Title: Humanitis
Author: Saber ShadowKitten

(notes in part one)

Epilogue

"You are a bloody pain in the arse, you know that Slayer?" Spike said as he lifted her feet and put the pillow she requested under them.

"Hey, don't talk to me like that," Buffy replied. "I might get mad and make you go get me some ice cream. Ooh, ice cream. That sounds good."

Due to the Slayer's enhanced healing, Buffy was out of the hospital in no time. Graduation came and went with no major problems save the Mayor's ascension. Faith had been killed by him for failure to destroy Buffy, but between the Slayer, her Watcher, her former Watcher, the vampire, the former vampire, the mother, the werewolf, the Witch, the Zeppo and the prom queen they were able to defeat him.

Now Buffy was in her seventh month of pregnancy and college would be starting soon. As promised back when Spike had been sick, she visited him every day while in LA with her dad for the summer. In reality, it was closer to her visiting her dad while she stayed with Spike.

"We have mint chocolate chip, pistachio, praline, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, cookies and creme, chocolate chip cookie dough, hot fudge, peanut butter cup and chunky monkey," Spike rattled off, giving her a smug grin.

Buffy giggled. "Chocolate, please."

"Chocolate, coming right up," he said, leaving the bedroom. Buffy sighed happily, her hands resting on her very swollen belly. She giggled again when she remembered the look on Spike's face when the baby kicked after their lovemaking session. After close to three months of feeling that very thing, he was still amazed.

"Here you go, pet," Spike said as he came back into the room, holding a bowl and spoon in his hands. "I put some of those decorations you like so much on top."

"You're sweet," she replied, taking the bowl from him without looking. She held out her hand for the spoon and growled at him when he proceeded to play with it rather than give it to her. "Gimme that."

"What do you say?" he asked, grinning.

"Now."

Spike chuckled and handed it to her as he sat on the edge of the bed. His heart was hammering in his chest as he watched her. Unconsciously, he wiped his hands nervously on his jeans.

Buffy was about to dig into the ice cream when she froze, her eyes growing huge. She looked up at him, then back at the dish, then up at him again.

"Well?" Spike asked. She squealed in reply, quickly setting the bowl aside to awkwardly throw herself at him. He grabbed her up in a passionate kiss, holding her as close to him as he could, wanting to never let her go.

On the bed beside them, the diamond ring sank a little further into the melting ice cream.

End