When the others were safely out of the way Buffy turned to her startled husband.
"Well?" she demanded.
"P-pardon?"
"Are you going to explain to me what this is all about? Have I suddenly turned into the Loch Ness monster, or a china doll or something? Because I still feel like the same person I was a couple of weeks ago."
"Buffy, I'm not sure what you're asking-"
Buffy threw her hands up and began to pace angrily. "That's the problem! In the space of a week you've turned from being the most sensitive, loving, wonderful man I've ever known into an over-protective, insensitive, frightened . . . man! Rupert, I'm not dying. If you touch me I won't break. Melt maybe, but not break. If I cross the road you don't need to hold my hand. I need a partner, not another father."
Giles was silent for a moment as he thought. "Love, I didn't realise I was doing that. I love you and I just wanted to take care of you."
Buffy moved to stand by his chair and took his hand in hers. "I know you want to take care of me, but there's taking care and there's wrapping in cotton wool. I'm a big girl - you're smothering me with care and forgetting I'm your wife."
"I never forget you're my wife," Giles protested.
"Could've fooled me. A guy usually like to, uh, do stuff with his wife." Buffy paused as a thought occurred to her. "Unless you don't want me anymore. I mean, I'm gonna get fat and ugly and-"
"You'll never be ugly to me," he reassured her. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever met and I love you."
"Then what's with the sudden 'look but don't touch' thing?"
Silently Giles tugged on her hand and guided her to sit on his lap. He put his other hand behind her head and drew her down so he could gently kiss her lips. Buffy's breath whooshed out of her and she felt his lips curving in a smile beneath hers. The kiss only lasted a few moments but they were both breathing heavily when he drew back.
Giles began twisting a strand of her hair, occasionally brushing her cheek with his thumb as he spoke. "If I even loose you I don't know what I'd do. How could I go on without you?"
"Don't-"
He put his thumb over her lips to silence her. "It could happen. You know the danger you're in and it frightens me," he admitted. "I'm sorry if I smothered you but I was trying to protect you."
"I know you want to protect me, but there are other ways. Making me take a nap every time I yawn and stopping me even exercising, let alone training, is not the way."
"Buffy, if you did anything to hurt the baby, even accidentally, I know you would never forgive yourself. I was trying to protect both of you."
Buffy looked into his eyes and saw the sincerity mixed with the love and fear. "That's sweet, thank you. But please, stop it. Let me decide what is dangerous and what isn't. Doing some exercise or eating the occasional pizza won't hurt the baby or me. And for the rest, I'm as scared as you are but if we let whoever it is stop us living they'll have won without even killing me."
"I am so proud of you, love," he said, his eyes shining.
"Proud? Of little old me? I haven't done anything to be proud of, other than throwing a tantrum over nothing."
"You haven't let any of this frighten you, unlike your stupid husband."
"You're not stupid. You're the smartest man I know and I happen to be very frightened. But I also know that I may not have a long life - don't argue - and I want to enjoy it while I can."
Looking into her eyes Giles could only see the love and trust she had in him which was overwhelming. Not trusting himself to speak he drew her down for another kiss which he felt to the depths of his soul. This time Buffy was prepared and she responded eagerly. After a while Giles felt a small hand trailing down his chest and stopping on his belt buckle.
"What are you doing?" he inquired when she began kissing down his jaw.
"Enjoying my life," she replied, and gently nipped his neck.
"But-"
"No. Don't. It won't hurt the baby and I'm not stopping."
"I was about to point out that the others will be back with the pizza soon," he said, restraining a gasp as she nuzzled the open collar of his shirt.
"They won't be back for ages, Willow will make sure of that."
"Willow? You've been telling Willow about-"
"Who else was I going to talk to? I can really see Xander - or better yet mom - reacting well to complaints about my love life, or lack thereof." Buffy paused. "You're having a bad effect on my vocabulary. I didn't tell Will much, just about you acting all protective. They won't be back until they're sure we've stopped arguing."
"We weren't arguing."
"Having a difference of opinion, which is now resolved. It is resolved, isn't it?"
For an answer Giles stood up and swept her into his arms.
"It is," he said as he carried her upstairs.
***
"Love, what did you mean earlier?" Giles asked.
They were lying in their bed, comfortably tangled together and feeling very satisfied. Buffy was tracing patterns on his chest, which was ever so slightly distracting, and Giles was just enjoying holding her close.
"Hmmm?" Buffy asked lazily, still drawing on her husband's chest and fascinated by the muscles that flinched whenever she reached a sensitive bit.
Giles smiled slightly at the contented sound. "Earlier, when you lost your temper-"
"I did not lose my temper." Buffy interrupted.
"All right, when you exhibited such marvellous control over your temper-"
"Now you're making fun of me."
He glared at her.
"Sorry, quiet now."
"I'll believe that when I hear it," he said under his breath, and smiled as she pouted at him. "What did you mean 'you'll get them yourself'?"
He looked down and smiled as Buffy's face reddened. "I don't really know," she confessed. "The pizza would have been easy but the other part . . . I could have . . . or . . . ok, I'm drawing a blank on ideas that would not have completely embarrassing or utterly icky. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment things that now look pretty silly. But it got your attention."
"That it did," Giles said smiling at her. "As well as everyone else in the room."
Buffy raised her head and grinned at him unrepentantly. "Do you promise not to worry me like that again? Otherwise I might have to . . ."
"I promise," he said quickly.
"Good."
Buffy sighed happily and went back to exploring her husband's chest. After a moment she felt him tense and smiled.
"B-Buffy, what are you doing?" Giles stuttered.
"I thought that was obvious."
"How long have the others been gone?"
"I'm not sure. I sort of lost track. But I'm sure they won't be back for age-"
The front door slammed shut downstairs.
"-es, unless they come back now of course."
The blonde Slayer pouted and grimaced.
"I thought you were hungry," Giles reminded her.
Buffy thought about it and realised that the yawning emptiness around her middle was not going away. "True. But we need a shower and it will be much quicker if we share. Then I'll eat."
She climbed out of bed and put on her robe, throwing Giles' at him before scampering down the hall the bathroom. As he followed slightly more slowly Giles had to wonder exactly how much faster his eager wife thought this would be.
***
Life settled down again for the next few days. The gang dug through books in their spare time, trying to find some hint as to what had happened to the pregnant Slayers, and Amy slowly began to catch up on the last year. Due to her disappearance she had not graduated from high school so she began looking for jobs so that she could try to work and study in the evenings. She even made contact with her father but they decided that her adjustment would be easier if she stayed with people who dealt with the supernatural every day. So Amy moved in to share Willow's room and the house added yet another member to its growing family.
"I didn't hear any early morning dashes for the bathroom today," Willow remarked as she and Buffy walked home from classes.
The Slayer grinned at her. "Today marks my first sickness free morning. I'm hoping this is the first of many."
"Not to rain on your parade, but morning sickness usually carries on until at least the third month."
"Do you have to bring science into this? I was just hoping . . ."
"And I was just warning, so you don't get disappointed tomorrow morning," Willow said. "But you are the Slayer, so maybe things operate differently."
"There's a thought," Buffy said, brightening slightly. They rounded the corner on their street and Buffy was surprised to see a dark blue sedan car sitting on their drive. "Will, do you know anyone with a car like that?" she asked, pointing.
"Maybe it's a friend of Giles'," Willow said uncertainly.
"He would have told me if he was expecting someone."
"Someone from the university?"
"Why would he bring them here rather than his office? The house isn't exactly the quietest place, and he'd never invite someone into the basement."
"Unexpected guest?"
"I have a bad feeling. Unexpected guests in Sunnydale usually equal trouble."
Buffy began to jog down the street and Willow picked up her pace to keep up, reflecting as she went that unfortunately her friend was right. Nobody good ever just dropped by here. They usually wanted to destroy the world or kill them all.
Reaching the door Buffy paused and listened. The house felt too silent. Normally there was some kind of noise, be it the radio, TV or just someone talking. But there was nothing. It was almost as though the building was waiting for something - or someone. Willow trotted up behind Buffy and she motioned the redheaded girl to duck down and hide behind one of the bushes near the door. As silently as she could the Slayer opened the door, stake in hand and slipped inside.
The hall was empty and she could still hear no noise. Xander was usually home at this hour, watching cartoons, so the silence was unnatural and sent a shiver of fear through Buffy. What if the creature that apparently stalked pregnant Slayers was here? What if something had happened to her friends - or, God forbid, Giles?
There was no light under the door to the basement so no one was down there. Buffy momentarily debated between the kitchen and the living room and decided on the latter. As she approached the living room door she heard a slight sound behind it and immediately tensed even more. Creeping closer she put her ear against the door but could hear nothing.
In a situation like this the element of surprise is one of the aspects that can make the difference between life and death. Buffy knew that the intruder already knew she was somewhere in the house but that did not mean she could not do the unexpected. She drew back, raised her stake and kicked the door open, wincing slightly at the sound of splintering wood.
There was barely time to register that Giles stood with his back to her, facing two strangers, before a solemn British voice intoned, "By the power invested in me by the Watcher's Council of Great Britain I am hereby authorised to take you into custody. You will be transported to England at the nearest opportunity for rehabilitation."
*finis*