Author: Richess a.k.a. A.N.H. Richards
Feedback: Do vampire's have teeth? Of course I want it. Please. richess78@hotmail.com
Summary: Set a couple of months after Lover's Walk, Spike goes up North and unbeknownst to him fulfils a prophecy. The council is after Christine and her baby and Spike gets something he never thought he'd have a baby.
Warning: **Character Death** This a Spike and baby story just to warn all. It will eventually lead to a Spike/Buffy ship so bear with me.
Things that must be known: For this story to make sense I have integrated it with season four events. Except Spike never gets chipped, Harmony does, Harsh Light of Day and Something Blue never happened. But the rest of the year is pretty much intact, with a few exceptions that will be revealed in the story.
Song: Little Girl's Eyes by Lenny Kravitz (album: '5')
Disclaimer: I own none of BTVS characters, they belong to J. Whedon, Mutant Enemy Productions, WB, FOX, UPN and etc. But I do own Niya, Christine, Lnor, Jacob, Nina, Marcus.
Distribution: THESE SITES ONLY, Strictly Fic, Death-Marked Love, Dancing With Death, and Fanfiction.net. If you have pervious permission to take any of my fics that is fine but Taken By Surprise is strictly for the sites listed above. No other site has my permission to post this fic.
Author's Notes: As for any medical stuff I know nothing and I did no research. Well that's not true the condition in this story does exist for some women, I saw it on The Learning Channel. So there I did do research.
I started this fic in December 2000 and I have had most of it done but a co-writer offered me suggestions on making this a better fic and I took her advice and this fic has become a near novel. Well I started getting it betad in November 2001 and then all of my exams, papers and real life in general stalled this fic again. Then the whopper came when I saw ATS, episode DAD and I nearly freaked at some of the similarities between my fic and that eppy. I was going to scrap this fic even though it was over a 100 pages and near done. I didn't want people to think that I took the idea from Angel when technically I had it written down and floating around the net since April 2001. So now I present to all that will read my baby (the fic that is for all to see).
Dedication: To Hilary who forced me to finish this story and helped write a crucial scene for me. And thanks to the other Hunnies. To Miss Binks who helped me SO MUCH especially with chapter 5. To Esme my faithful beta, thanks bunches.

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Part 21

As they ushered Christine into the O.R., Spike could feel the tension mounting. He was about to experience the one thing that had alluded him his whole unlife: the feeling of life. He looked down at Christine as a thin sheen of sweat beaded down her hair line, the doctor and nurses were scrambling around, and Spike took an unneeded breath and wiped her brow with a cloth.

He smiled.

"What's... so... amusing?" Christine gasped between breaths.

"A vampire is helping a human deliver a baby!"

"It is kind of funny," she chuckled breathily before her face twisted in agony. She squeezed his hand with almost demon like strength.

Spike struggled not to cringe as he felt the cartilage in hand shift, as she squeezed and screamed a string of obscenities cursing men and sex. "What did I tell you? Ripley... Aliens!" Spike smirked as she let go of his throbbing hand.

"Oh shut up Spike." Christine laughed shakily then looked at his hand, "Sorry."

"S'ok luv, I was expecting much worse language to tell you the truth."

She started to laugh again but her face suddenly fell as she began to cry. He was taken back by her sudden mood change, "I don't think I can do this Spike."

"It's a little late for that talk ain't it pet?" He kissed her forehead gently. "You can do this, and you will. It's gonna be ok luv. The doctors will knock you out and you'll wake up with your stomach all flat again, and a screaming little bundle in your arms."

This only made her cry harder, she only stopped when a contraction ripped through her body.

"Spike? When I asked you all those months ago if you would you help me raise my baby, I really didn't mean it." Christine sighed as the contraction pain subsided.

"What?" He felt as if he was kicked in the stomach. The thought of her telling him to leave seemed to actually hurt him.

"I really meant would YOU raise her for me."

"For you?"

"Spike look around you. I know that you've watched every Learning Channel pregnancy show in the last three months and you must know that all this equipment they have me on isn't normal."

One of the nurses stopped and glanced at the young couple, feeling like she was intruding, she quietly walked out of the room.

"I don't . . ." Spike started but the squeezing of his hand and her yelling in pain stopped him as another contraction racked her body. The nurse brought in the doctor.

"You must be the father?" The doctor asked quizzically.

Christine looked at Spike, "Yes." He answered.

Her body relaxed from the pain.

"Mr. . . ." The doctor began.

"Kesston, call me William."

"Fine, William. Can I talk to you outside?"

Spike followed, but gave Christine a wary look, and she smiled slightly as another man stepped into the room with a cart of medical tools.

As soon as the door swung closed the doctor began, "William. Christine, asked me to explain exactly what is going to happen to her after the baby is born. She told me that giving you a technical explanation should be best."

Spike waited for the doctor who cleared his throat and began.

Spike felt overwhelmed by the enormous amount of information he was given in about five minutes. He was told that Christine would die as a result of the childbirth due to a genetic trait that ran in her family; that after giving birth, her blood would not clot, therefore, essentially, she would bleed to death.

"So there's nothing you can do?"

"There are procedures but she has asked not to be put on them."

"What are they?"

There's is one that is experimental, and she might in the hospital for weeks if not months and she still might eventually die. We would have to pump her blood in and out of her and then add in enzymes that can clot blood, but it could take long and it is painful. There would have to be two tubes on either side of her neck . . ."

"Never mind. I understand why she doesn't want to." The first thing that came to his mind was turning her, but it would be hard to do with doctors and nurses in the room.

Nina, Marcus and her twin sister Michelle walked into the waiting room with flowers and two teddy bears. "We couldn't decide! Marcus says this one looks manly and the other is too girlish." She held up the soft brown bear in one hand and a pink fluffy bear in the other, "and let's not even get started on the fight that me and my sis had in the flower shop...." The look on Spike's face stopped her. "What's going on?"

"William, I should go back in there, but if you want to take a moment to tell your friends?" The doctor nodded his head and went back in the OR.

The vampire turned to Nina and told her everything that the doctor had told him.

Spike held Christine's hand the whole birth.

"It's a girl!" The doctor exclaimed, as a nurse quickly took the baby, cleaned the airway and wiped her off quickly.

"I know, I felt it. I just knew." Christine murmured as she stretched out her arms to hold her baby for the first and the last time. She looked at Spike and then at the little girl. "I want to name her Niya." The new mother kissed her daughter on the forehead.

Christine's face began to turn a pale blue as the blood drained from her body. She handed Spike the baby, "Here's your daddy." She whispered. "Always be good to him. You gotta take care of him." Christine stroked her face.

Spike looked down at the bundle in his arms and felt a wetness on his face. A drop of water fell on his hand as held Niya. Spike stroked Christine's hair away from her face, as her body grew cold. The nurses stood silent and the doctor turned his back to the couple.

"She's special Spike. Don't let anything happen to her." Christine warned weakly.

"Shhh, she'll be fine, Chris. I'll take care of her. I promise."

"Spike in my bag there's a package for you." Her eyes glossed over and he saw a look that he had seen too often, a look he had been the cause of too often. "I trust you. For these last months you have been my only family. I'm going to miss you both." she squeezed Spike's hand gently and then touched Niya one last time, "I love you."

Those were Christine's last words.

Spike stayed silent. Something about Christine touched him more then any human ever had, it was almost as if he was meant to meet her and be a part of her life. The tiny bundle in his arms squirmed, and he looked from her face to Christine's. The newborn was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. "Niya, this lady here is your mum. One of the strongest and toughest women I have ever known. She saved my butt, and she fought..." He looked up as a nurse watched she quickly averted her eyes, "and she fought vampires." He whispered. Niya yawned, "She was one of the bravest women I have ever known. She sacrificed everything for you, and then she gave you to me."

The reality of his words hit him, he was responsible for this tiny little thing.

An orderly walked up with a blanket, "Sir I..." A low grumble from the back of Spike's throat stopped the man in mid stride, "Sorry, I'll be back in a few." He said apologetically.

"I'll never let you forget how brave she was." He could feel the tears in his eyes but refused to let them fall. "I'll never let you forget her." The baby was fast asleep in his arms. He turned to see the nurse with tears streaming down her face, she wiped them quickly and took Niya from Spike.

The orderly came back in the O.R. avoiding any eye contact and covered Christine with a blanket and Spike bolted from the room.

Spike reached the restroom and put his fist into the stall door denting it. He couldn't believe that he had spent eight months with Christine and she never told him, he couldn't believe she never once mentioned it. Spike, rinsed the blood for his hands the warms water cleaned the neat slicing on his knuckles. He splashed water on his face. Humans always got to be so self sacrificing, he thought as he left the bathroom.

In the waiting room, Marcus comforted Nina and Michelle. Once Nina saw Spike she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. She finally released him, and stared into his eyes.

"You better take care of that little girl or I'll hunt you down and stake you proper." Spike looked at her shocked. "She told me. She thinks that you are meant to raise her baby. That you were brought together for a reason. So don't make anyone regret it." Nina squeezed his hand gently and then turned to kiss Marcus and left.

"You sticking around?" Spike asked. He felt drained. All of a sudden he was Mr. Responsibility. This what the poofter must feel like.

"Think we should deal with this the way men have dealt with everything in their life..." Marcus began.

"With a drink." Spike finished.

With a glum nod the two walked toward the elevator.

Part 22

Nina walked into the elevator to Christine's old building. Getting Christine's old apartment was weird. When She opened the elevator door, five people were standing at her door. Four men and a woman.

"Can I help you with something?" Nina asked as she approached the apartment cautiously.

"Yes the young woman that lives here, Christine Campari. . ."

"She's dead." Nina replied a matter-of-factly to the British man. "Who are you?"

"But she was pregnant. And the baby?" Asked the female.

"Dead too." Nina answered.

"That can't be?" An eastern Asian man stated with a refined British accent.

"Why not?" Nina asked.

"I think that we will be going?" The eldest man said hearing the suspicion in the young woman's voice. They walked past Nina toward the elevator.

"Wait, are you family?" Nina asked, knowing that they weren't but she wanted to find out more about these people.

"Yes." The another man with glasses man answered.

"From Wales right?"

"Yes." He replied, shuffling his hand in his pocket. A slip of white paper slipped out unbeknownst to him.

"Well if you have any questions I am sure her lawyer could answer them for you." Nina replied.

"How did she die?" The blond woman asked.

"During childbirth." Nina said swallowing hard, trying to fight back the tears that sprang to her eyes. It had been a month since Christine's death and when she visited Spike and Niya it seemed as if she saw Christine's soul in the two of them. Nina looked at the strangers in front of her. She didn't trust them and they would probably follow her believing that Niya was alive.

"We're sorry. We will leave you alone now." They all turned toward the elevator. Nina quickly snatched the paper up before someone could see her. She quickly turned the key in the lock and dropped her bag on the foyer floor. She opened the piece of paper and ran to the phone.

"Nina? What is it?" Spike answered, knowing it was Nina she was the only one with the number to the new apartment.

"Some people were here looking for Chris and the baby. Spike you have to leave, now. A piece of paper fell from one of their pockets and it had your address on it. They were all British and in tweed and brown suits. They are probably going to your place next."

"Nina, thanks."

"Spike wherever you go, please keep in touch, and if you or Niya need me please call." Nina pleaded on the phone.

"Don't worry Nina she'll be fine. I'll take really good care of her."

Nina felt the tears roll down her cheek, this was probably the last time she would ever hear from Spike.

"If you ever need me Nina. That place that Christine told you about. The people she told you about. You can trust them." Were the last words Spike said as he hung up the phone.

Spike packed everything he could within the hour, then headed for the underground parking garage. Niya was a good baby, she rarely cried. Partly because of Spike's vampire hearing and smell, he could usually tell when she was wet or hungry.

There was one day when he was running to the phone, and he tripped over one of Niya's rattles and fell with a thud in front of the baby. Niya laughed with drool running down her chin, and he hadn't even noticed that he'd vamped out in front of her. As soon as he controlled the demon she stopped laughing, then he let the demon out intentionally and she began laughing again. That was one month ago, and now, in another twenty minutes when the sun set, he was leaving with his daughter. As soon as he felt the sun go down he started driving, toward the border. Where he was going he didn't know, but leaving was the best solution.

Part 23

Buffy walked around the U.C. Sunnydale campus, her arm in a sling. A week after her encounter with Sunday, her shoulder still throbbed in pain. Especially when she had slayed eight vampires last night.. and five the day before… and six the day before that. She need to give her arm time to rest.

Buffy reached the cafeteria and took up some lunch.

"Need some help?" Riley asked Buffy shyly.

"Just a little." Buffy answered. Riley held her tray and they walked over to a an empty table. Parker walked into the hall and waved at Buffy. She waved back and Riley slunk back in his chair as Parker approached.

"Hey Buffy! Riley." Parker sat on the other side of Buffy.

"Buffy? You go here? That's so cool!" Tasha smiled at Buffy and then Riley. Then her gaze fell on Parker. "Parker, what freshman are you tryin' to bag and tag this year?"

Buffy looked at Tasha and then Parker whose face had gone pale. A tall handsome looking guy slid his hands around Tasha's waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey hunny!" Tasha didn't break her gaze with Parker, and Riley couldn't contain the smile anymore, he admired Tasha, she kept everyone in line. "Parker why don't go find someone else to victimize, 'cause there's no one here."

Parker looked at Buffy for some help, but Tasha wasn't finished. "Hey is that Patricia Darby over there? I remember her, don't you?"

Riley snickered as Buffy took in the exchange.

"Ohh wait! There's Joannie Mckay! She would love to say hi to you.. and a couple of other words. Hey Joannie!" Tasha yelled across the room. Parker got up quickly and left the table without a word. Tasha sat down where Parker once was and leaned over to Buffy, "I figured I owed you after that time you saved my life from that guy last year." She whispered to Buffy.

"Buffy, this is my friend Forrest, and I guess you know Tasha already." Riley introduced Forrest. Riley's and Forrest's pagers went off simultaneously, and they quickly excused themselves.

"What's that all about?" Buffy asked.

"What the beepers or Parker?" Tasha asked.

"Both."

"Well, they both work on some extra credit project with Professor Walsh and when she calls they run, and Parker is the Senior stud around here. He tries to bed the hottest freshman's at the beginning of the year, and then treats her like utter crap after he has sex with them. Joannie went damn near psycho on him last year, but he didn't learn his lesson."

"Really?" Buffy felt relieved that Tasha had steered her clear of him. "Thanks."

"No probs. After you saved my butt I owe you."

"So what's the deal with you and Forrest?"

We're friends." A slow smile crept on her face

"Friends?"

"Well, Forrest is good for two things.. and I will never tell you what they are." Tasha got up abruptly and said, "I see your friend Willow coming so I'm going to go back to my table. See you around. Hey, if you're going to hook up with any one around here, Riley is really sweet and you need to see him play basketball shirtless." Buffy smiled and Tasha giggled and went back to her friends

"Hey Willow, hey Oz."

"Hey Buffy. Was that Tasha?" Oz asked. Willow gave Buffy a big hug.

"Yup, and she was telling me about the poophead that is Parker Abrams."

"Oohh dish." Willow smiled.

Part 24

The adventures of Spike and Niya began when they reached Tacoma, Washington. Spike did most of his grocery shopping for Niya, and then usually ate one of the unfortunate girls who thought that a doting father and his infant baby were the cutest things in the world. Spike still fed but he never killed any of the people that he fed from.

After Tacoma they went to Portland, Oregon and then he finally settled on a place: Crescent City, California. It had already been near two months since they'd left Vancouver, and now Niya the once not fussy baby would scream and wail for hours

He needed this to stop. He tried everything, he read all the books and finally he realized that she was teething. He bought all the baby stuff she needed, Ambesol and all the rest of it but she continuously cried, driving Spike up the wall, "She's going to make me as batty as Dru."

Finally Spike made the toughest decision he would have to make. There was only one person that would know about this that he could trust. As soon as sunset he drove for the next ten hours straight until the sun threatened to burn him alive. Niya had been quiet the whole trip. What a little brandy in her milk could do, Spike thought. They reached San Luis Obispo and they were about three and half hours from L.A. Spike and Niya slept the whole day away with a couple of scheduled feeding for both before their next little adventure to Sunnydale, California.

Part 25

After Willow settled into their room and left a couple of hours later with Oz to go to the frat party, Buffy sat alone reading a magazine. It was too early to go slaying, it was only ten after ten. So she decided to call her mom and tell her about her horrendous first days of University life.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom!"

"Oh Buffy it's so good to hear from you."

"Don't worry mom when I bring my laundry next weekend it'll be a different story." Both Summer's women giggled and Buffy told her about her battles with Sunday and Kathy.

"I hope that you're being careful, Buffy."

*Ding Dong.*

"Who can it be at this time of night?" Joyce asked.

"Mom do you have the supersoaker full of holy water by the door, and a stake?" Buffy asked

"Of course hunny."

Joyce opened the door slowly to see a familiar face standing in front of the door. "Spike?" Joyce looked from Spike to the squirming bundle in his arms.

"Hello Joyce." Spike smiled slightly

Buffy gasped in utter terror as she heard the familiar accented voice on the other end. Then the line went dead. Buffy screamed into the phone without even thinking the slayer grabbed a stake and ran out the door.

"Buffy? Buffy?" Joyce called into the phone. "I think the battery went dead." Joyce hung up the phone. "You have a baby?" Joyce looked at the little green eyed girl, "Can I hold her?"

"Of course Joyce. Her name is Niya."

"She's gorgeous." The baby cooed in her arms. "You had a baby…. with Drusilla?" Joyce asked sceptically.

"Actually, it's a long story." Smiled looking at Niya smiling as she held onto Joyce's index finger.

"Well I love long stories." Joyce said walking into the living room with Niya.

Buffy ran for miles without feeling tired. All she knew was that her mother was danger and that Spike was going to die if anything happened to her mother. Tears filled her eyes as her feet pressed on. Her feet seemed to move in slow motion as she ran up the street and when she saw his DeSoto in the driveway, her feet seemed to get even slower.

Buffy burst through the door to hear Spike's voice. He stood over her mother's shoulder as she sat motionless in the chair.

"Now she'll get everything that she deserves."

"You're finally going get what YOU deserve."

Before Spike could even turn around he was kicked viciously in the back. Spike game face immediately emerged. Buffy pulled out her stake.

Joyce stood up abruptly, "Buffy what are you doing?"

The Slayer stopped mid-stride when she heard a gurgling sound. She looked at her mother who was holding a smiling baby who was looking at Spike. Buffy looked from the baby, to Spike, to her mother.

"Are you ok, mom?"

"Of course I am honey. Why wouldn't I be?" Joyce answered as if Buffy's question was utterly ridiculous.

"Because Spike's a vampire?" Buffy replied dumbfounded at her mother's reaction. Joyce stepped toward Spike and handed him the baby, who kicked her feet in excitement. Spike's demon face receded and baby grabbed onto his index finger.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Buffy asked looking confused. Spike sat down on the Summer's couch and played with the little baby.

"Niya this is Buffy. Say hi!." Spike laid down the baby on the couch she looked up at Buffy and laughed.

"Hi Niya." Buffy said kneeling down next to the couch. "Who's baby is this?"

"This is my daughter Buffy."

She looked at him like he was crazy, "Are you deranged? You stole someone's child? I'm so gonna stake you."

"Spike, I'll get the spare room ready for you and Niya." Joyce said walking up the stairs, ignoring her daughter's ranting.

"WHAT? HAS EVERYONE GONE CRAZY?" Buffy practically screamed which made Niya cry.

Spike gave Buffy a stern look, picked up the baby and flashed her his game face which immediately started her giggling again and kicking her little feet. Buffy shook her head, "Ok that's sick.. and you are so not staying here." She said, running up the stairs after her mother.

"Spike and the baby need some place to stay, and I thought he could stay here. At least until he finds a place of his own."

"Mom he's a killer. He can't stay here with you. Besides that's not his baby. Vampires can't have kids so he had to take her. Who would give their child to Spike voluntarily?"

Joyce began to spread out new sheets on the bed.

"He has a baby Buffy. A human baby, and he's taking care of her, and I'm going to help him." Joyce said sternly. Buffy looked at her mother like she had grown a third head. "There are people who are looking for the baby and her mother is dead. He promised to take care of her."

"Are you sure he didn't kill her?"

"Of course he didn't."

Buffy's look of utter disbelief made Joyce roll her eyes.

"And yes I do believe him." Joyce finished. "And that's the end of the discussion."

Buffy shook her head, "Fine but I am not leaving this house." The Slayer went down the stairs quietly when she heard singing. The baby was sleeping in his arms and Spike was singing to her a song Buffy didn't recognize it but it was beautiful nonetheless.

All I have and all I do
Cannot compare to the love of you

You make me feel alive
You are my highest high
All I can do is smile
When I look in my little girls eyes

You're my star and when I'm far
You're not alone, cause your heart's my home
You are my biggest prize
So beautiful and so wise
All I can do is smile
When I look in my little girls eyes

You make me feel alive
You are my highest high
All I can do is smile
When I look in my little girls eyes

"It never ceases to amaze me! The strange things that happen on the Hellmouth." Buffy sighed to herself.

If you liked this fanfic why not tell the author your thoughts and comments, richess78@hotmail.com

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