Promises

Set directly following Smashed. Buffy gets more than she bargained for when she arrives home and finds a baby bassinet on her doorstep.

CHAPTER ONE

Buffy's mind flashed with memories of the previous night. She was disgusted in herself she'd let Spike touch her- SPIKE! 'What the hell was I thinking... he's evil and bad very bad bad' nothing good was going come of this she was sure of it. Her body ached in all the right places she hadn't been touched like that before. Her mind wondered with dirty thoughts of him and his sculpted body. She quickly shook those thoughts out of her head.

She reached her house and began walking up to the door when she noticed it. She thought she was hallucinating but it was there clear as day. A bassinet.

Buffy gulped as she bent down to inspect the basket. There wrapped safety in a blue blanket was a baby sound asleep with an envelope with 'Buffy' written in elegant script.

XXXXX

It had been half an hour since Buffy had brought the baby inside. She placed the bassinet on the coffee table and had been staring in horror ever since.

"Morning Buffy" Dawn chirped bouncing down the stairs.

She saw Buffy was transfixed on something or she'd zoned out as she was known to do. "Rough night?" Dawn asked walking toward the living room door

"What the hell is that?" Dawn shrieked backing up slightly

"A baby" Buffy said still not taking her eyes off the basket

"I can see that! How did it get here? Is it evil?" Asked Dawn

"I'm not sure" Said Buffy

"Who's is it?"

"According to the letter that came with him, he's Angels" Buffy frowned

Willow and Tara padded down the stairs with chirps of morning greetings but were stopped in their tracks upon seeing the bassinet on the coffee table.

"Uh Buffy what's going on?" Asked Willow

"I'd like to know myself" Buffy sighed

XXXXX

Buffy had relayed all the information that the letter contained to the scoobies who sat around her living room. Xander sat back in his chair flabbergasted.

"So let me get this straight?... Dead Boy and that Skank Darla had a moment and out pops this little guy who may or may not be evil" said Xander taking it in

"I think that's about it" Buffy sighed

"He doesn't seem evil" said Tara peeking into the bassinet

"What I don't understand is why you have to take care of him" said Anya

"Angel isn't in a good place right now or so Wesley says in the letter... maybe I should call him get the scoop on what the hell is going on and why he dumped a baby on my doorstep" Buffy fumed as she stomped away to make the call

The scoobies all gathered around the bassinet staring at the sleeping infant inside.

"He looks wrinkled... kinda like an old man" said Anya "Oh! Hey! He might be an evil little old man!"

"That's just what babies look like Anya" Willow corrected her "He is sorta cute though"

"Definitely snuggleable" Tara agreed

"This is just typical of Angel, he has a baby with somebody else and dumps it with Buffy. He does know she's recently resurrected?" Xander ranted

"This isn't Angel's fault it's Wesley's" Willow pointed out

"It doesn't matter... it's not like we haven't seen it we all know the Buffster isn't coping well with being back" said Xander

"Well maybe taking care of this infant will help her" said Anya

Buffy came back into the room holding the phone up to her ear "Wes... you don't understand I have no experience with babies! No I don't think you understand this is a big ask... okay okay how long? What?! Just call me when you have news!" She slammed the phone down on the side table.

"What's going on?" Asked Willow

"Oh you know Angel's all catatonic possibly evil" Buffy sighed heavily

"So you're stuck holding the baby?" Asked Anya

"Looks like..."

"How long for?" Asked Willow

"That's just it... there's no time frame he could be in college by the time they get this all figured out"

"It's okay Buffy I mean we can all pitch in and help" Willow smiled

"Thanks" Buffy sighed

The once angelic baby let out an almighty roar and began screaming

"So I've gotta be at the site" said Xander getting to his feet and scampering off

"Money calls! I need to open up The Magic Box" Anya practically ran out of the house

"Sorry Buffy we have class... we'll definitely help you out after" Willis cringed making her way out followed by an apologetic Tara.

Buffy stared at the bassinet the boy inside still screaming "Looks like it's just me and you kid" she said picking up the infant

XXXXX

Through some miracle Buffy had managed to change and feed Connor without any problems he now lay peacefully sleeping in her arms. She dare not move as not to wake the youngster, her arm was fully dead and she desperately needed a pee. She carefully got up and slowly put in back in his bassinet. She did a little happy dance that she managed to put him down without waking him. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.

She whipped off upstairs to relieve herself when she heard the front door slam and a baby begin to cry "Damn it!" She said rushing back down the stairs to see Spike staring in sheer horror at the baby on the coffee table screaming his head off.

"For Pete sake Spike!" Said Buffy brushing past him and picking up the baby and gently rocking him "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Have I missed something luv?" He raised his eyebrow

"Long long story!" She told him

Spike stood perplexed for a moment watching Buffy settle the baby in her arms when something clicked "he's not... I mean I'm good Slayer but I'm not that good he's not ours is he?"

"What?!" Buffy looked at him in horror "No! Why would you think that?"

"Well stranger things have happened pet!" He reminded her "Who does he belong to anyway? Did Demon Girl spawn or is this another one of Red's kooky spells?"

"Firstly spawned? Ew! And secondly he is not the product of a spell... he's Angel's" she told him

"Peaches got you knocked up?" He asked with a pang of jealousy

"What? Don't be stupid!" She sighed "Angel and Darla had a thing. Darla staked herself so Connor could live, Angel's gone all catatonic possibly evil and here he is" Buffy sped through the explanation

"Who's Connor" asked Spike

"The baby! Duh! Keep up!"

"So... I guess we need to talk about last night?" He asked

"Kinda busy doing stuff" she gestured to the still crying infant in her arms

Spike saw how flustered Buffy was getting trying to calm Connor. He let out a heavy sigh "Give him here" he said

"What? No! You've not got the first clue about babies" said Buffy

Spike scoffed and took the baby from her arms

"Be careful! Watch his head!" Buffy panicked

Within seconds of Spike gently rocking the youngster he stopped crying.

"How did you do that?" Asked Buffy

"Little trick I used to use on my sister" he told her

"Your sister?" Buffy frowned "But you don't have a sister"

"Shows how much you know Slayer, she was born when I was 13. She was a screamer nothing would calm her unless she was in my arms" he smiled

"Oh..." said Buffy, staring at Spike. It was strange from an outsider he must've looked like the picture perfect father gently settling his young baby. It wasn't the first time Buffy had noticed his humanity but it certainly was the most powerful.

He gently put Connor back into the bassinet and turned to look at Buffy who was still stunned at what she had just witnessed

"See... he's fine" smiled Spike "now are we going to talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about" said Buffy taking off for the kitchen

Spike trailed behind her "I think there's plenty"

Buffy began to put plates in the sink and clear cereal away from breakfast

"Buffy will you just stop" he begged grabbing her arm

"Don't touch me" she said immediately pulling her arm away

"Buffy... things have changed" he told her

"Will you quit that? The only thing that's different is that I'm disgusted with myself. That's the power of your charms. Last night ... was the most perverse ... degrading experience of my life" she told him still inches away from his face

Spike smiled looking down at her trembling slightly "Yeah. Me too"

"That might be how you get off, but it's not my style" she said only just believing the words coming out of her mouth

"No, it's your calling. Gave me a run for my money, Slayer" he scoffed

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Now, I admit it. You've had me by the short hairs" he told her "I love you. You know it. But I got my rocks back. You felt something last night"

"Not love" she told him defiantly

"Not yet. But I'm in your system now. You're gonna crave me, like I crave blood. And the next time you come crawling, if you don't stop being such a bitch, maybe I will bite you"

"That, that's it! I want you out of my life! Out of my work, out of my home-" she trembled slightly as her voice broke

"Too late for that. You invited me in already. And as for your work, you need me. That little tyke in there is gunna drain you of all your bloody energy and you can't fight big nasties half asleep luv"

"I can do this myself"

"You're really gonna put yourself and the scoobies in danger just to spite me?" He asked

Buffy glared at him for a moment, he got closer to her pulling her in by the waist "I can't lose you... not again" he said softly

Buffy swallowed hard "fine" she said eventually

Spike smiled widely "that's my girl"