Title: Repeat

Name: Joy       

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            Life was becoming infinitely more complicated as time went on. Giles was staying in Sunnydale, Wolf had graduated high school, and the Council knew Buffy was pregnant just not how pregnant. Regular searches for bugs continued to turn up nothing while Giles and Wes handled the nefarious group that wished to take the baby dhampire. Psyche and Orpheus grew rapidly, so rapidly that they appeared to be toddlers quite quickly. None of the neighbors seemed to be bothered by the fact so the Scoobies assumed it was a Powers thing. Buffy was into her fourth month of pregnancy and no one had tried to kidnap her or attacked her in her dreams so life was looking up.

            “Bye Buffy,” Dawn called. “Wolf and I will be out late.”

            “In need of some couple time?” the older Summers asked.

            “Just a bit,” Dawn said with a smile. She had decided to take the grown up role to heart. She cut her long dark locks to an inch below her shoulders. Learning from her sisters mistakes she would wear serviceable clothes on patrol rather than stylish. Wolf and Dawn had to practice not shredding their clothing completely in battle. Nothing like floating above an enemy nearly naked.

            “Ready?” Wolf asked putting on a windbreaker as he came up the stairs. The couple smiled at each other then Buffy. “Kiss my niece and nephew for me before they go down for the night.”

            “Will do,” the slayer agreed as the teens left.

            She turned and walked into the living room to see Druscilla standing before her. “Happy Birthday Buffy,” she said stabbing the slayer in the belly.

            Buffy startled awake. “Bye Buffy,” she heard Dawn call. She padded to the kitchen to see Wolf ascending the stairs.

            “Ready?” he asked turning to Dawn. The couple smiled at each other then Buffy. “Kiss my niece and nephew for me before they go down for the night.”

            “Don’t walk out that door!” Buffy said in a quaking voice.

            “What’s wrong?” Dawn asked quickly.

            The slayer looked at them both. “Make with the flying.”

            “Why?” Wolf asked.

            “I just dreamed this… Druscilla was in the living room ready to stab me.”

            “SPIKE!” Dawn yelled upstairs.

            “Yeah,” he replied.

They could hear him come down the stairs. The three rounded the corner to see Druscilla standing in their midst stabbing Spike in the stomach. “Happy Birthday Buffy,” she said in her sweet English accent before turning and stabbing Buffy.

“Bye Buffy!” Dawn called from the back door.

“Oh god….” Buffy swallowed convulsively ready to vomit. “Dawn! SPIKE!” she yelled frantically. Feet came running from all directions.

Druscilla sat on the floor in front of Buffy playing with Psyche. “Happy Birthday Buffy,” the vampire said just before ripping the child’s throat out.

“NO!” Buffy sobbed.

“Bye Buffy,” Dawn’s sweet voice came from the kitchen as Buffy began to weep face to face with Druscilla.

“Happy Birthday Buffy,” the vampire whispered before biting the weeping slayer.

“How long has she been like this?” Giles asked watching Buffy seize on the coach in the living room.

Spike was pacing frantically as Dawn attempted to remain calm. “I called as soon as I found her,” the teen stated.

Tara and Willow came through the front door in a hurry. Spike strode up to them. “Please tell me you have found some new protection spell for the house and a way to bring her out of this.”

The blond witch looked deep into his eyes and said, “We’ll do like before and get you into her dreams.”

“Can’t Luv. I’ve already tried. Something or someone is blocking the claim.”

“I meant with the circle… I take the head, Dawn takes one side, Giles takes the other and Wolf is behind while you hold her,” she instructed quickly as Willow started to set up in the kitchen. Tara reached out to brush the hair out of Buffy’s eyes only to get a pain in her side. She gasped. “We have to do this now.”

“Why? What did you see?” Spike begged.

“Blood…Lots of blood…over and over… Dark… English… ‘Happy Birthday Buffy’” Tara recited still touching the slayer.

Giles and Willow’s eyes met, “Druscilla…”

“Spike pick her up,” the watcher commanded. Spike cradled his wife in his arms.

“The Babies!” Tara shouted. “Get the babies!”

Willow did as instructed and picked up each child. Psyche looked at Willow and said, “Mama…Nee’ mama.” Red’s eyes went wide with fear and put each child on one hip.

As soon as they reached the landing Psyche and Orpheus squirmed out of Willow’s arms and toddled to the kitchen. “ ‘elp mama,” Orpheus babbled to his father laying his little hands on his mother’s stomach. Psyche soon followed suite.

“Do it,” Spike stated firmly.

The ritual began while Willow watched in fear. She found the emergency phone and rang Wesley. “Angel Investigations?” Fred’s voice wafted over the phone.

“It’s Will, is Wesley there?”

“Yes, but Angel and Cordelia are on their way to see you,” the Texan said sweetly.

“Why?” Willow asked.

“Cordelia had a vision. They left I don’t know how long ago. We just found the note.”

“What does the note say?” the witch tried to be patient rubbing her forehead.

“ It says, ‘Emergency in Sunnydale. Don’t really know much, just a vision with Druscilla so we left. Lorn is taking care of Connor. Call soon. Angel.’ Does that help?”

Willow breathed deeply, “Yes. Can I still talk to Wesley?”

“Hello Willow.”

“Hi… I need you to find me a binding spell. Something that can cut off Spike and Buffy’s tie to the rest of their bloodline,” the red head stated. “I’d do it myself but…I shouldn’t so… Please.”

“That might not be the best idea. That would cut off Angel too,” the Englishman explained.

“Let’s be realistic. He’s how far away? What can he honestly do?” the former witch huffed.

“Fight…Like he’s doing now.”

Spike stood in his living room with a grown Psyche and Orpheus on either side of him. “Hi dad,” his daughter whispered.

“Didn’t think you’d leave us out this time, did ya?” his son smirked at him.

A loud crash came from the kitchen. “No!” Buffy screamed. As they went to the noise, Buffy appeared on the couch. She opened her eyes.

“Bye Buffy,” Dawn’s voice called.

“Not again…no more,” the slayer sobbed.

A clone of Spike came down the stairs. “What’s wrong luv?” The words just exited his mouth as blood began to pour from it as well.

“Happy Birthday Buffy,” Druscilla sing songed showing the slayer the blade that had just ended her husband’s life…dripping with his blood as he slid to the floor.

Spike’s eyes went big. He reached for Dru only to realize she lacked substance. Angel burst through the front door. “What are you doing here mate?” Spike asked.

“You needed the immediate family…” the vampire said with a shrug.

Buffy seemed totally oblivious to anything but the looped activities playing out around her. “Immediate family?”

“Mum?” Orpheus looked to Buffy.

“I am her sire,” Angel began pointing to Druscilla. “You are her childe. We fall on either side of her in the bloodline. On the other hand you are sort of Buffy’s sire because you are the link to the bloodline and each twin is a childe and child of hers.”

“How does this help?” Psyche asked.

“I can touch Druscilla and bring her into this dream plane… Spike can touch Buffy and bring her here as well,” the older vampire explained.

“How do you know this?” Orpheus snapped.

“Pushy like your aunt… Same reason you knew to join the circle…I just know.”

“Happy Birthday Buffy,” Druscilla hissed in saccrin sweet voice.

Angel grabbed hold of Dru’s hair at the roots. “Daddy’s not to happy with you!” he snarled in game face.

Buffy rocked back and forth until Spike touched her face. “Hey sweetheart. We’re going to get you out of here.” Her eyes darted around the room in fear. “None of it was real,” he cooed.

Spike let his kids comfort their mother as he turned swiftly to Druscilla. Game face on hatred in his eyes the blond vamp asked, “Are we real enough to end this?”

Druscilla’s eyes went wide with fear. “How are you here?” she panted.

“It doesn’t matter Dru…all that matter’s is we are,” Spike hissed a mere inch from her face.

Angel stood directly behind her before snapping her head back against his shoulder. “Look what princess was holding?” he said tossing the knife to Spike.

He examined the weapon. “Seems pretty real to me.”

Druscilla began to whimper sandwiched between the two men she had loved. “It will destroy us. I’ve seen it…” she hollowed.

“Maybe you,” Angel whispered stroking his fingertips down her cheek.

“But not us,” Spike finished in the same eerie whisper. He drew the knife across Dru’s throat in a shallow cut. Blood blossomed from the skin.

Spike looked over his shoulder at his family. “Turn away kids,” he spoke solemnly. Both teens nodded huddling into their mother.

“Goodbye Dru. I’m sorry,” Angel said softly kissing her forehead.

Tears slid from her eyes. “You will kill your Childe for this human and her childe that will destroy us.”

“Yes,” he answered.

Spike touched and kissed Dru’s cheek, “I will always love you in a tiny part of my heart…but not enough to let you continue. Goodbye my dark princess.” At once Spike drove the knife through Druscilla’s heart as Angel twisted and snapped her neck.

The men looked into the others eyes and felt the grief that their actions bore as the vampire lay slack against Angel’s chest. For long moments the vampires took each other in before laying the body down on the floor.

“Don’t turn around,” Angel whispered to Spike.

            “Why?”

            “You’re covered in blood.” Angel started up the stairs to find the clone Spike standing motionless. Stripping the shirt from this body, Angel returned with the garment.

“Clean up,” the older vamp insisted.

            With his back to his wife and kids, Spike carefully removed the shirt from over his head wiping the remaining blood off. New shirt over his head Spike went to his family. Angel picked Druscilla’s body up and went to the door.

            “It’s over baby… It’s over,” Spike hushed kissing Buffy’s lips.

            “Not…” Psyche whispered.

            “Yet…” Orpheus answered.

            TBC…