Title: Humanitis
Author: Saber ShadowKitten

(notes in part one)

Buffy traced patterns absently on Spike's bare chest after he had let go of her hand. "Spike?"

"Yes, luv?"

"Did you..." She trailed off, gathering her courage. "Did you notice anything different? About me, that is."

Spike frowned. "What do you mean?"

Buffy rolled onto her back, head on the other pillow, to stare at the ceiling. Spike followed her, turning onto his side and propping his head in his hand. His eyes traveled slowly over her nude form bathed in the candlelight and felt himself becoming aroused again. Then that feeling that something was off hit him and the comment Cordelia made in the limo came back to him. Reaching forward, he ran his hand from just under her breasts down to her sex, watching carefully. His hand rose slightly, then dipped over her abdomen.

Buffy turned her head to see his face as he did this, scared about his reaction. She should have told him when she was here three weeks ago, or even earlier, but she had been too much of a coward. Her mother had chastised her on the drive home and in the following weeks, as did Willow. Even Oz had spoken up, telling her Spike should know.

She watched as his brow furrowed while he ran his hand over her abdomen again. He pressed on her slightly, the frown deepening as he felt the hardness of that area. Taking a deep breath, she geared herself up to tell him. But before she could, he moved and began to rain light kisses on her. "Spike-"

"Hmm?"

"What...what are you doing?"

"Kissing you," he answered with a small chuckle, not stopping.

"But-"

"You're beautiful," Spike whispered, moving his body over hers as he kissed up the valley between her breasts. "So bloody beautiful."

"Spike-" She was cut off again by his mouth claiming hers, his fingers dipping between their bodies, making her juices flow. She arched up into him, her hands sliding around his back as he sought entrance. He surged into her, making her mewl in pleasure as their pelvises hit. The rhythm varied from slow and languorous to quick and hard as they climbed to the peak again. They climaxed almost simultaneously, then collapsed together as their hearts raced.

Spike nuzzled her neck in long time habit, resting his weight on his forearms. "You were saying?" he asked in her ear, making her shiver.

"I was talking?" Buffy replied, running her hands up and down his back. He chuckled sending chills down her spine. Slowly, he pulled out of her, raising his head to kiss her thoroughly before moving off of her, returning to his side with his head propped in his hand. She didn't want to move, ever, but mother nature didn't agree. With a moan of protest, she sat up and slid off the bed. "Be back."

Spike watched her bare ass as she toddled to the bathroom, faint smile on his lips. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the ceiling, his body a mixture of giddiness and tiredness. For the first time in over a year he was truly happy. He had the woman that he loved in his bed where she belonged and it looked as though she was in no hurry to leave. He was even content to be human.

"Spike?"

He turned his head to gaze at the beauty standing in the bathroom doorway. She had completely released her hair and it hung loose, framing her face. He noticed that she was nervous, one hand holding the doorframe, the other curved around her stomach as she chewed on her lower lip. He propped back up onto his side, patting the bed next to him. "What's wrong, luv?"

Buffy didn't move. The sight of her flushed skin and rounded belly in the mirror had been a shock and she knew there was no more waiting. However, if she went over to him, she'd never tell him. "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, gripping the doorframe so tightly in cracked in punctuation.

Spike stared at her, frozen, as her statement sunk into his brain. His eyes darted to the swell of her abdomen that her other hand was curled around. His heart felt like it was being ripped in two at the thought that she had been with someone else and was now carrying that man's child. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he finally asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

She shook her head no, still not moving from the doorway. "Are you mad?"

"No," he replied immediately. "Never." He rolled off the bed to his feet and went over to her. She looked up at him, wide eyed and he pressed a quick kiss on her lips, then swatted her rear as he went to get past her into the bathroom.

Buffy yelped and jumped away from the door, earning a small smirk from Spike. He went into the bathroom and closed the door, then leaned back against it, hands clenched at his sides. He looked at himself in the mirror and cursed under his breath. "I'll kill him," he growled, turning on the faucet.

Buffy went over to the bag sitting on a chair and opened it. She pulled out a t-shirt and slipped it over her head, then put on a clean pair of panties before sighing heavily. Her stomach let her know she was hungry and she silently padded out of the bedroom, heading for the kitchen.

Spike emerged from the bathroom to find no Buffy and the bedroom door open. He grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dresser and slid them on before going in search of the Slayer. He found her in the kitchen, staring into the pan on the stove as she stirred, empty can of soup on the counter. He went to get a drink out of the fridge when he saw new words made from the letter magnets.

I'm sorry.

Stalking over to Buffy, he spun her to face him and kissed her savagely, plunging his tongue into her mouth to claim hers. He held her close, one hand tangled in her hair, the other around her waist. He broke it only when he heard the soup bubbling. Breathing heavily, he turned off the flame then stared down at her. "I love you, dammit, and you have nothing to be sorry about. It's not your bloody fault some pillock knocked you up..."

Buffy's mouth dropped open as he went on, realization dawning that he didn't know he was the ‘pillock' who got her pregnant. Although his tirade was sweet, albeit a bit bloody in his descriptions, she interrupted him. "Spike, it's your baby."

"...the wanker not-" Spike stopped suddenly as her words pierced his thoughts. His voice grew faint when he asked, "What?"

"Um, you're the father," Buffy told him, concentrating on pouring the soup into the bowl. When he didn't say anything, she looked over at him. He was standing there, mouth slightly open in shock, his blue eyes wide. It didn't look like he was breathing, which concerned her. "Are you ok?"

In response, his eyes rolled up and he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

"Spike? Spike, wake up," Buffy said, kneeling on the floor at his side, patting his cheek.

Spike opened his eyes slowly, focusing on the blond leaning worriedly over him. "You're not bloody joking, are you?"

"Uh, no," Buffy replied, giving him a strained smile. "You're definitely the dad."

Spike closed his eyes again, taking a deep, unsteady breath. *Bloody fucking hell,* he thought, but not in anger or despair. It was more disappointment in himself for making her pregnant. He sat up, then smoothly got on his knees, facing her. Then he pulled her against him in a tight hug, his cheek pressed against her hair. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Sorry? Why?"

"Why do you bloody think?" he said, releasing her. "For making you pregnant!"

"You don't want the baby?" she asked in a small voice.

But he didn't hear her as he went on another tirade. "First I get made human, then I have sex with you and don't even bloody know it, then I make you pregnant! Bloody fucking hell, can't anything go right?!"

Tears started to fall down Buffy's cheeks at his words. With a choked sob, she stood and ran from the kitchen, startling Spike. He smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand and took off after her, swearing at himself. He snagged her at the top of the stairs, pulling her roughly against him, though she could easily break away if she desired. "Slayer, I'm sorry."

"No you're not. You hate me and hate that I'm pregnant," Buffy sobbed.

"No!" Spike said sharply. "Buffy, cor, no. I hate myself. I've been nothing but a bloody pain to you since we met, always trying to destroy you and when I stop, I manage to ruin your life anyway by knocking you up."

"You didn't ruin my life," she told him. He loosened his hold enough to give her an incredulous look. "You just made it more... interesting."

"Interesting, right," he scoffed.

"Look, you bleached moron," Buffy said, getting angry. "I'm the one who didn't stop you back in February, I'm the one who decided to have the baby and I'm the one who always made your life hell. So get off your high moral horse, you pathetic excuse for a former vampire!"

Spike stared at her flushed, angry face for a moment, then started to laugh. Buffy scowled up at him, making him laugh even harder. She smacked him on the chest, breaking out of his arms only to stand there with hers crossed over her chest, glaring at him.

"Cor, pet, I love you," he said when he finally calmed somewhat. "You never bloody cease to amaze me."

"Ok, I'm lost," she said, throwing up her hands. "And you're nuts."

"Nuts, eh?" Spike said, a sly smile crossing his face.

Buffy suddenly found herself in his arms, being carried into the bedroom. He practically threw her on the bed, making her shriek. He pounced on her, pinning her arms above her head, grinning down at her. "Spike!"

"Slayer, shut up," he said, capturing her mouth with his. He kissed her passionately, pouring all his tightly wound emotions into it - from her being here with him by her own free will, to their lovemaking, to the news that she was carrying his child. His child. The one that he'd always dreamed of having with her but never thought would be a possibility.

Breathless, he broke the kiss to peer down at her, his blue eyes lit with an unearthly glow. He released her, climbing off the bed then pulling her to her feet. He tugged the t-shirt she was wearing over her head and let it drop to the floor. His gaze dropped to her abdomen, then back up to meet her own. "Can I...?"

Buffy's face lit up in a large smile at his tentative question. "Go for it, papa."

Slowly, he brought his hand forward and put it over her womb. Buffy watched the play of emotions on his face - amazement, awe, happiness, a little pride and, most importantly, love. Suddenly, he let out a war whoop and grabbed her up in his arms again, spinning them in a circle. When he finally set her on her feet, he tilted up her chin and place the softest, tenderest kiss on her lips she'd ever experienced.

"I adore you, Buffy," Spike whispered after the kiss. Then his eyes widened comically. "I'm going to be a father."

"That's what normally happens when two people have a baby," Buffy said, giggling.

"Me, a bloody dad," he continued. "I think I'm going to heave."

Buffy snorted, then covered her mouth and nose with her hand. The dumbfounded look on his face changed to excited pride and he bounced across the bed to grab the phone. She turned and arched a brow at him questioningly as he dialed. "Spike, it's quarter to four in the morning. Who are you calling?"

"‘Lo?" said a sleepy voice at the other end of the phone line.

"I'm having a baby!" Spike exclaimed.

"Actually, that would be Buffy," Oz replied tiredly.

"Who is it?" Willow asked her boyfriend, blinking sleepily up at him as he turned on the light.

"Spike," Oz answered the red head.

"But a baby. Me. A bloody father," Spike said into the phone. Buffy came over to the other side of the bed and stood in front of him, giving him a look. "She's so amazingly beautiful."

"That's great, man," Oz replied. "You do know it's four in the morning."

"Give me that," Willow said, taking the phone from him. "Spike?"

"Cor, a baby," Spike said absently, staring at Buffy's belly.

Buffy took the phone from him. "Hello?"

"Buffy?"

"Hey, Wills. Sorry about that," Buffy said.

"‘S-ok. I'm just glad you finally told him," Willow replied. "He sounds excited."

"He told me he was going to upchuck."

"Um, I don't know if that's a good thing or not," the red head told her.

"What?" Oz asked.

"Spike's reaction was to toss his cookies."

"Oh."

"Actually, his first reaction was to faint," Buffy said over the line. Spike leaned forward so he was eye to eye with her navel as if he could peer inside at the baby. She giggled. "Spike, what are you doing?"

"What is he doing?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Buffy replied. "I'm going to hang up now. Sorry Spike called...hey, why did he call you?"

"He didn't, he called Oz."

"You're at Oz's?!" Buffy said. "For shame!"

"I'm being a good girl," Willow told her, then giggled. "Just ask Oz."

"Willow!"

"Bye, Buffy," Willow said.

"Bye." Buffy disconnected and set the phone on the night stand. "Spike, what are you doing?"

"How does a baby fit in there?" Spike asked, more to himself than to her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and pushed him up in order to straddle his lap. "It's just one of those mysteries of life."

"I love you, you know," he said, looking into her hazel eyes.

"I know," she replied. "And you're not that pathetic."

"Hey!"

Giggling, Buffy kissed the former vampire, which led to them making love again for the remainder of the night.