Title: Unexpected Blessings Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com Disclaimer: Not mine Rating: Varies from chapter to chapter Feedback: Oh, yes. Please Summary: Buffy and Spike have a baby. Prequel to "Daddy's Girl" Retribution "What makes you think she'll be here?" Spike stopped the car across the street from the factory where he'd once lived with Drusilla. "Like I said...she's as stupid as ever. Dru never thought things all the way through. That's why she can't manage on her own," he replied, stepping out of the car. When they found the back entry, Xander tested the door. "It's locked," he whispered. Spike didn't reply. Lifting one foot, he kicked the door in so hard that it snapped off it's hinges and fell to the floor with an echoing clatter. Xander stared at him. "Good idea. Let's sneak up on them." Spike ignored the comment and walked into the warehouse area of the factory. He picked up Dru's scent immediately, and his demon emerged, fueled by rage and eager for violence. "DRUSILLA!!" He stood in the middle of the cavernous room and shouted her name. Spike felt her before he saw her step out of the shadows on the opposite side of the room. "Spike," she said, with airy unconcern. "Come to call, love?" "Not exactly a social visit, Dru." He approached her at a slow pace. Jacob stood a few feet away, and without thinking twice, Spike pulled out his crossbow and fired the bolt through the other vampire's heart. "That the best help you can get these days, Pet?" Spike asked as Jacob's dust settled. "How things have changed." "You're being very cruel, Spike." She tilted her head to one side and pouted, a gesture he had once found irrestible, but now only made him want to snap her neck. "Tough shit," he said curtly, reloading his weapon. "I'm just getting started. Where's my...." he began, but was cut off by the sound a baby wailing miserably. With a tiny smile on her lips, Dru scolded him. "Naughty Spike...you woke the baby." Striding quickly across the room, Spike entered a small office and found his daughter lying on the cold, filthy floor. Relief washed over him, sending him to his knees beside her. "It's all right, sweetheart." After checking her for bite marks, he scooped her up and realized immediately why she was so upset. Apart from how hungry she must surely be, the room was freezing and she hadn't been changed in so long that her sleeper was soaked from the waist down. Holding her under her arms, he kissed her little face. "S'all right, love" he said soothingly. "It's all over. Daddy's here now." There was nothing he hated to hear more than the sound of his little girl crying. He'd kill Drusilla for that alone. "Come on, baby," he said, working himself out of his jacket and wrapping it around her. "Mommy's home waiting for you. She'll fill up that empty tummy." The baby recognized her father's voice and his touch, and allowed herself to be comforted. Holding her against his shoulder, he picked up his crossbow and carried her back to the main room. Xander had Drusilla backed up against a wall, his own weapon precisely aimed, being careful not to make eye contact with her. "Take her outside," Spike said, reluctantly handing Katie over. Xander lowered the crossbow, and took her in one arm. "What about...?" He gestured at Drusilla. "Just take her out to the car," Spike said. "See if there's a blanket in the back. She's cold." With a brief nod, Xander headed for the exit. Before he walked out, he turned to look back. "Spike?" "Yeah?" "Finish it this time." Spike waited until they were gone, then turned to look at Drusilla. "I really wish you'd stayed away, Dru. You've gotta stop listening to the fairies whispering in your ear. They're giving you a lot of bad advice." "And you should stop consorting with humans," she replied. "They've been a bad influence on you, my pretty." He shook his head. "We had some good times, you and I. You made me what I am today and I loved you for it. For over a hundred years, I loved you. I'd have done anything for you." "You were my prince," she sighed, extending one hand. Spike nodded. "And you were my dark princess." "Oh, Spike..." "But..things change." He chuckled softly. "Angel told me that once. And...well, I told him that WE don't change. Demons don't change." Spike smiled ruefully. "Turns out I was wrong. I changed. I don't love you, Dru. Not for a long time. But..you knew that. You knew about the slayer." Her eyes hardened, then became slightly unfocused. "The other one you love." "No," he corrected. "The ONLY woman I love. It's her, and it always will be." Moving a few feet away, he turned his back. "Don't get me wrong though. I'm still grateful to you for turning me. If you hadn't...I would have died long ago. I never would have met the slayer." Swinging around abruptly, he nailed her with a direct gaze. "And I wouldn't be her husband." He moved one step closer to her... "You really shouldn't have come back here." And another step... "It was a big mistake." And another... "But you made an even bigger mistake when you took the slayer's child. Because, when you stole HER child..." He paused and smiled. "You stole MY child, too." Leveling his weapon, he took aim. For the first time since he'd come here, she looked afraid. "Spike?" "Now...it's your turn to be punished," he whispered, and fired the bolt. He stayed there for just a moment, kicking his foot and smearing the residue of dust around the floor. "You always were a stupid bitch." *********************** Spike crossed the street, seeing Xander waiting by the car with the baby. Holding out his arms, he gathered her up and held her so closely that he could feel her little heart beating. "So," Xander said. "It's done?" Spike nodded. "It's done. It's finally done." Walking around the to the other side of the car he climbed into the back and buckled Katie into her car seat. "Let's go home, sweetheart," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Home to mommy." ************************* When they pulled into the driveway, Buffy was standing at the open front door, frozen by fear into immobility. "Hey, Buffy!" Xander shouted as he climbed out of the car. "We've got someone here who could use a little motherly love." When she saw Spike come around the back of the car with a small bundle in his arms, Buffy let out a cry of happiness and launched herself off the porch and across the lawn. Sweeping the baby into her arms, she cuddled her close and burst into tears. "Oh, baby...mommy missed you so much! Yes, I did." She held the baby away and covered her little face with kisses. "I'm so happy you're home!" Holding Katie close again, Buffy looked up into Spike's eyes. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too," he said, wrapping his arms around his girls. "Thank you for bringing her home." The baby began to fuss, then to cry. "Someone's hungry," Spike said, stroking her soft hair. "Not to mention wet." Buffy patted the baby's bottom, then wiped her hand down the front of her sweater. "Let's go inside, love. It's too cold out here for her." As they walked back to the house, Buffy looked up and saw the others standing on the porch waiting. Dawn was sobbing and shaking, unsure of what to do or say. Buffy handed the baby to Spike and walked up the front porch steps. She threw her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly. "It's over now," she said. "And I don't want you blaming yourself for this." "Buffy..." "No, Dawn. There's no way you could have known about Drusilla." "She's right, bit," Spike added. "It's all over..and Drusilla won't be bothering us ever again." "And thank you for THAT," Giles said as everyone filed back into the house. He closed the door, then locked all three dead bolts. ********************* "Was it hard for you to kill her?" Buffy lifted the baby from her bathtub and held her as Spike wrapped a towel around her. "Are you kidding?" he grunted derisively. "I just wish I could have brought her back and done it again." He carried Katie into their bedroom and laid her on the bed, drying her thoroughly. Buffy stood in the doorway watching the tender care he gave their child. "You're a good daddy," she said, smiling. He looked up at her, pleased by the compliment. "You think?" Buffy nodded. "Oh, yeah." Sitting down beside him on the bed, she powdered and diapered the baby's bottom, then zipped her up into clean sleepers. She had been horrified at her child's condition when she'd first begun to undress her. After peeling off the wet sleeper, she had found that Katie's diaper was so wet that it had swelled to three times its normal size and was beginning to fall apart. Her tiny bottom looked red and sore. The baby had been so hungry that she'd taken every- thing Buffy had to give without slowing down. Now, with her tummy full and her body clean, dry, and warm, she fell asleep on her parent's bed. They stretched out on either side of her, facing each other and talking quietly. Buffy was trying to stave off the inevitable moment of putting the baby to bed in her crib. She wanted her daughter no farther away than the reach of her hand. Spike, as always, seemed to read her thoughts and said, "Let's keep her in here with us tonight." Buffy beamed at him. "That's exactly what I was thinking." The night's terrible events began to take their toll, leaving them physically and emotionally wrung out. Spike forced himself to get up and move the bassinet next to their bed, then scooped up the baby without waking her. He tucked her snugly beneath her blanket, then leaned over and kissed her, taking in her fresh baby scent with his eyes shut tight and silently thanking whoever had been kind enough to help a vampire without a soul anywhere on him. He undressed and crawled into bed next to Buffy. "The only positive side in all this is that she won't remember any of it." "Yeah," Buffy said, moving into his arms. "But WE will." They laid in bed quietly, until Spike broke the silence. "If you thought I was over protective BEFORE...." The End. You can read more about Spike, Buffy and Katie in "Daddy's Girl", which WILL be expanded on as soon as I catch my breath.