by melWinter

Chapter 4

Three Years Later

Werewolf Den

Spike looked over the house with a keen eye, always alert these days. He couldn’t help it anymore, it was just in his nature. He lightly touched the smoothness of the wall, almost expecting this reality to disintegrate in front of him, leaving him back in that damned crypt in Sunnydale. He sighed softly with a roll of his eyes, sitting heavily in the couch as his thoughts immediately shifted to her.

He shouldn’t still be hung up on the slayer, even if he was. At least Kat understood that it didn’t make him love her any less. It was just different. He’d fallen in love with Buffy’s snarky whit and her incredible body and the fierceness of her fighting ability. With Kat it was different. She grounded him so he could actually think with his head instead of his heart...or other organs. She was clever and worldly and cultured while Buffy really wasn’t any of those. And she loved him fiercely, protectively while Buffy...

Casual arms draped over his shoulders, a warm kiss landing on his cold cheek, “Someone’s thinking way too hard over here.” He sent her a guilty smile even as she nuzzled his temple before moving around the sofa and reclining, draping her bare feet in his lap, “Here. You can make it up to me.”

He smirked to himself even as he moved skilled fingers to her feet, lightly pulling and massaging while she groaned happily and rested her hand on her mound of a belly. Sighing to himself, “Sorry, luv, just...”

He shrugged a little to himself but Kat just smiled at him. She knew all about the Sunnydale Slayer, the good and the bad, and couldn’t fault him for still loving her. It was his capacity to love that made her fall so hard for him in the first place. And just as each person that we love is different, so too is the way that we love them. Not that she nor Buffy nor even Drusilla were in competition with one another, just that he loved each of them in different ways, “I understand, William. Really I do-...”

“Mummy!”

Down the steps bounded a two year old. Neither parent even moved, knowing the toddler had managed to jump over the baby gate and since it was almost a daily occurrence they’d both given up on restraining the boy. Over the last hurtle he jumped before skidding into the room and panting excitedly as he held up his little hands. The tops of them were both covered in a soft layer of blond fur and Spike tilted his head to the ceiling with a pissed off sigh.

Kat sent him a warning look before turning her attention back to Tyler who was looking between his mum and da and frowning, worried. Ruffling his curling hair, “You just ignore your father, cub, he’s just in a bad mood.”

Tilting his head a little, “How come?”

Snorting to himself, the blond vampire barely able to keep from snarling, “Because.”

Kat sent him a harder look but Spike was still ignoring her. Tyler looked down at his hands, tears shining in his eyes, “Is cause fur? Wanna ‘ike you, ‘ike you!”

She smiled and scooped him up, “You wanna me be like?” He nodded his little head emphatically and she kissed his eyebrow, “That’s good, cub. And no, he’s not mad at you. He’s just upset with a new friend of his, Mr. Idiot.” She moved past the sofa for the kitchen, sending Spike a disapproving look as she went. Tyler wasn’t even aware, already bouncing in her arms in anticipation of midday snack. Soon he was happily munching away on milk and apple slices and Spike sheepishly stepped into view.

Turning around, Kat marched back out, pushing him with one hand so they were both out of view. Dropping her voice low and hoping Tyler would be too young to hear, “You knew it was possible. How many times did I stress it? I warned you from the start it was likely they’d all be werewolves.”

He dropped his head, “I know, luv. I just...”

Crossing her arms, “What, hoped they’d take after you instead? I’m sorry if he’s not your ideal-...” He put a finger to her lips to stop her. She batted his hand away, “Don’t you ever tell me to shut up, even in gesture. You’re the one being the idiot.” He dropped his head again and braced himself, readying himself to be raked over the coals either verbally or physically. He deserved it and he wasn’t going to fight it. When there was nothing more forthcoming he cautiously looked up to see her with no expression on her face. His brow furrowed in confusion before she sighed softly, “Are you through thinking I’m Buffy?” He flinched back from her a little but she didn’t move to follow, “Abuse, verbal or physical, does not happen in this house now stop looking at me like that. Arguments don’t have to escalate but I won’t have you trying to control me.”

Spike nodded slowly to himself as he consciously loosened tense muscles and raised his head a little. Before they’d even started this journey together they’d spent many nights just talking out the past until she had a pretty good feel on who he was and the reverse was also true. And while it probably hadn’t been intentional, Buffy’s actions and reactions had left a semi-permanent mark on his interactions with her. Like now. When they fought, which was rare, he immediately prepared himself for abuse of any kind. And when she argued with him, he felt the need to become assertive and almost force his perspective on her.

“I love Tyler. Just as he is.” Looking up at Kat, “Just as you are, luv.” She smiled at him and he scuffed his shoes on the ground a little, “Alright, so maybe I was hoping they’d beat the odds but...” He shrugged a bit and she suddenly got it. The male ego.

Rolling her eyes at him, “You’re such a prat.”

He grinned and sneaked closer, slowly pulling him into her arms, “Know it.” He put a gentle hand on her steadily growing swell, “Think this one’ll be the same.”

Smiling proudly, “Yep.”

Suddenly thinking back to the triplets he’d first encountered after meeting Kat, “Not gonna be a litter, is it?”

Rolling her eyes at him since they both knew it was just one little boy, “C’mon, you promised him you’d show him how to fly a kite today.”

Grinning and easily embracing this rather domestic side of fatherhood and finding he loved it, “Oh, yeah...”

***

Kensington, England

Buffy hummed to herself as she went through her recipe box. It was one of the few things of her mother’s that she’d been able to salvage from Sunnydale. She grinned to herself and turned up the kitchen radio, liking this particular song. Not too loud though, she wanted to be sure to hear any stirring since right now both three year olds were taking a nap.

Her wandering fingers came across her mother’s recipe for hot chocolate and a bitter-sweet smile replaced the content one. His favorite...with the little marshmallows because apparently it wouldn’t be hot cocoa without it. She nibbled on her lower lip as a rush of emotions followed. Of everything she regretted, her past with Spike was one of the biggest. Now that she was out of Sunnydale and distanced from her friends and watcher, she could say with honest regret she hadn’t done right by him. Yes, she was the slayer and he a slayee but that didn’t mean she had the right to be cruel to him. She should never have gotten involved with him, or else she should have committed fully to him.

Tensing and jerking around when the front door opened without even a knock, she relaxed with a whoosh of air when Dawn stuck her head in the doorframe a few moments later. She laughed in relief as long forgotten slayer muscles had coiled in preparation of attack, “Dawn...”

The former little gangly sister waved at her with one hand, the other behind her back, “Hey.”

She grinned and put down the stack of recipes, wrapping her up tight in a hug. Boarding school was out for the summer, the headmaster sending all the students home and she was so thankful. Plus it had been Dawn’s last year so her little sister was officially a high school graduate. With an impish grin the nineteen year old held up her diploma. When they’d moved she’d had to start all over, different name and everything and not all of her classes had transferred. Still, it was finally done, “So...”

Rolling her eyes at her sister, “So...”

Buffy giggled and made her way back over to her recipes, “Need any help with your stuff?” She could just imagine the little blue compact she’d bought cheap absolutely crammed with Dawn’s books and clothes and posters and those god awful punk cd’s of her’s.

Shrugging, taking a seat at the island counter, “Maybe in a bit. I wanted to talk to you about college and stuff, get it out of the way.”

Picking through the few she was able to cook...mother of two and she could still burn cereal, “Oh yeah, where did you decide-...” Spinning around, “You were already accepted??”

Smiling with a sigh, “I’m not going.” Buffy paled but Dawn held up a finger before she could start arguing, “Hear me out, okay?” Slowly Buffy nodded, as if the effort was being pulled out of her. Which actually made sense to Dawn since restraint and Buffy just did not go together. Her big sister had gotten better, especially once the twins were born but a part of her would always be the Sunnydale Slayer who gave orders instead of took them, “I’ve thought about it, I really have...” Smiling brighter, “And I’ve figured out the house and the white picket fence and the normal life that you want, it’s not for me. I want to be out there fighting bad guys and saving the world so...I’ve applied for a job at the police station.” Buffy’s eyes widened in horror, “I’m too young to be a cop yet but I can work at a desk, answering phones and stuff.”

Shaking her head, “Dawnie, you could go to school and-...”

“And end up with not even two years under my belt and waste your money before I join up anyway?”

Stiffening her chin, glaring at her sister, “It’s too dangerous.”

Dawn pulled herself up, standing tall and glaring back at Buffy, “It’s what I want and he told me never to let anyone talk me out of what I want.”

Snorting, “Who??”

“Spike.” The word was stated firmly, not harshly but it still made Buffy jerk back in pain, “You let them destroy anything good the two of you could have had together and I’m not making your mistakes. No Willow or Xander or Giles whispering in my ear about what I should do. No big sister trying to protect me from myself. This is what I want. If it’s a mistake then it’s one I’ll make...on my own if I have to.” Gesturing behind herself grimly, “That’s why I didn’t unpack before...” Her chin was set and she wasn’t going to back down.

Buffy slowly sat on a stool, just staring at Dawn for several seconds silently. She’d missed it. Her dorky little pain in the ass sister had become a Summers woman and she’d missed it. Not that she was surprised. She seemed to miss out on all the important stuff. Dawn had actually been the one to point out how much she had changed and it was true. The Buffy Summers of Sunnydale was not the Buffy of today.

Smiling bitterly suddenly, “He would have been proud of you.”

She smiled her own bittersweet smile and hastily wiped away a tear gliding down her cheek, “I know. He’s like my confidence. I can hear him in my head when I think I can’t do something. ‘You can do anything, Bit.’” Dawn shrugged self consciously suddenly and played with a wooden spoon on the cutting board.

Buffy leaned back against the counter before looking down, letting her hair hide her face, “He’s my conscience...” Dawn looked up in surprise before Buffy pushed herself away from the sink and rolled up her sleeves, “Come on, your clothes aren’t going to move themselves.” She didn’t look at her sister as she walked outside for the first load and Dawn let her go without a word, knowing it wouldn’t do any good.

She frowned to herself before fishing out the old but well-used lighter from her pocket, twirling it on her fingers as she looked over the smooth metal surface. She’d found it in Buffy’s room on Revello Drive when they’d been packing and something had told her to keep it safe. It had looked familiar and later she’d realized it was Spike’s. She’d taken it with her everywhere, a tangible reminder of her lost friend. Sighing softly in regret, she pocketed it once more and snatched up the baby monitor before following Buffy.