Magic Moments

Xander checked his watch and stared up at the ceiling. He was bored. Around the darkened room, candles burned, incense smouldered and chanting echoed.

It was all beginning to get a bit old.

Xander had been tense for the first ten minutes, his grip on Spike’s hand almost crushing as renewed fear poured through him. Everything had suddenly felt overwhelming, so serious. The darkened room, the eerie lighting, the strange demonic language, the weird swirly light that circled his body. It was all so frightening.

Willow’s voice had turned into a dark, guttural, demonic rasp and Xander had been seriously tempted to bolt from the room. But then Willow had said something that sounded like, ‘Light my butt plug, fuckwit,’ and Xander had struggled not to snicker. Unfortunately, Spike had heard the same thing and had roared with laughter.

Willow had not been pleased.

They had started the ritual again.

So now, half an hour later, Xander was still on the couch with Spike at his side, waiting for the birth.

Spike ran his fingers through Xander’s hair and then traced a path down his cheek. When Xander turned his head, Spike took advantage and kissed him deeply, communicating his affection and comfort the only way he could. Talking was not allowed. It interfered with the ritual.

“Hey, since when did those two start making with the smoochies?!” Buffy cried in surprise.

“I think it’s sweet,” Dawn stated.

Buffy looked back at Spike and Xander. The kiss had increased to almost pornographic proportions. “I think it’s…hot….Is it warm in here? Just me? Willow? Willow, why has your hair gone all black? Oh.”

They started the ritual again.

Spike leant against the couch, resting on one elbow and occasionally brushing his lips to Xander’s. An hour had passed.

Willow's voice turned particularly demony and Tara quickly signalled to Spike with her arms in a catching gesture. A miniature crack of lightning bolted across Xander’s stomach and formed a reflective puddle of light and Spike suddenly stood and plunged his hands into it, pulling out the first baby. He bit his tongue and resisted the urge to shout, ‘It’s a boy!’ and mess up the rest of ritual. Instead, he passed the baby to a waiting Dawn and got ready to catch the next one.

Sure enough, within five minutes another crack of lightning shot through the air and Spike [sunk] sank his hands inside and pulled out the other baby. Another boy.

Willow tried to end the ritual. She lowered her arms and tried to force her voice back to normal. It wasn’t working. She felt the higher power take her body and, as her eyes glowed red and her arms raised back up, she felt her mouth moving to repeat the ritual.

Confusion rippled through the room and Spike quickly passed the second baby back to Buffy and frantically gestured for her to move Dawn and the babies out of harm’s way. At the same time he grasped Xander and started to pull him from the couch. Willow had clearly lost control and they were all in great danger.

The demonic voice bellowed through the air and Buffy and Dawn turned away from the sound to try to protect the babies from the evil that must surely be seeping into the room.

Only Spike understood what Demon-Willow was saying and he looked shocked for a moment and then relieved. His expression finally turned to joyous and he settled Xander back onto the couch and waited. One final bolt of magical energy formed over Xander’s body and Spike quickly plunged his hands into it and pulled out a third baby.

An almost blinding flash of pink and blue light burst across the ceiling and, with a large pop and a small amount of crackle, Xander’s stomach returned to normal.

Willow breathed deeply and relaxed until she’d collapsed to her knees. The lightning disappeared and the candles all blew themselves out.

There was silence for approximately point five of a second.

The girls squealed and jumped up and down. Giles squealed and jumped up and down, which was weird, and Spike and Xander sat smiling and gently cradling their children.

“Um, so, what’s with the three muskababies?” Buffy finally asked. “I thought you guys said there would be two?”

“Good point,” Xander observed. “Spike, you said you could only hear two heartbeats?”

“That’s because there were only two.”

“Can I say, huh?”

Spike ran a finger down the cheeks of the two boy babies that Xander held. “Human. Mostly. Strong little tickers, the both of them. This one?” he said, holding up the baby girl and kissing the tiny ridges that ran across her forehead. “This little lady is mostly vampire. Ain’t got no heartbeat, have you, precious?”

“Vampire?” Giles asked.

“Mostly,” Spike confirmed. “And you can keep your stakes to yourself, Slayer,” he suddenly snapped. “Come near my baby girl and I’ll rip out your still-beating heart!”

“I wouldn’t! She so cuuuute. Can I?” Buffy asked, holding out her arms to take the baby.

Spike looked unsure. His vampire instincts had suddenly kicked into overdrive and the idea of handing over his child to Buffy had his demon side screaming in protest.

“Go on,” Xander urged. “She won’t hurt her.” He was one hundred percent sure of this, but at the same time he half hoped that Spike would refuse and cuddle the baby back into his chest. Spike holding her was almost as good as holding her himself. And as soon as he was done marvelling over the other two bundles in his arms he was going to speak right up and get his turn.

“She’s gorgeous,” Buffy breathed.

“Ain’t she just?”

“Yeah.” Buffy studied the baby and she couldn’t help but think that she was the most beautiful creation she had ever seen. Mousy brown hair, vivid green eyes and….fangs. “Ow!” Buffy handed her back. “She’s…sharp.”

Spike laughed and wrapped the baby in a soft yellow blanket that Dawn had handed him.

“Well, let's see the other two, then,” Dawn asked, holding up another blanket. Her face was sparkling with curiosity and glee.

Xander handed her one of the boys and he watched with a slight urge to snatch him back as Dawn folded the white blanket around him.

Everybody gathered closer and stared at the little baby. His head was a mop of wavy dark brown hair and his closed eyes were framed by dark little eyebrows and impossibly long eyelashes. He was fast asleep, yet his mouth was naturally turned up in a cupid’s bow smile that matched Xander’s exactly.

Dawn passed him to Willow and took the other baby from Xander to wrap him up. White-blond hair stuck up in wild spikes and cautious eyes of piercing blue flicked quickly around the room.

“Auw, he’s looking around.”

“That’s so cute.”

“Adorable.”

The baby realised that he wasn’t where he wanted to be. “WAAAAAHHHH!!!!”

The eardrum-shattering cry continued until Xander took him back into his arms. The baby smiled up at him and then at Spike. He aimed an almost demonic glare at the room’s other occupants and then he closed his eyes and started to fall asleep.

“Where did the shocking blond come from?” Xander asked. “We all know your hair is really brown.”

“Oi! It ain’t brown! It’s dark blond! Bloody cheek. Brown, indeed.”

“They’re all so gorgeous!”

“That they are, Dawnie, just like me and Spike.”

Spike grinned in response. “Swap,” he said.

Several babies changed hands and Spike was left with both boys while Xander had the girl.

“Names?” Giles asked.

Xander pointed to the other people in the room. “Buffy, Tara, Willow…”

“We’ve heard that joke, pet,” Spike laughed.

“Oh, yeah. Okay, names. Actually, I have thought of a few.”

“Yeah? Me an’ all. Go on, luv, tell me.”

“Okay, for a girl I was thinking about Nyssa, Selina or Claire. And for a boy, I like James, Cole, Quinn, Brendan, Luke and Adric.”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Do I detect a hint of Sci-Fi/comic book influence there?”

Xander smiled. “Maybe. How about you? What did you think of?”

“For a girl, Katherine, Tyana, Tatianna and Charlotte. And for a boy, Jamie, Ultria and Xavier.”

“I like Jamie,” Xander said. “For our little blondie, here. Jamie Brendan?”

Everybody agreed.

Willow sat down beside Xander and stroked the baby girl’s hair. “Katherine is pretty.”

Xander looked over at Spike. “You like Katherine too, huh?”

“Yeah. Good solid English name, that.”

“Well, if you *both* like it, and also considering that we couldn’t have done this without Willow, I think we’ll go with it. You like that name, Katherine?” Xander said down to the baby. Green eyes flashed with delight. “Katherine Lorraine.”

“Lorraine?” Spike asked.

“After my Gran.” Xander sighed. “I miss her.”

“She die, pet?” Spike asked, gently.

“No. She just lives really far away…and she’s a little crazy. Apparently it runs in the family.”

“I don’t doubt that, luv.”

“So that’s one to go,” Dawn said. “I like Luke.”

“How about Vader?” Xander suddenly asked with a laugh.

“Bloody hell! No way!”

“How about Adric, then?”

“That a science fiction thing again?”

“Yeah, he was one of Doctor Who’s companions. Wore a lot of yellow?”

“Oh yeah! Hung about with that Peter Davidson fellow? Got stuck in the Master's web?”

Xander nodded.

“Adric. Hm, I like it. He was a great little firecracker. Just like you, pet. Alright, then. Adric Jesse James?”

“Adric *Jesse James* I love that song! Cher rocks!” Xander started to sing. “Gonna shoot you down, Jesse…”

“Bloody hell! I meant Jesse James the outlaw, not the bleedin’ song! Christ.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember him. He was cool. I like it. I like the name Jesse…”

Spike gave Xander a smile that said he understood.

Xander had a sudden thought. “Oh, no! We’ve only got two bears!”

“Shit. You got any more at home, pet.”

“No. That’s my only one. You?”

“Nahh. None of the others survived. I did have quite a collection of…”

Everybody stared at Spike.

Spike coughed and made his voice deeper and manlier. “Erm…a collection of deadly weapons. No teddies, though. Nope. None *at all.*”

“What are we gonna do?” Xander asked.

“Guys, we bought lots of toys, cuddly ones and everything.”

“It’s not the same,” Xander and Spike whined together.

Giles scratched at his chin as he tried to think of a solution. “I think I may just have the answer.”

Everybody waited while Giles made a mad dash upstairs and then back down again. “Here, it’s a bit tatty and goodness knows how old, but…here you are.”

Giles held out a grey, vaguely rabbit shaped, floppy eared…thing. “I’ll be sorry to see the old girl go, but it would make me very happy if you would both take this for your children.”

“Giles, are you sure?!”

“Quite sure, Xander, yes. Every child must have something that is passed down.”

“Cheers, Watcher,” Spike said as took the toy and showed it to the sleeping babies.

“Tiddlyflop,” Giles said. “That’s her name. You will make sure that she keeps it?”

Spike nearly smirked, but then remembered what he’d named his bear. “You can count on it.”

“Oh my god!” Buffy said, suddenly.

“What?! What is it?!” Xander asked.

“Shopping! We have to go shopping. We only got two of everything! We need more!”

Willow panicked. “Oh, goddess, Buffy, you’re right! Oh, no, the shops are closed. What will we do?!”

“Blinkin’ heck. Calm down. Do the shopping in the morning. We got plenty. Besides, got another problem. Where the bloody hell are we gonna go? Can’t see your parents much liking us bringing up three nippers in their basement.”

“I hadn’t even thought about that. I mean, they’re away for a couple of weeks, but what do we do after that?”

Giles paced about the room. “This is a quandary. Well, obviously you are both most welcome to stay here…” Jamie started to cry, “…for a while. But after that…”

Spike suddenly grinned. “Hold up. I think…yeah. I think I got a plan.”

Everybody was very scared.

TBC…


Only one more chapter to go!!