Love As Strong As Death by Enigmaticblue

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Chapters 20 & 21

Chapter 20: March 2017

"So where have you applied for school?" Sam asked as he walked Hannah to the grade school.

Hannah was thinking about how she was going to meld both a date and patrol, and so answered rather absently. "UCLA."

"That's it?" Sam asked. "That's the only school you've applied to?"

Hannah glanced over at him, his tone bringing her fully back to the present. "What? Oh, yeah, it's the only one."

Sam frowned. "Isn't that kind of risky?" he asked. "What happens if you don't get in?"

"Then I go to the community college for a couple of years and reapply," Hannah said. "It's really the only place I wanted to go."

Sam stared at her. "Hannah, I've heard what kind of scores you got, and I know your grades are good. You could go anywhere."

"I don't want to go anywhere, I want to go to UCLA," Hannah replied patiently. "Look, Sam, I understand that most kids will do just about anything to get away from their parents. I want to stay close to home. It's important to me."

Sam looked at her with a considering eye. "This doesn't have anything to do with why you can stuff guys three times your size into a locker, does it?"

"It might," she said evasively. Hannah bit back a sigh. She knew that Sam needed to be told about her extracurricular activities. Wesley had given her the okay—or rather he'd told her it was up to her. Hannah had heard the stories. The longer she dated Sam, the bigger the risk that he would find out about her being the Slayer from someone other than her. She didn't want that.

At least he already knew she was different.

"Can you tell me about it, or is this something that's top secret?" Sam teased.

"Tonight?" Hannah ventured. "I thought I could tell you tonight."

Sam stared at her. "You're serious. The whole story."

"Yeah, but—" She paused. "You have to help me with something really important."

He shrugged. "Anything. You know that."

"It's Spike," Hannah said slowly. "I've got a plan."

"Spike is Wesley's business partner, right?" Sam asked. He knew that Hannah was close to most of the people who made up her strange family, but he'd gotten the impression that she was especially close to this Spike guy. She was always talking about him, and Sam might have been jealous except that the way she talked about him was like a favorite uncle or something.

"Yeah, that's right. He's been through some changes recently, and he's in a bit of a funk," Hannah explained, knowing she was being vague. "We've been trying to give him time, but I think I might have a plan to snap him out of it."

Sam nodded. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Sure," he replied. "I'm game for anything."

If he'd known what "anything" would entail, Sam might not have been quite so quick to volunteer.

~~~~~

Hannah knew that what she was doing bordered on stupid. Wesley had been very clear as to his instructions. "Absolutely, under no circumstances, are you to try and take this on yourself," he'd said. "Either Angel or Buffy will accompany you."

He couldn't get more explicit. Still, Hannah remembered that the brief foray into the vamp nest a couple weeks back had momentarily shocked Spike out of his doldrums. Maybe if there was something just a little bigger, it would pull him all the way out.

Of course, a little bigger meant placing herself in jeopardy, which Wesley wouldn't find amusing in the least. That's why she didn't tell him what she was planning.

So, instead of doing their calculus homework, Hannah had explained the whole thing to Sam, who was still looking skeptical. "Look, Hannah, I'm pretty sure you're not crazy, but this—"

"Is crazy, I know," Hannah said with a sigh. "I can prove it, though."

Sam looked interested. "You could show me a vampire?"

"Sure," she replied. "It's kind of part of the plan if you're willing."

He hesitated. While Sam had been honest when he'd said he'd help, suddenly he wasn't so sure. If Hannah was really serious, if she was right about vampires existing, they could both end up dead. Wouldn't that be ironic? He finally gets a girlfriend, and they both end up dead before prom. "I said I'd do it," he finally said firmly.

If his girlfriend really was a superhero, there was no way Sam was going to come across as a coward.

"It's going to be perfectly safe," she assured him. It was going to be safe—for him. Hannah had no intention of placing Sam in danger. It would be wrong, and she didn't want anything to happen to him.

Sam nodded. "What's the plan?"

"There's this gang of Kraecher demons that have been vandalizing some of the parks," Hannah explained. "There's one they haven't hit yet, so we have a good chance of finding them."

He frowned. "I don't see how this helps your friend."

"The park isn't that far from his house," Hannah said. "I figure I'll tell Wesley I'm going out with you, then we swing by the cemetery, you get to see a vampire, and then we head towards the park. You go tell Spike what I'm up to, and he comes and rips me a new one."

Sam's eyes widened incredulously. "You do realize that you're probably going to be grounded for life, right?"

Hannah shrugged. "It's for a good cause."

He shook his head. "I don't know, Hannah. I mean, it sounds like a good plan, but what if you get caught by these guys by yourself, before your friend gets there? Isn't this really dangerous for you?"

"Not really dangerous," she said. "Just a little bit. No more dangerous than a regular patrol." Hannah conveniently forgot to mention Wesley's warning. "Trust me, Spike's house is really close, and he's fast. If I know him, he'll be on his bike and heading over before you can get the last words out of your mouth."

Sam ran a hand through his dark hair, still undecided. He believed Hannah's story; deep down he knew she wasn't lying to him. He knew she wasn't crazy, but this could get her hurt or killed. He didn't want to see that.

Of course, he'd also watched her face down the entire football team. So maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal. "Okay, I'll do it. But you have to promise to be careful."

"I swear," Hannah replied with a smile, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you."

It was the first time she'd kissed him, and Sam realized that he'd do just about anything to get her to do it again.

Even if it meant facing monsters that were supposed to be imaginary.

~~~~~

The reason that Hannah was certain Spike would be home was because he nearly always was these days. She knew that Buffy was spending a lot of time demon hunting with Angel's crew, and that Spike was typically the one to stay home with Meg. While Meg didn't have to have a babysitter anymore, Spike still stayed in.

In fact, the ex-vampire had gone out only once, other than the night he'd slayed vampires with Hannah, and that had been because they needed all hands.

Hannah thought that he was purposely avoiding anything that might give him pleasure, which wasn't like him. That was why she was resorting to desperate measures.

What Hannah didn't know—because Spike wasn't really talking to anyone—was that he'd slowly begun sparring with Buffy again. At first it was only to make her happy, but over the last couple weeks, it was because when he sparred with the Slayer, he felt whole again.

Also, the sex was great afterwards.

Buffy was lying next to him on their bed after one such session, a pleasant ache in her limbs. "So you want to be the one to get Dawn and Connor from the airport on Monday?"

"I can," he replied. "You could go with me."

"Someone has to watch Hannah's back on patrol," Buffy reminded him. "So unless you want to volunteer—"

"I'll go to the airport," Spike said quickly, cutting her off. "No need for me to interrupt Slayer bonding time."

"You should go out with Hannah again, Spike," Buffy said quietly. "She worries about you."

Spike sighed. "The girl worries too much. She thinks she's all grown up."

"That's what getting chosen will do to you," Buffy replied, her tone light. "It makes you think you're responsible for saving the world."

Spike glanced over at her and snorted, a genuine smile gracing his face. "You mean you didn't have a hero-complex before you became the Slayer?"

"Complex?" Buffy asked, with a raised eyebrow. "Who said it was a complex?"

"No one ever said you had to save the world, pet," Spike said, knowing he was asking for trouble.

"Oh, is that right?" Buffy asked, her fingers going to the most sensitive areas she could find. "I must have missed the memo that said I didn't actually have a sacred duty." She started tickling him, delighted when he laughed, rolling away from her, off the bed, and landing lightly on his feet.

"You're going to pay for that," he warned her, pouncing immediately. Buffy shrieked in mock-fear, rolling off the bed to the other side. She wasn't quite quick enough. Spike grabbed her wrist and tugged her back to him, moving so that she was pinned underneath him on the bed.

Buffy struggled for a minute, realizing that Spike had gotten a lot stronger over the last few weeks. Strong enough, in fact, that he could actually keep her pinned. "Say uncle," he ordered.

"Never."

"We'll see about that." One hand still grasping her wrists, his other hand went elsewhere, causing Buffy to gasp. "Say uncle."

"You can keep that up all night," she whispered in return, her cheeks flushed. This was the first time Spike had seemed like his old self, the first time he'd been so light-hearted. Buffy couldn't quite believe it was happening.

It felt so damn good.

Responding to the heat in her eyes, Spike covered her mouth with his. A moment later, her hands were free, and Buffy rolled him over so that she was on top. "I love you."

Spike froze, staring at her. "Do you?"

"You know I do," she insisted, her mouth traveling down his neck and chest. "Every part of you."

Buffy didn't sigh. She didn't roll her eyes. She did nothing but increase her ministrations, because she knew that one wrong move on her part would send him running. He'd run way too often the last few weeks—often enough that she had considered chaining him up.

Buffy didn't think he was quite ready for that yet.

When he buried his hands in her hair, Buffy knew that he was staying, that they'd moved one step closer to repairing the damage that had been done.

They lost themselves in each other, in the feelings that their hands and lips wrought. For that moment they might have been the only two people in the world, the only ones who had ever felt this way, the only ones who ever would.

Their lovemaking might have gone on all night except for the pounding on the door. Both of them groaned, but Spike and Buffy were both too well-trained in the art of managing catastrophes to ignore frantic pounding.

Spike pulled on the first pair of pants that came to hand, leaving Buffy to follow him once she was dressed. He was surprised to see the boy on the doorstep. He'd only met Sam once before, and he hadn't really been very aware of things at the time. "Sam?"

"You have to come," the young man gasped. "It's Hannah."

"Come inside," Spike ordered. "What's going on?"

"We were out, and we got attacked." He was gasping for breath, and there was a scrape on one forearm.

Spike frowned. "Out where? Were you on a date?"

"No. I mean, yes, we were, but Hannah said she had to patrol too, and I offered to tag along." Sam shook his head. "We don't have time for this. She's in trouble!"

"Sit." Buffy was suddenly there, pulling him over to the stairs and sitting him down. "Tell us exactly what happened and where Hannah is. We won't know how to help her otherwise."

Spike took the clothing that Buffy handed him and finished dressing as Sam quickly told them what had happened. "Hannah told me she was, you know, the Slayer, and she said she'd show me a vampire. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal, and then we were attacked in the cemetery."

"By vampires?" Buffy asked quickly.

Sam shook his head. "No. I don't know what they were."

Spike frowned. "Grab the all purpose bag, luv. We'd better head out. Have to improvise when we get there."

"When do we not improvise?" Buffy asked, already grabbing the saddlebag from the hall closet with their assorted weapons, as well as the second helmet. "Lucky for all of us that Meg stayed at Andrea's house tonight."

"No kidding," Spike muttered, giving Sam a hard look. "Stay here. We'll come back and give you a ride home once we get Hannah taken care of."

"There's first aid stuff in the bathroom down here, and feel free to raid the fridge," Buffy said, handing Spike his helmet. "Let's go."

Buffy could feel the excitement humming through Spike's limbs as the bike sped down the road towards Resurrection Cemetery . Ironically, there was usually plenty of vampire activity there. The Slayer did find it odd that Hannah would choose to hunt so close to their house. Not that they lived that far from Wes and Nika, but it was a good enough distance so that the younger Slayer must have chosen that particular cemetery for a reason.

It had been a long time since she'd seen Spike like this. Although Buffy hated that Hannah was in serious trouble, she couldn't help but relish his excitement. It felt good to be out with him again. It felt like old times.

It would be even better when they could get back home and take up where they left off.

They had to ditch the bike at the gates, since they were locked for the evening. Buffy was always somewhat irritated when cemeteries were blocked off. It made her job that much more difficult, and the vampires didn't have any trouble getting over them.

Of course, she and Spike didn't have any trouble scaling the fence either, and once again she wondered what Hannah and Sam had been doing. Even though Hannah wouldn't have had trouble, Buffy had a hard time picturing Sam climbing over the wrought-iron fencing.

It brought back fond memories of when Xander would follow her out on patrol. He'd always managed somehow.

Hannah wasn't hard to find. The sounds of a fight carried in the still night air, and both Buffy and Spike hit the ground at a run. Neither one of them was pleased to see the swarm of Kraecher demons surrounding Hannah, who was just barely managing to hold them off. Buffy paused just long enough to pull a short sword out of the bag before tossing it to Spike, who pulled out an ax.

The Kraechers were distant cousins of the gang of biker demons who had shown up in Sunnydale shortly before Buffy was resurrected. The mere fact that Hannah was still standing was a testament to her tenacity. It appeared as though she'd already taken quite a beating, and neither Spike nor Buffy wasted any time wading in.

Watching Spike fight had always made Buffy just a little bit horny—watching him battle the Kraechers made it even worse, or better, depending on your perspective. It had been so long since they'd been out together, since they'd fought side by side. Buffy had missed it, and she'd missed Spike's joy as he fought.

They mowed the Kraechers down as the demons closed in, sheltering Hannah from the battle. Buffy had seen the girl cradling her arm, and she knew that the younger Slayer had been hurt.

The demons were either brave or stupid, because when Buffy and Spike had thinned their ranks considerably, they still kept coming, until every last one was dead, and the bodies were piled high.

Buffy wished that all demons were like vampires. It would make the clean-up so much easier.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Spike demanded, rounding on Hannah.

Her shirt was torn, and there was a cut on her cheek, as well as the injured arm. She was pale, and obviously having a hard time replying. "Spike, I—"

"You could have been killed!" he exploded, glaring at her, causing the girl to shrink back just slightly. "And you could have gotten your friend killed too! I thought better of you, Hannah."

Buffy could see the girl's lip trembling, and she knew that now was not the time to chastize her. "Spike, that's enough. She's hurt, and we need to get her to the hospital."

Spike glowered. "We can't take the bike."

"I know that," Buffy replied patiently. "Why don't you go back to the house, get the car, and come pick us up here."

It looked for a moment like he was going to argue with her, but then he nodded shortly, turned on his heel and left without another word.

Hannah still appeared to be on the verge of tears, and Buffy put an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, sweetie," she said comfortingly. "Let's find a way to get you over that fence without getting hurt any worse."

It took some walking, but they managed to find an area where the wrought-iron gave way to chain link, and Buffy yanked it aside to let Hannah crawl through. As they walked back around towards the entrance to meet Spike, Buffy asked, "Do you want to tell me what you were doing tonight?"

Hannah shook her head silently.

"Hannah, I've done some stupid things in my time, probably worse than whatever it was you were trying to do."

"I just wanted Sam to see that I wasn't crazy," Hannah admitted in a low voice. "Wesley said I could tell him about being a Slayer if I wanted, and I wanted him to believe that I was telling the truth."

Buffy nodded slowly. "So you weren't trying to go after the Kraechers?"

"No!" Hannah said quickly, and then found that she couldn't really lie. "Well, not exactly," she confessed. "I thought if Spike got a chance to fight, you know, he'd be okay again."

Buffy sighed. "Hannah—"

"It wasn't supposed to be like that!" she interrupted. "I was just going to dust a vampire, and then Sam was going to come get you guys. I figured I'd find the Kraechers in Andrews Park, because I thought that's where they'd be. By the time I found them, Spike would get there, and we could take them together."

Buffy had to admit that it wasn't a bad plan as stupid plans go. "So you weren't trying to fight them off on your own."

"No," Hannah said. "I didn't think I'd be able to manage, not after what Wesley told me about them. I didn't think they'd be in the cemetery tonight. I'd just dusted a fledgling, and then they were all over the place. I told Sam to run, and he did."

Buffy shook her head. "You did the right thing getting Sam out of there. First rule of slaying is protect the innocents. But Hannah, either of you could have been seriously hurt or killed. Sometimes you have to let people figure things out on their own. You can't always expect people to just be okay because you want them to be. It takes patience."

"I just wanted to help," Hannah said in a very small voice.

Buffy sighed and then gave her a reluctant smile. "I think you did. I haven't seen Spike that angry since he got back. He's certainly acting like his old self."

"Are you going to tell Wesley?" Hannah asked.

"Well, we're going to have to," Buffy said. "We can hardly hide a hospital visit, can we? I'm not going to say anything about your plan, though. The Kraechers have been hitting parks, not cemeteries, so it's not your fault that you ran into them tonight. And you can handle a couple of new vampires, so that part of the plan wasn't completely stupid."

"Thanks, Buffy," Hannah said fervently. "Wesley probably wouldn't let me see Sam again."

"I doubt that," Buffy replied. "But there's no point in getting grounded for something you didn't technically do."

The girl nodded, much subdued. "I'm really, really sorry."

"It's going to be fine, Hannah," Buffy assured her. "Spike really is doing better. It just takes some patience from everyone."

"I'll remember," she promised.

"Good," Buffy said, seeing the car pull up. "Now let's get you patched up."

It was very late by the time they managed to get both Sam and Hannah home. Sam had insisted going to the hospital with them. Buffy had been much amused at his hovering over Hannah, not to mention his fervent apologies about leaving her to face the demons alone.

This far away from her own first love, Buffy could appreciate its blossoming from a distance. The time it had taken for Spike to get the car had allowed him to cool down a little, which meant his lecture was delivered in an even tone. He still made it very clear that he thought she'd done a very stupid thing and that Hannah would not be going out on her own any time soon. Spike insisted that he would be watching her every move while out on patrol.

Buffy had to hide a smile. Things had turned out much better than they might have.

So they fed the emergency room workers a story about skateboarding, and Hannah had her arm set and put in a cast. In spite of Slayer healing, she still needed the cast since the break was a pretty bad one.

They delivered the teens to their respective homes, and then headed back themselves.

"Where were we?" Buffy asked once they'd reached their bedroom, teasing him.

Spike shook his head. "I hate to say this, luv, but I'm exhausted."

"I know," Buffy admitted. "Me too." Exhaustion didn't prevent her from putting her arms around him, however. "You were great tonight."

"You too," he replied. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Something like that." Buffy rested her head against his chest. "You've still got it."

"I think we've still got it." Spike pulled back to look down at her. "So what kind of idiotic plan was Hannah tryin' to execute?"

"Nothing that got carried out." Buffy thought that she'd keep the details private, just between Slayers. "I told you she was worried about you."

"Guess it's back to going out on patrol with her, then," Spike said nonchalantly, trying not to sound as though he was looking forward to it.

"It's okay to enjoy it, you know," Buffy said. "It's okay to enjoy everything you used to enjoy, Spike. There's nothing wrong with that."

Spike smiled. "I know, pet. I love you."

"Love you too."

For the first time in months, they were in perfect accord.

Chapter 21: March 2017

Wesley had to fight to suppress his smile as Hannah slunk into his office. She looked as though she expected to face a firing squad. He remained silent as she sat down on the chair across from his desk, but the way she held herself suggested that his Slayer was still hurting from the previous night's fight.

"Are you alright?"

The question startled her. Wesley knew she had expected him to immediately start his lecture, but he had the feeling that Spike had already given her a dressing down. "I'm okay." At his lifted eyebrow, Hannah admitted, "A little sore."

"Would you like to tell me what you were doing last night?"

She flushed. "It was stupid."

"You took Sam out on patrol with you," Wesley stated.

Hannah slouched further down in the chair, refusing to meet his eyes. "I just wanted to show him a vampire."

"I realize that." Wesley sighed, and then got up and came around the desk. "Come here," he ordered, walking over to the couch that lined one wall. She did as he asked, sitting on one end of the couch. Wesley took a seat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

Hannah stiffened under his touch, and then she turned and buried her face in his shirt. "I'm so, so sorry."

She didn't often cry. Much like Buffy, Hannah rarely showed any kind of weakness, but her brush with death had pulled down her defenses. "I know," Wesley replied quietly, rubbing her back soothingly.

He could be calm because he and Nika had stayed up till nearly dawn discussing how they were going to handle the situation. Hannah had been given something for the pain at the hospital, so she wasn't in any shape to talk about consequences.

Buffy and Spike's quick explanation of what had happened told Wesley that Hannah hadn't knowingly placed Sam in danger. Nor had she intended to confront the Kraecher demons on her own, which meant that she hadn't gone against his instructions directly. It had been bad luck on her part.

Besides, Wesley knew what Kraecher demons were like. He had some idea of what they would have done to her if Spike and Buffy hadn't shown up when they did.

He knew what they'd probably threatened her with. Hannah was, after all, just a girl.

She pulled back after a moment, rubbing at her face impatiently. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he replied. "I do have some idea of what they probably said to you."

For a moment, it appeared that Hannah was going to burst into tears again, but the emotion was quickly controlled. "It was bad."

She wasn't referring to the cast on her arm, and Wesley knew it. "You were quite lucky," he said softly. "I want you to remember this, Hannah." Her head shot up and she stared at him, the question in her eyes unspoken but there nonetheless. "You are not invincible, even though you might feel like that sometimes. This was not your fault, but you knew that the Kraechers were in the area, even if you did not intend on meeting up with them without assistance."

Hannah nodded slowly, glancing away. She didn't want Wesley to know that she had intended on meeting them, even if she hadn't meant to get into it alone.

"If something happened to you, there would be a number of people who would be devastated, love, including me."

She looked up at her Watcher, seeing the kindness in his eyes. "I promise I won't do it again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Wesley advised her, smiling. "Now, I'm not going to punish you, so you needn't look so worried. I imagine you've learned your lesson. Anything else would just be redundant, and I'm rarely redundant."

Her smile was genuine. "Thanks."

Wesley touched her shoulder. "As stupid as it was, Spike was looking much more like his usual self last night, so something was accomplished. Next time, however, I think you might want to leave well enough alone. It was a risk you didn't need to take."

She nodded, and Wesley was satisfied with the chastened expression on her face. "Now, why don't you go see Nika. I think she's probably got something for you to eat."

Only when his Slayer was gone did Wesley allow himself to slump against the back of the couch. Hannah didn't need to see his fear. The idea that he might have lost her frightened him terribly. Without the pressure from the Council to keep an emotional distance, Wesley hadn't had any trouble coming to care for the girl.

He now could look back on his sojourn in Sunnydale with even more understanding. He fully comprehended Rupert's feelings for Buffy. Wesley couldn't have loved his Slayer more if she'd been his own flesh and blood.

Wesley passed a shaky hand over his face. It was fine. Hannah would be fine. That was all that mattered.

~~~~~

Buffy rinsed her mouth out with a shaky hand. She was grateful that Spike was off picking up Meg, because otherwise he'd be hovering. Brushing her teeth, Buffy considered her options. It wasn't like she'd never been pregnant before, but it had been a while.

It was entirely possible that something she ate was causing the stomach upset, or maybe it was just a virus. Except that there were other symptoms that signaled change.

Buffy was beginning to regret not now discussing birth control with Spike. Nor had she brought up the idea of having more children, not since they'd talked about it years ago when the twins were born. At this point, she had no idea how he would react when he found out she was pregnant.

If she was pregnant. It could be something else.

Not likely.

Downstairs, the front door opened and Buffy could hear Meg talking a mile a minute about her sleepover at Andrea's house. From her daughter's voice, she could tell that something had happened to make the night less fun than it should have been.

"And then she said Cody and Taylor didn't like me anymore!" Meg was saying as Buffy walked up to the kitchen doorway. Meg's back was to her, and she was completely focused on her father. "So I told her I didn't care because real friends didn't ditch you, and she said she wasn't sure she could be my friend because of Cody and Taylor."

There was a great deal of anger as well as a hint of unshed tears in the girl's voice, and Buffy winced in sympathy. She could dimly remember the times when the girl who was your best friend one day was cutting you out the next, often for no reason at all. Spike was handling it as he always had—by listening patiently.

Buffy couldn't stop her smile. He really was such a good dad.

"Then what?" Spike asked, acting as though Meg's story was the most important thing in the world.

"So I said she didn't have to be my friend and I told her she was being a coward," Meg replied. "I wanted to call you guys to come and get me, but it was really late, and so we just went to bed."

"We would have come for you, luv," Spike said quietly. "You know you can call us any time."

Meg shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Cody and Taylor have been acting like major b—" She stopped herself before saying the forbidden word. "You know. I thought Andrea was my friend, though."

Her voice dropped on this last, and Meg dropped the act to reveal the hurt little girl underneath. Buffy came into the kitchen and put her arms around her daughter. "Well, I think Andrea doesn't know jack. If she doesn't want to be your friend, that's her loss, not yours."

Spike frowned at the impatience that touched Meg's eyes. Although he agreed with his wife, he also knew that Meg didn't think her mother understood. "Still hurts when people treat you badly, though, moppet. Nothin' you can do about that."

Meg shrugged. "I'll be okay."

"Maybe you should call Trina," Buffy suggested. "I know she'd probably enjoy hanging out with you. You could invite her to the beach with us next week." Trina played on the intramural soccer team with Meg, but they didn't go to the same school, which made it more difficult. Buffy might have been more worried if Meg didn't have other close friends, outside her classmates.

Meg brightened slightly. "That would be cool."

She was off a few moments later, leaving Spike and Buffy in the kitchen together. "How are you?" Buffy asked him.

"Good." For the first time since his return, Spike meant it. "The fight last night—" He paused. "It was good. You hear from Wes?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Are we still going over there for dinner tonight?"

"'course," Spike replied, a slight frown forming. "Are you alright, luv?"

"I'm fine," Buffy replied quickly.

"No, you're not," he said. "You're too pale." Buffy's earlier assumption was proven correct as Spike rose to come hover near her. "What is it? Are you not feelin' well? We don't have to go tonight. Maybe you should—"

"Spike," Buffy said, cutting him off. "Really, I'm okay. It's just—" She hesitated. There was no way to know if telling him her suspicions would break the fragile détente they'd achieved. "You might want to sit down for this."

He grabbed her hand. "Buffy, you're not sick, are you?" Spike demanded. "Have you been hiding this from me? I told you—"

After the near-silence of the last few weeks, Buffy was nearly overwhelmed by the outpouring of words. This was more like it. This was also a little scary. "I'm not sick." She took a deep breath. "I think I might be pregnant."

There was a long silence, so long that she was beginning to think that Spike was so upset by her news that he was going to retreat into silence again. "How?"

It was the last question Buffy had been expecting. "I think you know how."

"No, I..." Spike trailed off as he thought about the last few weeks, realizing that they hadn't taken any precautionary measures. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"You knew this was going to happen?"

Buffy shrugged. "I realized after the first night that we hadn't used birth control, and then I just kind of forgot about it."

That wasn't precisely true. It was more a matter of deliberately avoiding the issue. "I see."

"Are you okay with this?" Buffy asked, some of her fear coloring her voice. "Spike, it's—"

"It's wonderful." The news—the words and their meaning were finally beginning to sink in. The thought that Buffy might be carrying his child was something so amazing—"Are you certain?"

"No, but I have my suspicions. We'll have to get one of those at-home pregnancy tests. They're pretty accurate." Buffy laced her fingers through his. "You're really okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Spike asked softly. "This is—more..." He trailed off, emotion preventing him from saying more.

"We didn't talk about this," Buffy replied. "I didn't know if it would happen or not, but I know I should have said something, and—"

He stopped her mid-ramble. "No, you shouldn't have said anything. This is better." Spike thought perhaps that he might have made a decision he would later regret if given a choice in matters. Having it come as a surprise was better. "Are you alright with this?"

"I want this." There was no hesitation to her words. "As much as I've wanted anything."

That was all Spike needed to know.

~~~~~

"Are you doing okay?"

"So help me, Connor, if you ask me that one more time—" Dawn left the threat unspoken, but she was completely serious. "I'm pregnant, not dying."

Connor didn't bother arguing with her, knowing full well that Dawn wouldn't hesitate to do something really nasty to him if he kept bugging her. He'd been around for Nika's miscarriages, though, and the thought that it could happen to them—

It scared him. And he didn't get scared very often.

Instead of saying anything more, Connor just put a hand on the small of Dawn's back. "I worry about you."

"I know you do." Dawn shot him an exasperated look. "I'm fine."

"It's just—" Connor hesitated. "Things don't always turn out for the best."

Dawn's face softened as she remembered how Connor's own mother had died. Of course, Darla had been a vampire, and there had been a prophecy involved, so it wasn't at all the same, but she could understand why he'd be worried. "They will this time."

He moved closer, his arm snaking around Dawn's waist. At five months, she was just beginning to show, and she was glowing. Connor thought that his wife had never been more beautiful.

They both saw Spike at the same time standing by the baggage carousel, waiting for them. He had his hands in his pockets and looked better than either of them had expected he would. From Buffy's reports, they had thought he'd be—well, different.

He was still Spike, though.

He and Dawn shared a warm hug and he shook Connor's hand. "How was the flight?"

"Good," Connor replied. "I was a little concerned—"

"Because he's a big worrywart," Dawn inserted.

"—but there wasn't any turbulence," Connor continued as though he'd never been interrupted.

Spike's eyes gleamed with humor. "Hell-Boy bein' overbearin'?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes! He's worse than you ever were with Buffy." She gave her husband a sour look. "I may have to ask you to sit on him while we're here, because I plan on having some fun."

Connor didn't appear all that concerned about the possibility. "Spike wouldn't argue with me taking care of you."

"No, I wouldn't," Spike agreed, shrugging. "Sorry, Bit, but you're surrounded by men highly interested in your well-being. You'll just have to get used to it."

Dawn huffed. "Fine." She pointed a finger at Connor. "But don't mess with my vacation, mister. I plan on shopping, gossiping, and eating, and not necessarily in that order."

Connor grinned. "Those sound like perfectly safe activities to me."

Spike snorted, then quickly hid it behind a cough. "You two still stayin' with us?"

"Yeah," Dawn replied. "Angel said we were welcome at the hotel, but since he's running the agency out of there, Connor didn't think it would be very restful."

"You don't want to get in between a pregnant lady and her sleep," Connor inserted. "I thought we could go hunting while we're here, though. It's been a while."

It had always been how they had bonded, Spike remembered. They had become close by watching each other's backs, and saving each other's lives. "We'll have to. I told Hannah she wasn't going out on patrol without me for a while."

"I heard about that," Connor said. "Is she okay?"

"Broken arm," Spike said. "Could have been a lot worse."

"Well, she's lucky she had you and Buffy," Dawn said.

Spike gave a noncommittal grunt, but he looked pleased. Dawn thought he looked older. Buffy had warned her about what to expect, and the Slayer hadn't been wrong. There were new lines on his face, and a weariness in his step that was new. On the other hand, he looked happy. Happier than Dawn had expected.

Happier than he had in a long time.

Dawn had known that his immortality was weighing on him heavily, and the new peace in his eyes was ample evidence that the burden had been lifted. She tucked her hand through his arm. "So what else is new?" she asked.

A sly grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "Somethin' big, but you'll have to wait till dinner at Nika's for the news. Buffy an' I have an announcement."

Connor couldn't help but grin at the look on Dawn's face as she immediately began to probe for the news. She never had liked to wait to hear a secret, and Spike knew that as well as anyone.

Spike really hadn't changed much.

~~~~~

Hannah fumbled with her books, trying to get them back in her locker one-handed. Even though it would probably only be a week before the cast came off, it was still a week too long. "Let me get those."

Sam was suddenly right there, grabbing her books from her and stacking them neatly in her locker. "Thanks."

"How are you?"

They hadn't spoken since she'd said goodbye to him when Spike and Buffy had dropped him off. She wasn't sure if he was mad at her or not, or if Sam even wanted to be with her. Now that he knew what her life was really like, there was a good possibility he wouldn't want any part of it.

"I'm okay," she said softly, not meeting his eyes. The idea that he wouldn't want her anymore stung more than she thought it would. Hannah hadn't realized that she was falling in love with him.

A gentle finger touched her cheek. "So are you grounded into the next century?"

Hannah finally looked up, and found Sam watching her intently. "No. Wesley said I'd learned my lesson. You?"

"Spike telling Dad that I'd stayed with you at the hospital helped." Sam gave her a lopsided grin. "I got told if I ever came in that late again, I'd regret it though." He suddenly frowned. "Are we okay?"

"What?"

"Do you—" Sam took a deep breath. "Do you still want to go out with me? Because I would totally understand if you didn't."

"Why wouldn't I?" Hannah asked. "You saved my life."

"Hannah, I ran off. I left you there, and—"

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Sam, if you hadn't gone for Buffy and Spike, we would probably both be dead. You saved my life."

"Then you're not mad at me?" he asked. "I thought when you didn't call—"

"I thought you'd be mad at me ," Hannah confessed. "That maybe once you saw how freaky my life is, you wouldn't want to date me. I wouldn't blame you."

Public displays of affection were frowned upon, especially in the hallways. Sam decided he didn't give a rat's ass. He dipped his head down, initiating a kiss that Hannah soon began to return. "Mr. Reynier, Miss MacDougall, can we please control ourselves?" The stiff voice of the principal had them pulling back, both with red faces.

Mrs. Carter gave them both a dirty look. "Don't let me catch you two kissing again," she warned. "Or you'll both end up in detention."

They both muttered apologies they didn't really mean, waiting until she'd walked off before looking at each other again. "Does that answer your question?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Hannah smiled. "Do you want to come over today? Connor and Dawn are going to be there for dinner. I really want you to meet them."

Sam grinned at her. "That would be nice."

And then, because no one was looking, they kissed again.

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