Damage

Spike sat in his study with an ice pack pressed against his eye, a tumbler of scotch in his hand. He had managed to drag Riley into the house and get him cleaned and bandaged up and put to bed. He then tended to his own wounds and that brought him to his current position, sitting and staring into nothing.

He could hear Drusilla cackling the entire time he was working on Riley. Finally her sounds had quieted but not before he had a splitting headache. He had downed a decidedly high amount of aspirins but who was counting. He finally sighed and then picked up his cell phone and dialed Buffy's cell number.

"Hello" came a groggy voice.
"Hey luv. Sorry to call so late. Did I wake you?" Spike said softly.
"It's O.K. I was just resting my eyes" Buffy lied.
Spike snorted. "Sure you were...Buffy...something bad has happened..." Spike began.
"What? Are you alright?" Buffy's voice filled with concern.
"Yes...It's...It's Riley, Buffy. He knows about us. We had a huge fight. Beat the hell out of each other." Spike informed her.
"Oh my God! Oh Spike...I'm so sorry..." Buffy replied.
"Not your fault, luv. Just needed you to know...I don't know what he is going to do...when he is in better condition." Spike told her.

"Oh God...what if he tells my mom?" Buffy sounded alarmed.
"I don't know Buffy. I just don't know" Spike sighed tiredly.
"I should have known something like this would happen after what happened at school today." Buffy said.
"What happened at school? I think I got some of it from Riley..." Spike responded.
"Willow told Xander about us and Cordelia Chase overheard some of their conversation, thankfully not about you but about me at a hotel and she spread it all over that Riley and I.." Buffy began her story.
"and that's where Riley picked up the story for me. Christ, Buffy...I warned you about Willow...if it gets to the teachers or school staff, I'm a dead man." Spike said.

"If Riley tells my mom, I'm a dead girl..." Buffy replied.
"And I'm still a dead man...if the others don't send me to jail, your mother is going to kill me" Spike told her.
"Giles will kill you too" Buffy said.
"Thanks a lot. You're not helping!" Spike said.
"Sorry! God...how did this get so messed up?" Buffy sighed.
"Maybe it started with an almost 40 year old man fucking a teenage girl." Spike said dryly.
"You don't have to be crude." Buffy told him.
"Sorry baby...I'm a bad rude man." Spike replied.
"Do you still love me?" Buffy said, her voice quivering like she was about to start crying.
"What? Of course! Buffy! I'm sorry...yes, I love you. No matter what." Spike reassured her.

"I have to go." Buffy said abruptly.
"Buffy? Sunshine? Are you..."
"BYE" Buffy said and hung up.
"What the bloody hell..." Spike trailed off staring at his phone before immediately dialing her number again only to get her voice mail after several rings.
"Buffy, you better bloody well pick up the damn phone." Spike left his message.
He continued calling back over and over leaving message after message.
Finally it occurred to him that maybe her mum had heard her and she couldn't talk anymore. Then his phone rang about 20 minutes later.
"Hello" he said.
"Sorry...it's me" Buffy said softly.
"What the hell happened? Your mum catch you?" Spike asked.
"No. I just had to do something" Buffy answered.
"Do what?" Spike pressed.
"Something..anyway..." Buffy tried to change the subject.
"Buffy, you better tell me right now what the bleeding hell you were doing that you had to hang up on me for it?" Spike demanded,
"I WAS THROWING UP, O.K.? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?" she raised her voice at him.
"Huh?" Spike was too tired and beat up to make sense of anything.
"I've been throwing up a lot the last couple days. I think my morning sickness has started." Buffy informed him.
"Oh." Spike replied.
"Yeah, Oh" Buffy said.

In all the chaos of Riley finding out about them, he had pushed the pregnancy to the back of his mind. Now it was back in the forefront once again.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Spike asked her.
"I didn't want you to be mad at me or get more upset after everything else." Buffy said.
"Buffy, I'm not mad at you. Why the hell would I be mad at you for throwing up?" Spike was confused.
"I don't know...because...ummm...you yell a lot and say bloody and stuff when you're mad and I think it's me you're mad at sometimes" Buffy said nervously.
"You're still afraid of me, aren't you?" Spike said rather offended.
"Ummm...I don't know...maybe a little...maybe it's me...not you" Buffy said.
"I won't hurt you Buffy, certainly not for throwing up. I know I can be a right bastard when I get upset but my anger isn't directed at you, baby." Spike explained to her.

"I love you Spike." Buffy said shyly.
"I love you too, Sunshine. Oh...ummm...I saw an attorney about a divorce...." Spike informed her.
"Really? Oh Spike...that's great...I mean..not great...for..but for me..and you..and...I'm sorry. I'll just shut up now." Buffy stammered.
"It's alright, luv. It's long overdue." Spike responded.
"I better go, Spike before someone hears me. I'll call you tomorrow, O.K.?" Buffy told him.
"O.K. baby...I'll talk to you then. Take care of yourself. Love you." Spike said.
"Love you too. Bye." Buffy said and hung up.

Spike stood from his desk, swallowed the last of his scotch and then stumbled over to the sofa and laid down, falling asleep shortly afterwards.

Buffy awoke early with the dawns first light and made a bee line for the toilet to lose what was left of the contents of her stomach. As she hugged the white porcelain she prayed to God to make it stop. That was how Dawn found her. Buffy was so caught up in being sick that she didn't see Dawn step into the bathroom and then leave to get their mom.
"Buffy...honey...are you sick?" Joyce was leaning over her.
"Yeah..probably have the flu...I'll be O.K." Buffy lied, attempting to get to her feet.
"She's been throwing up every morning for the last few days" Dawn piped up.
"Dawn, shutup!" Buffy said.

"Buffy? Is that true?" Joyce searched her face and saw the worry and nervousness in her eyes. That's when it clicked.
"Oh, Buffy...please don't tell me what I think...you're going to tell me." Joyce said disapprovingly.
Buffy didn't know what to say so she did the next best thing and slumped to the ground and started to cry.
"Oh, Buffy!" Joyce knelt down and hugged her eldest daughter.
"I'm sorry Mommy. You must hate me. I didn't mean for it to happen. I love him...and he loves me...really.." Buffy babbled.
"Dawn, go downstairs now!" Joyce said to younyoungest daughter. Dawn huffed and turned and left.
Joyce turned back to Buffy and sighed, "Buffy, you're 17 years old. What about college? You're too young to have a baby This will ruin your life!"
"I'll be 18 next week! I can still go to college..." Buffy sniffled.
"We need to get you into see the doctor." Joyce said.
"I had an appointment next week." Buffy informed Joyce.
"Good, I'll take you and..." Joyce began.
"Mom...He is taking me...Dr Burkle said the father should come with me and he said he would.." Buffy explained.
"Oh, I see. Well, dear, I'm sure Riley won't mind if I come along too." Joyce replied.

Oh God, Buffy thought. My mom thinks it's Riley's! I can't tell her it's not. Spike will be so mad at me. Buffy chewed her lip nervously.
"I'll...uhhh..check and see...can I go lay back down now? I'm so tired." Buffy gave her mom the puppy dog face.
"Yeah, let's get you back into bed." Joyce helped her back to bed.
"Buffy...you and I both know it's best if you...terminate this pregnancy." Joyce said sternly.
"Mom! I will not!" Buffy yelled.
"Don't you yell at me young lady! I've had about enough of you! How could you do this Buffy? Did you stop and think about anyone but yourself? What will people say to your little sister about her pregnant sister? What about my friends? All the gossip...I can just hear it now...how could you, Buffy?" Joyce shook her head.
"Oh...sorry...that I'm such an embarrassment to you! You don't want me to have this baby not because it will ruin MY life but because you think it will ruin YOURS!" Buffy screamed.
"Buffy Anne Summers! How dare you! After everything I have done for you? If you think I'm going to raise another child because you couldn't keep your legs together, you've got another thing coming!" Joyce yelled back.

Buffy started sobbing. "I didn't ask you to raise my child. In fact, I don't want you around my child AT ALL! Spike and I will be just fine! He has money. Lots of money! He will take care of us so you can go to hell!" Buffy's eyes went wide as she realized that she had just let the cat out of the bag.

Joyce flinched at her daughter's back talk then her own eyes widened in shock.
"Spike? Who the hell is Spike? You mean, it isn't even Riley's?" Joyce questioned.
"No." Buffy said simply realizing her mom didn't know Mr. Finn's nickname was Spike.
"Just how many men have you been sleeping with, Buffy?" Joyce looked at her incredulously.
"I lost count. I am a slut after all" Buffy said sarcastically.
"That's enough...where is this Spike character? He has money? With a name like that? Does he deal drugs, Buffy? Tell me the truth..just what kind of trouble are you involved in?" Joyce asked seriously.
"I want to go to sleep. I'm tired." Buffy said and turned away and curled into the fetal position on her bed, facing away form Joyce.

Joyce sighed in exasperation and walked to the door.
"This isn't over Buffy. Not by a long shot." Joyce said and then left the room.
Buffy cried herself to sleep. Not even Mr. Gordo could console her this time.

Spike awoke to having clothes and toiletries thrown at him.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" he squinted his eyes open and sat up on the sofa.
Riley was standing there throwing clothes and various items at him along with a duffel bag and suitcase.
"Get out." Riley spat.
Spike threw back his head and laughed out loud. This just keeps getting better, he thought.
"You're kicking me out of my own house?" Spike finally stopped laughing.
"I'm glad you think this is so funny and yes I am. You don't deserve to be here. You're cheating on your wife, MY mother and you fucked MY girlfriend. Not to mention, you beat me up last night. That's child abuse. I think it's best for you if you go now." Riley threatened.
"Beat you up? YOU attacked ME! I was defending myself. Son...let's just talk about..." Spike began.
"DON'T CALL ME SON!" Riley screamed.
"Riley...I know you're upset and hurt but you have to let me explain." Spike tried to reason.
"There is nothing to explain. You want me to call Joyce Summers and explain a few things to her?" Riley threatened some more.

Spike clenched his fists and grated his teeth. He stood and grabbed the suitcase and began shoving the various items inside. He grabbed his phone off his desk and then the bags and walked to the front door with Riley on his heels. He turned back to him as he opened the front door.
"I know you don't believe me right now but I love you Riley. I'm sorry I fucked up being a father to you." Spike hung his head sadly and then walked out the door.
Riley closed the door behind him and then slid to the floor and sobbed.
"Don't worry my pretty boy. He wasn't the seed carrier anyway. Just the patsy that raised you. Ahh but you knew better. You knew our angel would come for us someday. Would you like to see him?" Drusilla said from the landing of the staircase.
"Mom? What are you talking about?" Riley tried to make sense of her words.
"Why, my angel of course. My daddy. Your daddy, Riley. Your real daddy." Drusilla smiled.
"What? You mean? Wait...I don't understand...I...does Dad know? I mean...does Spike know?" Riley got back up to his feet.
"He knows nothing. He is blinded by the light. Blinded by the dreadful sunshine." Drusilla answered.
"Show me...tell me everything..." Riley walked up the steps to meet his mother.
"Come my dear. Let's have a tea party with Miss Edith and we shall share our secrets." Drusilla took Riley by the arm and escorted him to her rooms.

Spike checked himself into the Sunnydale Inn. He dialed his cell phone.
"It's me. I'm at the Sunnydale Inn, Room 339. Come over as soon as you can." he left a message for Buffy. He lay back on the bed as his thoughts were consumed with what in the hell was he going to do now. There was a knock on the door after about an hour of his brooding.

Spike got up and went to the door, swinging it open, "Sunshine...you made..." he started to say as he looked out the door and right into the cold hard eyes of one brassed off Joyce Summers.

Continued in Chapter 16- Family Feuds