An Unaccomplished Fate

Author: enigmaticblue

Rating: PG-15

Disclaimer: I don’t own most of these characters, and I’m not making any money off of the ones that are mine.

Summary: The sequel to Avocation and Under the Sun. Spike and Buffy’s relationship is on solid ground at last, but a new prophecy threatens everything they hold dear. The bonds of family and friendship will be tested, lives will be threatened, and the entire world will hang on the choice of one vampire.

A/N: Any resemblance to canon is pretty much accidental.

Chapter 21

“Oh, my beloved, have you thought of this:/How in the years to come unscrupulous Time,/More cruel than Death, will tear you from my kiss,/And make you old, and leave me in my prime?/How you and I, who scale together yet/A little while the sweet, immortal height/No pilgrim may remember or forget,/As sure as the world turns, some granite night/Shall lie awake and know the gracious flame/Gone out forever on the mutual stone;/And call to mind that on the day you came/I was a child, and you a hero grown?—/And the night pass, and the strange morning break/Upon our anguish for each other’s sake!” ~Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Oh, My Beloved, Have You Thought of This?”

Joyce made it through dinner by sheer force of will, figuring that the contractions she was feeling was just a false alarm. When she felt the unmistakable sensation of her water breaking, however, she knew that the time had come.

“Rupert,” she said quietly. “I need you to go upstairs and get my bag.”

Silence fell over the table as everyone stared at her. “I beg your pardon?” Giles asked.

“I’m going to need a ride to the hospital.” Joyce looked at him. “Go get my bag? Please?”

He blinked. “Of—of course. I’ll just…” Giles stood quickly and would have knocked over his chair if Spike hadn’t caught it.

“Go,” Spike said, giving him a nudge. “I’ll drive.”

“Isn’t this early?” Buffy asked, sounding frightened.

“It’s a little early, but not enough to be dangerous.” Joyce managed a smile. “Don’t worry.”

“Let’s get you in the car, pet.” Spike helped her up, and Buffy quickly moved to the other side. Between the two of them, they supported her outside to the car. Spike slid behind the wheel, leaning out the window to talk to Buffy.

“We’ll meet you there,” Buffy said. “Xander can drive.”

“What about Dawn?”

“We’ll keep her away from the crazies. She should be safe enough with us.”

“Right then.” Spike and Joyce looked over their shoulders as Giles put Joyce’s bag into the backseat and quickly followed.

“Let’s go.”

“We’ll see you there, luv.” Spike leaned out the window for a quick kiss, then put the car into reverse.

Joyce clutched the door as Spike drove to the hospital, focusing on her breathing. The contractions were coming closer together now, and she wondered if the rumors were true, and the first birth took the longest.

~~~~~

Buffy paced the waiting room, wishing that she could be in there with her mom, and yet not wanting to be there at the same time.

“Buffy, sit.” Spike grabbed her hand. “Come on, luv. Sit.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re making me dizzy.” Spike stood, still holding her hand, and pulled her out of the waiting room. “Let’s grab some coffee.”

“What if—”

“They’ll come and get us.” She was somehow unsurprised when he led her outside. “I thought you might want some fresh air.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re worried, which is perfectly understandable.”

She hugged herself tightly. “Yeah.”

“The doctors are good, Buffy. They’ll bring both of them through.”

“I know.” She managed a smile and leaned up against the cool concrete wall next to him, trying to mirror his relaxed position. “Do you—”

When she stopped, Spike turned to face her, one long-fingered hand stroking her arm. “Do I what?”

“Do you ever wish…” Buffy trailed off, unable to put it into words.

He smiled, but there was a certain wistfulness in his eyes. “Yeah, sometimes. There are times I wish I was human, especially now.”

Buffy didn’t ask him to clarify; she knew what he meant. His hand moved from her arm to frame her face. “What about you?” he asked. “You could find yourself some nice, human guy, settle down, have babies.”

“Two Hellmouths, two Slayers.” Buffy managed a smile. “This is what I am, Spike. Having a kid doesn’t factor into that.”

Spike pulled her close, and she clung to him for a moment. “Destiny is a bitch,” he murmured against her hair.

She had to laugh at that typical-Spike statement. “Yes, it is.”

“I think we’re due another vacation after this,” he said softly. “Where do you want to go this time?”

Buffy gave some thought to that, then said, “Could we go back to that demon resort? That was really nice.”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “Sure thing, luv.”

“Buffy!” Willow hurried out the automatic doors, looking around the front of the building.

“We’re here, Will.” Buffy half-jogged to meet her friend. “Is something wrong?”

Willow grinned. “Nope. He’s a little on the small side, but you’ve got a new little brother, Buffy.”

~~~~~

Giles held his son, and thought his heart might crack from the weight of the joy that he felt. The infant was so tiny, so fragile, and yet already he held Giles’ entire world.

“Rupert?”

He turned awkwardly, careful not to disturb the baby, who appeared perfectly content to be in his arms for the moment. “He’s perfect.”

“He is.” Joyce held out her arms, and Giles reluctantly handed the baby over. “They’ll want to take him to the nursery soon.”

“The nursery?”

“Just until we’re ready to go home.” Joyce touched the baby’s ruddy cheek with one finger, then adjusted the tiny blue stocking cap. “Did the others know where Buffy and Spike were?”

Giles was prevented from answering by a brief knock on the door, and Buffy stuck her head inside. “Is everyone decent?”

“Of course. Come in, sweetheart.”

Buffy slipped inside, followed closely by Spike, who appeared strangely uncomfortable. “Oh!” She moved over to Joyce’s side. “He’s so cute!”

“He really is, isn’t he?” Joyce replied with pardonable smugness. “He’s only five and a half pounds, but the doctor said that his lungs are well developed, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Have you two decided on a name yet?” Spike asked, hands shoved in his pockets as though he was afraid he’d break something—or that Joyce would ask him to hold the baby.

Giles glanced at Joyce, who smiled. “We did,” he said. “Meet Thomas Maxwell.”

“Big name for such a little mite,” Spike said, edging a little closer to the bed.

“My grandmother was Thomasina,” Giles explained.

Buffy glanced away from her little brother. “The one who was the Watcher?”

“That’s correct.” He smiled. “Although I rather doubt that he’ll be following in his great-grandmother’s footsteps.”

In fact, Giles rather hoped that his son would be a green grocer or a fighter pilot, or anything else he damn well pleased—just as long as he was happy.

~~~~~

Quinn’s stomach sank as she saw Travers’ number come up on her caller I.D., and she knew she didn’t have any choice but to take the call. “O’Mara.”

“I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time with the Slayer and her friends.”

“You wanted information, I found a way to get it.” Quinn had prepared herself for this possibility, and had decided to tell the truth—or part of it—rather than lying. She had no idea how he had found out, but she had to convince him that she was doing this for the Council. “They don’t know who I’m working for.”

“And yet I haven’t received any updates from you.”

“I didn’t have anything of note to report,” she responded. “Unless you want to know that Buffy’s family is expanding.”

“Her family?” Travers’ voice sharpened, and Quinn realized that she might have said too much without meaning to. “What do you mean?”

“Her mom just had a new baby. You knew that Rupert Giles was having a kid, right?”

“I didn’t. And you’ve noticed nothing untoward there?”

“Well, Joyce was definitely pregnant,” Quinn replied. “If that’s what you’re asking.”

“I see.”

Quinn decided that it was time to change the subject. “You’ve never told me what kind of information you want. Now that I’m in a position to ask questions, it might be time to fill me in.”

“We seek the Key,” Travers responded. “You know that.”

“So what?” Quinn said. “Buffy might be wearing it around her neck for all I know. And what am I supposed to do if I find the key? Drop it in the mail?”

“The Key is a person, Ms. O’Mara.” Travers’ disapproving tone made it clear that he didn’t appreciate her sarcasm. “And there is another group in Sunnydale looking for the key. Continue doing what it is you’re doing, and let me know if anyone new appears in the Slayer’s life.” There was a pause. “There isn’t anyone new, is there?”

Quinn thought of the Slayer’s kid sister, about how Buffy hadn’t known about her father’s illegitimate daughter until recently, and she thought she knew who the Key was. If she could figure it out, Travers could, too, and it would only be a matter of time until he discovered that the geas hadn’t forced Spike to deliver it.

“It’s business as usual, as far as I can tell,” Quinn responded. “I’ll let you know if anyone new shows up, though.”

She just hoped he couldn’t sense when she was lying.

~~~~~

“So, what’s Spike getting you for Christmas?”

Buffy smiled. “What happened to loving surprises?”

Willow shrugged. “Surprises are nice, but knowing is sometimes nice, too. How is Spike at keeping a secret?”

“Way too good,” Buffy admitted with a smile. “I have no idea if he’s even gone shopping yet.”

They were walking along the main street, having taken the evening to do a little shopping of their own. Everyone else had been busy doing one thing or another—Tara taking her last test of the semester, Wesley working with Spike to get a full range of motion back in his ankle, Dawn learning basic self-defense from the two of them, her mom and Giles spending time with the baby, Xander and Anya having a date night.

Buffy had missed spending time with just her and Willow; so much of her life revolved around Spike now. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it had changed the dynamics of their friendship.

“Wesley’s terrible at keeping secrets.” Willow grinned. “I think that’s why he waits until last minute to shop.”

“I think he does that because he’s a guy,” Buffy retorted. “Xander is the same way. I keep waiting for him to panic and ask me what he should get Anya.”

Willow made a face. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“You guys aren’t fighting again, are you?”

“No. Not really. We don’t see enough of each other to fight,” Willow replied. “It’s just—what does he see in her?”

Buffy raised her eyebrows. “You know, I asked Spike the same question about Wesley when he first hired him.”

She sighed. “You’re right. It’s Xander’s life.”

“You weren’t happy about him dating Cordelia either,” Buffy pointed out.

“But that was Cordelia,” Willow said. “And before you say it, Xander’s my best friend. I love him, but I don’t feel that way about him anymore.” Willow gave her a sharp look. “Changing the subject, how are you doing?”

“With what?”

“With the new baby brother?”

Buffy realized that it wasn’t for nothing that Willow was her oldest friend. “He’s adorable. Mom and Giles are completely wrapped up in him, and that leaves Spike and me with Dawn-duty. Technically, she is our responsibility, though, so I can’t complain. Too much.”

“And with the fact that your mom had a baby?”

Buffy shrugged. “She’s happy. Giles is over the moon. I’m okay. Really.”

Until that point, Buffy had been fairly wrapped up in their conversation, and had given only cursory attention to their surroundings. They were off of Main Street now, however, into one of the quieter business districts that they had to pass through on the way to Spike’s house, and Buffy sensed that they were being followed.

“Willow, I think we have company.”

“I’m with you.” The witch’s voice was perfectly calm, and Buffy couldn’t help but think about how far the other girl had come.

They both turned at the same time, and the sight of the armored men, fifty yards away and closing, sent a wave of terror through her.

The soldiers—knights, really—were those from her dream, the ones who had killed Willow.

“Will, go get Spike and Wes.” Buffy kept her voice low. She was hoping that they wanted her, and that if Willow ran, they wouldn’t pay too much attention.

“Buffy, no. I can help.”

“I know you can, but I need you to get Spike. I can hold them off. Hurry! Before it’s too late!”

Willow stared at her for a long, breathless moment, then seemed to decide that it was for the best. “Be careful.”

Buffy nodded, then began walking towards the soldiers, wanting to provide a distraction to allow Willow to escape. “You’ve been following me.”

The lead knight responded. “You have the Key.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Buffy replied. “Unless you want my house keys, which you’re not getting. I don’t think my boyfriend would be pleased to wake up next to you.”

“The Slayer and the Guardian are sworn to protect the Key.” The knight spoke as though she’d said nothing, and his companions were eerily silent. Buffy could see the tattoos on their foreheads, and she flashed back to what Quinn had told her about Luka’s last words. He’d said that soldiers were coming, and they had finally shown up. “And we know the Key is a person.”

Buffy shrugged, trying to stifle her fear. “I’m sworn to protect the world, and if the Key is part of that, I can see where you’re coming from. That doesn’t mean I know where it is.”

“The Key is the Link. The Link must be severed. Such is the will of God.”

Buffy could see the capital letters flying out of his mouth, and she knew that she was dealing with religious fanatics. There were some people who just couldn’t be reasoned with—and she was looking at them. “No one severs anybody in this town, unless it’s me.”

“You must turn over the Key to us, Slayer.”

“Or what? You’ll say ‘nee’ until our ears bleed?” Buffy recognized the voice immediately as Quinn’s. “Because I have to say, you lot aren’t all that frightening.”

The knights turned to get a better look at the newcomer, and Buffy decided to take advantage of her opportunity. Maybe they hadn’t attacked her—yet—but she got the feeling that it was only a matter of time. Buffy soon found herself back to back with Quinn, fighting off the half dozen knights.

“I’m assuming you have backup on the way,” Quinn managed between ducking a sword thrust and attempting to find a weak spot in one knight’s armor with her knife.

“Should be here any minute.” Buffy had to jump over a spear swipe and watched as one of the knights collapsed. “Thank God.”

“What—” Quinn began, but the knight she had been fighting went down as well, and the others were soon unconscious. “Nice to see you guys.”

Wesley was holstering his tranq pistol. “I wasn’t sure I was up to fancy footwork.”

“And there were way too many sharp objects being waved around for me,” Willow added, looking at the bodies with a satisfied expression. “That new sleep spell we put together works perfectly.”

“Thanks,” Buffy said. “Things were beginning to get a little dicey.”

“And why the hell didn’t you run?” Spike asked, having moved the knights’ weapons away from where they could easily reach them once they started to wake up. “You sent Willow off.”

“They’re the knights from my dream, Spike,” Buffy said quietly. “And on the off chance they didn’t know where you lived and where—” She stopped. “Never mind.”

“I know.” Quinn cleared her throat. “I was on my way over to tell you that Travers had called. He said something that made it clear who the Key is.”

“What did he say?” Spike demanded. “Does he know?”

“I made a comment about Buffy’s family growing. I didn’t realize that it might be significant until after the words were out of my mouth.” Quinn appeared embarrassed. “When he asked, I mentioned that Giles and Joyce’s new baby, and there was nothing out of the ordinary, but I didn’t say anything about Dawn. I’m not sure if he bought it or not.”

“Shit.” Buffy saw the pained expression on Quinn’s face, and shook her head. “It’s not your fault. There isn’t a lot we can do to hide the fact that Dawn just showed up. If you have enough of the pieces, the rest of the picture just forms itself.”

“There’s one more thing,” Quinn said. “Travers has at least one other informant in town. He knew I was spending time with you all.”

Buffy glanced down at the unconscious bodies and thought of what the lead knight had said to her. “They know the Key is a person,” she said slowly. “Would Travers be aware of that?”

“From the translation of the prophecy, yes,” Wesley said. “It talks about the Key’s blood, so it would almost have to be, at least by default.”

“Then these might be Travers’ informants,” Quinn said.

“That seems to bring up the problem of what we’re going to do about them” Wesley pointed out, nudging one of the bodies with his toe.

“You and I will take care of them while Buffy and the others check on Dawn.” Spike’s tone indicated that he was not going to allow argument. “We had to leave her alone.”

Buffy wanted to ask what Spike was going to do with the bodies, then decided that she didn’t want to know, not until after the fact when the deed would be done. “Thanks, Spike.”

“Need any help?” Quinn asked diffidently. “It’s the least I can do.” She shrugged. “I figure it’s only a matter of time before they reveal my role in this fight to Travers.”

“That’s only if we aren’t successful at stalling them,” Spike responded. “But yeah, Quinn, we could use an extra pair of hands.” He glanced at Buffy. “See you at home?”

“Of course.” As she accompanied Willow to Spike’s place, Buffy couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom that she had. With the knights in her vision showing up, it could only be a matter of time before they faced the rest of what her vision had promised.

And it seemed as though her fears were coming to life.