I can�t even confirm the pregnancy with a doctor for another few weeks.� "Ah, but we know we have our little Tinkerbell in there, don�t we?� said Spike, gazing sweetly at her. �I thought of a name for the baby that I really like,� he said. �What?� said Buffy. �Katharina,� said Spike, trilling it off his tongue. �That�s a really awful name,� said Buffy, unimpressed. The cashier placed their food on a cardboard tray in front of Spike. �Really,� he said, surprised. �I�m reading �Taming of the Shrew� for class and it struck me as a beautiful name. �And with her breath did she perfume the air��� he quoted. �Please stop. I�m having a William flashback,� she said, grabbing her milkshake and bag of food. �Sorry, pet.� He took the tray and opened the door for her as they left the restaurant. �How about Tabitha?� he suggested. �Like the girl on Bewitched?� she asked. �No, like the witch on Passions,� he explained. .�Tabitha Walthrop,� Buffy said tentatively. They shared a look. �Doesn�t scan very well, does it?� said Spike. �We�ll keep trying,� she said. They looked over at the minivan. Anya and Xander were leaning against the hood. He rubbed her back lovingly. �I wish we could tell them about the baby,� she said. �It seems wrong keeping it a secret.� �Anya�s already upset enough that we moved our wedding ahead of theirs,� said Spike patiently. �It wouldn�t be right to steal her thunder about being the only mum-to-be, too.� �I know, you�re right.� She kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her, and then pulled her close for a deep French kiss. They walked over to the van. �It�s all yours,� Xander said, tossing the keys to Spike. Spike opened the sliding door and handed out the milkshakes. �Can I be shotgun?� asked Dawn. �I�m tired of being crammed in the way back.� �I�m going to take a nap anyway, I�ll take your place,� said Buffy. They piled back into the car and drove away. The car was quiet as everyone drifted off to sleep. Spike put on the radio, keeping the volume low. �Bugger that,� he said, as country music began to play. He pressed the scan button, settling on an oldies station. �It�s been a long time since I rocked and rolled,� he sang along with Led Zeppelin, tapping the steering wheel. He looked in the rearview mirror, watching Buffy sleep. The miles whizzed by as Spike sped along through the night.Awhile later, Dawn stirred. Yawning, she leaned over and pulled a Coke out from the built in refrigerator next to her. �Can you get me some licorice, bit?� said Spike. Dawn grabbed a Twizzler from the glove compartment, and handed it to him. �How long do you think it�ll be before you stop missing cigarettes?� asked Dawn, putting her drink in a cup holder. �Well,� said Spike, �I started smoking in 1923, so I think it�s going to take me a little longer than the average smoker to stop craving them.� |
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