She thought she could handle this. She thought this demon would cause no problem. She hadn’t taken into account that she wasn’t quite in fighting form anymore. The loose fitting clothes fulfilled two purposes – she could fight in them, and they hid her changing figure.
The demon shrugged off her kick as if it was nothing. He…it…whatever…struck back with a blow that knocked the wind out of her. The fight was not going well. It looked like it was going to be short…with Buffy on the loosing side.
The next blow struck her in the stomach and Buffy felt herself go flying from the force of it. Something hard – a tree perhaps – stopped her progress and she slumped to the ground.
She heard the demon laugh as it approached her. It was the first sound it had made all evening. As her vision swam and the demon came into view again, Buffy briefly wondered how many lives it had taken with that one blow. Her, her child…Angel?
Suddenly the demon screamed
as visible electricity like lightning struck it hard. Its cry was
silenced and it fell with a ground shaking impact. She was still
wondering what her fate would be as she too fell into darkness.
“Oh good, you’re awake!” was the first thing Buffy heard
when she regained consciousness.
Buffy blinked her eyes wearily. “Willow?” Her roommate grinned and nodded. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital,” Willow explained. “You were on the loosing end of a battle with…well, we don’t know what, because we didn’t see it…but Riley and the Initiative got it. He brought you here.”
“Oh,” Buffy said softly.
“I’m sure he had a reason not to be here when you woke up,” Willow tried to reassure her.
“I’m not seeing Riley anymore,” Buffy explained softly.
Willow fell silent. Her face looked sympathetic, but no words came out. Not that it mattered; she didn’t need any sympathy when it came to Riley.
“So where’s the rest of the gang?” Buffy asked with a slight smile.
“Right here,” came a voice in the doorway. Buffy turned her head to see Giles, Xander, Spike, and her mother all entering the room.
“Hey guys,” Buffy said with a forced grin.
Giles nodded. “I’m glad to see you’re awake,” he said.
“But…?” Buffy prompted.
The ex-Watcher sighed. “I warned you against patrolling while carrying a child,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” Buffy said softly, “but I’m all right. And my baby…right?” She looked to all of them for reassurance.
“Yeah, Buffy,” Xander said, “the baby’s fine.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” a new voice broke in softly.
Everyone turned to the newcomer in surprise. Riley stood framed in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked decidedly angry.
Everyone began talking at once.
“You never told him?” Willow asked in surprise.
“How could you?” Xander demanded.
Riley nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Buffy, how could you? How could you not tell me you’re pregnant with my child?”
“You’re the father?” Joyce asked him, her face clearly showing her disapproval.
“Yeah, I’m the father,” Riley acknowledged. “The one and only. Buffy, why didn’t you tell me? Even though…we broke up I’d still like to support you. This is my child, too. I think I have some right to know! To have some place in the life of my child.”
“It’s not your child!” Buffy cried in frustration. Her eyes went wide when she realized that she’d said that out loud.
The entire room fell silent.
Willow spoke first. “Of course, Buffy. You’re the pregnant one, it’s your child.”
Buffy shook her head, sighed, and sank into the pillows. “That’s not what I meant, Willow, and you all know that.”
Riley’s expression went dark and angry. “Whose is it then, Buffy, huh? Who else have you been screwing around with? Aside from the vampire?”
Everyone except Riley and Buffy turned to look at Spike. “It bloody well isn’t me!” he cried.
“No one, ‘aside from the vampire,’” Buffy hissed.
“What vampire?” Willow asked softly.
“That’s not the truth. Or the child is mine and you just don’t want to admit it.”
“Vampire?!” Xander asked in shock.
“That is the truth!”
“What vampire, Buffy?” Giles demanded, beginning to look angry.
“You’re a liar as well as a slut. Vampires can’t have children. Even I, as stupid as I may seem to you, know that.”
“What vampire?!” Joyce finally yelled.
“Shut up!” Buffy cried and the room fell silent. Everyone was staring at her in shock. “Riley, get out. You will never talk to me like that again. As a matter of fact, you will never talk to me again. This is my child. In no way what so ever is it yours. You have no claim on either of us. Thanks for saving my life this evening, but get the hell out!”
He turned on his heel and stalked from the room. Everyone was silent in his wake.
Buffy sighed. “Did I really just have that conversation?”
No one replied to her. They all stared at her in silence and shock.
“What?” Buffy asked in confusion.
“Buffy,” Giles said slowly, “what vampire?”
“Oh.” Buffy laughed slightly, nervously. “You heard that, did you?”
“Buffy…” Joyce said in warning.
Suddenly Spike began to laugh and everyone looked at him. “Are you all dense?” he asked.
“Stay out of this, Spike,” Xander said, dismissing his comment. “What. Vampire. Did. You. Sleep. With?”
Buffy felt very uncomfortable. This was not how she imagined this revelation going. “Uh, can I make a quick phone call?”
Everyone stared at her aghast. “Buffy Anne Summers…” her mother began.
“Don’t any of you people think?” Spike suddenly demanded. “Only one vampire has ever managed to get into the Slayer’s pants. That hasn’t changed!”
For yet the millionth time, the room fell silent.
“Anyone else need to ask who the father is?” Buffy asked sheepishly.
Talk is cheep baby and
time’s expensive
So why waste another
minute more
Life’s too short to be
so apprehensive
Love’s as much a symptom
darlin’ as the cure
On to Part Seven
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