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A/N:- So sorry for the delay with this chapter. I have no excuse, well apart from exhaustion, but I have caught up on my sleep and am back in business. This is the penultimate chapter , so I would just like to thank everyone that has either reviewed or voted for this story. I may do a sequel as I have left enough open to be able to do that. I just hope that if I do a sequel that it would be read and enjoyed as much as this story. My thanks to you all once again .......



Chapter 24

Spike knew this must be hurting her. Not because she had feelings for the poof, but because Darla, who was one of the worst vampires in history, was having a baby. The one thing that she knew they wouldn't and couldn't have.Buffy stared at Darla .

"So this law firm bring you back from the dead, you are supposed to drive Angel to become Angelus so that he can work with them, instead you two end up in bed , he has an 'epiphany', and you end up like this. And your telling me that the baby is human and your sharing it's soul "
"Yes" Darla whispered
"I'll get Wesley to start researching this , maybe he can find some evidence of this happening before"

Buffy sat down and played with her dress and Spike stood behind her , his hand on her shoulder.
"If you don' mind me asking, how do we know it is the poofs, I mean Darla's not exactly snow bloody white,and if she is working for this evil lawyer , then how do we know it's not a bloody trap?"
"I felt it move, I feel the connection to it, the baby, I can't explain it, I know it's mine"Angel touched the bump
"Could just be a lot of hocus bloody pocus mate and your getting sucked in" Spike was worried, last thing he needed was Angelus back "Could be a ploy to give you a moment of happiness and then we all know what wackiness ensues when you have that"

Buffy frowned "Darla, how long do you have left?"
"Not sure, a few weeks I guess"
"If you share the soul, how have you been feeding?"
Darla sobbed , "I've still hunted, it's all I knew , I hated it but I had to survive"

Buffy studied the pregnant vampire. Darla did seem genuine, the remorse was there in her eyes. Buffy sighed.

"What now?" she looked up to Angel
"I'll take her back to L.A with me, I'll keep you informed , we'll leave soon, I don't see any point in sticking around." Angel ducked his head and walked over to Darla.

She sat on the couch and rubbed the bump, smirking at Buffy. "Guess you'll never know how this feels"

"Shut it you spiteful bint!" Spike snapped
"Now now William "Darla sniggered " Wonder what Dru would have made of this?"
Spike looked up at her, guilt flooded him and he felt his unneeded breath hitch.
"Just as I thought" she leant towards him, he stepped back and Darla whispered " Maybe they can bring her back too. Would you sire her if they did?"
"Not a bloody chance , she's in a better place now an' she's stayin' dead"
Darla laughed "Dear boy, the Aurelius line is powerful and in case you boys aren't catching on, we're destined for great power. We play a major part in the apocalypse"
"I'm getting tired of hearing her voice, anyone else with me on this?" Buffy feigned a yawn
"Let her finished " Angel snapped as intrigue overwhelmed him.

Spike kissed Buffy "Could be she has important info we could use, so hear her out pet, then we'll go" he touched her lips with his thumb and turned back to Darla.

"Not just a run of the mill fight with the latest big scary, I'm talking 'The Apocalypse'. You all play a major part "
"To coin a popular Sunnydale saying but 'Duh! Kinda my job!" Buffy leant over Darla "Now what do you know about it?"
"Not much, just that Wolfram and Hart are resurrecting the Aurelius line , it has something to do with the apocalypse though"
"Back off now Buff" Angel said as he pulled on her arm.
Spike growled

"Give it a break boy, I'm not hurting her" Angel looked at Spike
"Will they be resurrecting the Master?" fear gripped Buffy and she hoped the answer was a big hell no!
"I'm not sure, he just mentioned our clan. I wasn't going to pump him for too much information, I didn't want to risk my life or that of my babies"
"He?" Buffy said "You said he, who are you talking about? Is it one of those lawyers?"
"Lindsay, and yes he is, Angel knows him well, don't you?"

Angel just grimaced

"Right well, I've had enough of the family get together ,I got a new wife to ..... well unno " Spike smirked "C'mon pet, time to go say toodle pip to the rest of the guests an' go home"

Buffy mutter "About time" and walked out, her dress floating behind her.

"Congratulations by the way Buffy" Darla called out as they walked through the door.
"Did you have to say it quite so ...."
"Awww don't tell me you still pine for the bitch?"
"I thought you shared a soul... cos it sure as hell doesn't sound like it to me" Angel snapped
"Oh I do, it's just the jealous streak in me coming out. Spike wouldn't have staked Dru if it wasn't for the trollop "
"Don't do anything to piss her off, she may be married to Spike, but she is still the slayer "
"Anyone would think you cared about me" she giggled as she stroked his face and Angel pulled away sharply.

"I'll go to bed then, night night " Darla swanned up the stairs.
"God, what the hell did I do that pissed you off now?" he asked the Powers that Be .

Angel ran up the stairs after Darla and walked into the bedroom.
"I'll sleep in here, just in case you want anything , or you go into labour"
"Anything?" she said seductively
"Angel pulled her hands off of his chest "Except that"

Darla slumped onto the bed and pouted . Angel ignored her and settled on one side of the bed fully clothed.


The reception party was still in full swing when they arrived back. Dawn was dancing with Clem, Joyce was looking a little drunk and Giles was talking to her. Buffy hoped there wasn't a repeat of the band candy incident. She smiled and shook her head at the memory.Xander was catching up with Cordy, Gunn was joining in with the conversation, he enjoyed hearing the stories of life on the hellmouth.
"Gotta admit Bro, sounds like life here is pretty intense. A guy could get used to that"
"Trust me, after going to a school on a hellmouth you do get used to it " Xander said " When it's all quiet you get worried"
"L.A is hectic enough, since teaming up with Angel, I get more action" Gunn answered
"And me with the mind numbingly painful visions, I keep 'em busy too" Cordelia retorted "Course , not like I trade them for anything" she laughed "Oh god I wish the usual hellmouthy goodness was all I had to deal with"

Gunn patted her on the back "You got your call Cor, what would we do without you" Gunn had long learnt that the way to keep Cordy sweet was to either buy her something expensive or compliment the girl .

"Oh look the happy couple are back... have to say, loved Buffy's dress, I expected something off the rack, but that dress is exquisite"

The men rolled their eyes , sometimes the old Cordy resurfaced and she could bitch with the best of them.


Wesley had taken to the dance floor. Dawn almost wet herself as he contorted and bucked around her, a blini in his hand "Must say, these are divine, my compliments to the Chef"

Dawn sniggered as he slipped on the dance floor and ended up with sour cream and caviare on his shirt. He made a graceful recovery and went and sat with Giles and Joyce. Dawn looked at Joyce and waved, mouthing a 'ha ha' at her.

Buffy had a glass of champagne and felt the tension lift, even if it was only temporary. Spike took her hand and nodded back towards the dance floor.
"C'mon slayer, you know you wanna dance"

She rolled her eyes at him saying that, it took her back to the time when he would do anything and everything to piss her off. She let him lead her to where Dawn was and then they started to dance .

A group of four vampires had heard that the Slayer and Spike were getting married. They had all had a few drinks, and a few patrons, in Willy's Bar and that is where they had heard about the wedding. That is when they all decided to crash the wedding and get a good feed, and also to kick the ass of the Slayer and that traitor, Spike.

"So how we gonna do this so that we don't end up dust by that bitches stake?"
"We aint no fledges , we can take them, there's four of us, your not backing out now are ya ? the tall one said
"No! Just thinking about a strategy that's all"
"We're vampires not military, we go in there, throw a few tables and chairs, grab a few of the edibles and kill a few others for good measure , kill Spike and the Slayer , reap mayhem and leave with a few of the peeps for afters, sound good to you lot?" the stern looking vamp huffed.
The others just nodded.
"Good , then c'mon boys , I do believe I see a bloodbath waiting to happen, and I personally can't wait to hear the Slayers cries as she watches her precious 'Spikey' turn to dust ,right in front of her"
"You don't like her do you?" the tall vamp asked
"For fuck sake! We're demons, we're not s'posed to friggin well like her!" stern vamp yelled "C'mon, "

The vampire gang walked across to the front lawn and game faced. Stern vamp lifted his baseball bat up and repeatedly pounded it into the palm of his free hand. Tall vamp was weaponless and the other two had chains and knives. They stood watching as the shadows moved from the house ,back into the rear garden.

"Move out guys" the stern one walked purposefully round the house , the others following him. They stood at the edge of the garden and growled, stopping the party dead in it's tracks, the laughter and chatter quietened immediately. All eyes focussed on the gate crashers.

"Nice bash Slayer, we must have missed our invite" stern vamp smiled, showing of his long but mis-shaped fangs.

Buffy and Spike stepped forward .

Buffy grimaced when she saw the fangs that stern guy was proudly showing "URGH! You should really learn about dental hygiene, ever heard of floss?"
Spike smirked

"You won't be thinking that when I sink them into your neck Slayer" he retaliated
"No, your right" she cheerfully quipped " I'll be thinking ' I-need-to-go-and-get-a-tetanus-shot-after-I-dust-his-ass' "

Stern vamp growled and lunged, meeting Spikes fist before he hit the dirt. Buffy pulled a stake out from under her dress and staked him, his dust settled before she looked up at the remaining three vamps.

"Guess I won't need that shot after all, there's nothing worse than vamps that just don't live up to their threats" she brushed herself down " It's no fun "
Spike eyed the three that still stood there ,staring at the pile of dust that was their leader. "You gonna make my ladies day or just stand there gawping?"

Tall vamp leapt at Spike , pulling off balance and landed in a heap.Snarls and low growls were heard coming from the two vamps as they wrestled back and forth on the floor.

"Stake!" Spike called out and Buffy rammed the sharpened wood through the back of the tall vamp, covering Spike in it's dust.

"Where'd the other two go?"
"Damnnit" Buffy looked around , seeing the two vampires gone "Must have run off " She gathered her dress up and ran, Spike close behind her.

"Your gonna ruin your dress luv and you can't bloody fight in it, go home and change, I'll catch up with the other two"

Buffy stopped and panted "Okay, I'll be ten minutes" she kissed him briefly before running back to the house.

If only it was that simple! By the time she had entered the house ,a majority of the guests were sat in the lounge waiting for her return, and an explanation. Buffy groaned loudly and listened as Giles, her Mum, Wesley and the rest all started firing off their questions.

"I don't have time for this okay, vamps crashed, two dust , two got away, Spikes tailing them, I'm getting changed so I can go be lil miss, or should that be mrs? I got to go be lil mrs like to fight so, excuse me!"

Buffy took the stairs three at a time and managed to get out of her dress and into her leather pants and angora knitwear with two minutes. She pulled her hair up and checked the look in the mirror. Gone was the bride and staring back at her was the slayer.
Buffy grabbed stakes and an axe and left as quickly as she had entered.


Spike had followed them back to their lair ,which was an abandoned house in the industrial zone. Spike didn't enter, preferring to wait for Buffy.


Buffy made it back to him in good time. Her slayer senses were screaming within her , must be more than two vamps, she thought.

"I reckon there's eight in there " he lit up a fag and pocketed his zippo in his waistcoat "You bought me a shiny toy " he took the axe and kissed her forehead "C'mon pet, let's get this done ."

Spike raced over to the entrance and kicked open the large steel doors. "Hi honey we're ho-me" he sing songed as he flicked his half smoked fag across to a pile of discarded rags and cardboard.

"You'd think vamps would be a little more thoughtful"
Spike looked at her , confused and wondering where her chain of thought was going
"I mean " she pointed at the now smouldering pile of rags and cardboard " Having an open fire when your liable to combust, probably not a good idea"

The first vamp attacked her, Spike growled and raced into the next room, Buffy could hear the sound of blows coming from there and the metallic 'ting' that meant the axe was hitting bone. Buffy's vamp hit her across the jaw and knocked her back a few steps.

"Hey! Not the face, we haven't had the photo's done yet" she hit out with a round house kick and the vampire hit the dusty floor, Buffy leapt on him and pinned him down " That is so gonna bruise " she staked him and he turned to dust.

Buffy ran in the direction of the other fight. As she entered the room the vampires snarled . Spikes opponent hissed as Spike took advantage of the distraction that Buffy's entrance had caused, staking the hissing vamp and stepping through the cloud of dust to start the fight with the short, stinky vamp.

Buffy took on two vamps and managed to hold them off at arms length, reaching into her waistband and withdrawing two of the stakes and staking both vamps at the same time. She turned her head and tilted it, looking straight at the next two .

"Step up to the plate, c'mon you know you wanna see if you can take me. Here, I'll even go unarmed"

The vamps looked at her like she was crazy. They smirked and ran at her.

Buffy stepped to the side and pushed the vamps up against a wall, retrieved her stakes and struck them in the back. Their faces were a picture of disbelief as they turned to a pile of ash.

"You got a death wish now pet?" Spike said as he kicked his stake out of the heart of the vampire he had fought.
"Just know I can handle myself"

Spike raised his scarred brow "Right, just don't end up too cocky Mrs, don't want you being some fledges liquid lunch"
"Pfftt as if"

Bang on queue, a vamp barrelled into her and knocked her off her feet. Spike crossed his arms "Uh huh"
Buffy rolled her eyes. She struggled to get the overweight vamp off her back.
"Err help?"
"Thought you could handle yourself" Spike retorted
"Fine then" she snapped yet she smiled up at Spike. "God , don't you work out?" she asked the vamp that had her pinned.

"Spike casually leaned against the wall and lit another fag, then glanced at the smouldering fire in the corner. He smiled, pleased that he had caused the fire in the first place. He walked to it and held his hands to it, as if to warm them. A length of wood protruded and was nicely lit, he picked it up and touched the fat vamp on the back with it.
The vamp growled at Spike and then his face dropped and his eyes widened.

The fire spread from his back to his trousers and up to his neck. As the fire burned he turned to ash slowly , his head was last, his dying words were " oh fu......"
"Thanks, next time could you make it faster"
"Wassup Slayer? Thought you didn't want me to help?"
"Okay, be smug, I was wrong "
"That it? " he scanned the house and couldn't pick anymore vamps up." Let's just go home "

Joyce rushed to the front door and opened it before they were half way up the drive
"Are you two okay?
"We're fine Mum, just need a shower and a drink"

Spike entered the house and saw the gang sat waiting . Giles was polishing his glasses and looked up at him.

"I assume the threat has been dealt with?"
"Done and bloody dusted Rupes , a nest of ten or so , got most, I doubt they'll be back in any hurry mate, nest is burnt to the ground"
"Right, good job, I guess you and Buffy will be going back to your house tonight?"
"Yeah, problem?" Spike didn't want to be so snippety but it had been a long day and now he just wanted to be alone with his bride.

"No, no... just need to have a meeting regarding tonight's attack , maybe tomorrow then?"
Spike sniggered "You won't see much of her for a few days mate, not if I have my way" he looked at Giles' face and dropped the smirk "We'll patrol though no worries there an' we'll let you know if there's anything to get your knickers bunch up over "
"Right , very well them" Giles replied


Buffy bounced into the room, her hair was wet and loosely tied back, she had a small bag with the last of her possessions in. She dropped the bag onto the floor beside the couch and sat on the arm. Dawn handed Buffy her bouquet and smiled.

"So this is you moving out huh?"
"Sure is squirt" Buffy stroked Dawns hair and smiled at her
"Good! Now I get the big room and I don't have to argue with you over ev- ery- thing"
"Hey!" Buffy frowned "I wasn't that bad!"

Dawn and Spike shared a look

"Oh right, like that is it? "Buffy smirked "Wait til I get you home Mr Pratt!"
"I can't so get your bloody delicious ass out the bloody door, Mrs Pratt"
Buffy stood up and threw the bag at Spike, who caught it with ease and righted it in his hands before embracing Dawn

"Your welcome over anytime Niblet, jus' not this week " he winked and smirked
"Ewww , images I don't want invading my brain " Dawn ran out into the garden to continue dancing

The rest of the goodbyes took a while, but finally Buffy stood in the front garden, the girls all hovering behind her.

The countdown started and Buffy threw her bouquet, it bounced off Wesley's head and Anya caught it. She bounced around squealing her delight and Spike heard Xander groan.

" Please.... not again"
Spike patted him on the shoulder "Nevermind mate, it aint that bad"
Xander looked at Spike and rolled his eyes before he smirked.

Spike shook his hand and got into the overly decorated car, Buffy got into the drivers seat.

Finally Buffy got the car started and drove off the driveway, narrowly missing Giles' BMW "I swear she is getting worse not better " he gruffed
"With Spike as her tutor? What would you expect?" Joyce giggled out
"We're doomed " he shook his head as they walked back into the house .