Giles paused to pour himself a drink and join Buffy at the table, then he began, as he had before, with "I'm sorry."

She did not tell him he shouldn't be.

"Not for what I've done," he clarified. "That was quite a long time ago, and it certainly can't be helped now. But even so...there are consequences, and they will affect you, and for that, I'm sorry." He paused for breath. "I would like to think, however," he said carefully. "That perhaps they won't affect you for the worse, as you might be fearing."

"Oh?"

"I know it has been a regret of yours," he said. "That your being a slayer makes it exceptionally problematic for you to bear a child..."

"So this is my chance, is that what you're saying? A half-demon kid we have to share with some random girl from your past?"

He bit back his hurt and faced her implacably. "Who says we have to share it?"

"WHAT?"

"Buffy, in her culture, it's the father who is the primary parent, not the mother. The mother does her part just by giving birth. It is quite a bit more traumatic an experience for her species than for ours. She was rather emphatic in her view that merely creating the life was enough for her."

"So she's just gonna give you the kid?"

"If I am the father, yes. She will give US the child."

"No joint custody? No visits on weekends?"

"Well, if she does happen to be in town from time to time, I suspect she'll stop by to say hello, Buffy. She is the mother of my child..." He allowed himself to get briefly wistful. "My child...Buffy, I'm going to have a child. WE'RE going to have a child. That sounds...that sounds a little bit nice, doesn't it?"

"Maybe it does," she said. She looked at him sternly. "I still have some issues to work on, you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes. Of course."

"But on the whole...we're okay, Giles. We'll be okay."

They sat there for a moment. "Buffy?"

"Hmmm?"

"I feel very much like I need a hug right now."

She flew into his arms, as glad as he was that the fight was over.

**

They came out into the living room half an hour later to find that their home had been transformed into a shockingly well-oiled maternity machine. Kalyn was sprawled on the couch like a queen, munching on party sandwiches and delicately sipping orange juice. Anya, avowed expert on all things demon, attended to the baby mound---rubbing an oil of some sort on the shiny patches of skin that encircled the 'membrane,' and pausing from time to time to wipe away the slimy mucous gathered in the folds.

Xander and Dawn had spread themselves out on the floor with numerous books and diagrams, which they were studying intently. Periodically, one of them would stop to offer instructions to Willow, who was practicing them on Mr. Gordo.

"What's all this?" Buffy smiled, observing the activity.

Xander held up his book. "Demon research," he said.

Dawn held up her book. "Baby research," she said.

Giles laughed. "It's not really that complicated, is it?"

"Ask Willow," Xander said. "She's only on fake diaper number six million..."

"He won't hold still," Willow complained. "All plush and floppy..."

"Just wait 'til you have the real baby," said Xander. "They actually move with, like, willpower and stuff."

"I expect we'll manage," said Giles. He clapped briskly. "Now, then. How's our mother-to-be?"

"Much better," said Anya. "In spite of numerous unsightly biological processes. Xander was reading how this membrane thing, it's actually their sweat glands. They don't have them all over like we do---it's all in one place. And the sticky demon-sweaty-mucous stuff was just...just accumulating, cause she got big too reach..."

Buffy grimaced. "Ewwwww."

"And she's in absolutely excruciating discomfort," continued Anya brightly. "This scaly exoskeleton part? It has to all slough off before she can deliver the child. So it's all cracking and stretching, and...."

"Ewwwwww," said Buffy again.

"And it is extremely painful, not to mention kinda itchy..."

"Under control," Xander reassured a rapidly paling Giles. "She's clean, she's fed, and Anya's got that whole massage oil deal going for the sloughing thing..."

"Someone'll have to be with her pretty much all the time though," Dawn said. "If we don't keep her membrane clean, the baby could get uncomfortable. And he...she...there aren't more kinds than that, are there?"

Giles shot a briefly panicked look at Kalyn, who shook her head.

"Well," continued Dawn. "It...that is to say, the baby...well, if it gets uncomfortable, it isn't shy about showing it. And the quicker goes the creepy demony exfoliation, the quicker the baby gets born..."

Buffy frowned. "How long does this take, exactly?"

"The exoskeleton has been thinning for about 9 days now," said Kalyn quietly.

"And it looks like we're about halfway there," said Anya. "Best guess, anyway. There could be a baby within the month. She'll have to stay here 'til then. She's really let herself go, and I think the baby is mad at her."

Kalyn squirmed. "I'll say. I tried to tell it to calm down a little, but it's still a little...kicky..." She winced uncomfortably. "I hurt all over. And I think I sort of need to use the bathroom."

"Well, that's one problem we actually can solve," said Giles with a smile. "Do you need some help?"

She blushed fuchsia and meekly nodded.

"But not from you," said Buffy, slapping his hand. "Anya, help the pregnant lady to the bathroom, will you?"

"Not sure why I get stuck with all the sticky work," Anya complained.

"Because you are not a man, 16, dating the baby's father, or the possessor of enough magic powers to kill me for spite," said Buffy, pointing to Xander, Dawn, herself and Willow in turn.

"Fine, fine," grumbled Anya, helping Kalyn to her feet. "I was speaking rhetorically."

As they walked off, Buffy heard Anya saying "In my vengeance demon days, I was very popular with pregnant women. You know, 'You got me into this mess, bucko, you're going to suffer with me' sort of thing..."

Kalyn looked confused. "Why would I blame Rupert? Sperm is sperm---if it hadn't been his, it would have been somebody else's..."

"That," Buffy told Giles. "Is a very healthy attitude to this whole thing."