Title: After the Fall
Author: josie_h@...
Archived at:
http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=rngrdead
Pairing: Xander/Spike
Rating: Mature Audiences – for content and themes
Summary: It's a black day when humankind turns on the non humans.
Survival can be as simple as a commitment to each other.
Spoilers: Canon is Post S7 BtVS and S5 AtS.
Warnings: M/M – if you don't like boys together, don't play here!
Harsh circumstances and difficult start....

Author's Note: Don't own the characters nor make any money from
stories etc, and bow down to their original creators Joss, et al.,
plus all the wonderful online writers who continue to give the
Buffy/Angel verse characters life.

Part 20

Seeing his love standing at the kitchen door smiling, Daniel ignored
all the others and simply fell into her arms, kissing the buxom
Mikaela passionately, and easing them both back into the lounge and
away from the group for a ‘private’ greeting.

Willow moved to give Xander and Spike a sisterly hug, and the rather
bewildered Robbie a happy smile.

“Hey I’m Willow… You’re Robbie yeah??”

The tall neighbor simply nodded, still rather dumbstruck. His mother
had been a ‘white witch’ and their family had hosted demons in the
wake of the Initiative sweeps, but the whole ‘arrive by magic’ was a
little more than he was used to!

Samuel had already shaken Robbie’s hand, and was currently ‘covered’
in children, who not only remembered him, but were already referring
to him as ‘Mum’ and ‘Da’ with equal frequency, and then fell upon
Missy with equal enthusiasm. Eddie and Jon were seated on the floor
of the kitchen along side Sam and his loyal canine ready to rescue
their aged benefactor or his lovely dog should either need it.
Samuel leant over and touched Jonothon, smiling in wonder, “Your
teeth… how?”

“After the implant went… then Spike… well… Sire… ummm, he….”
Jonothon looked pleased and embarrassed, so Eddie jumped in.
“Spike fed him, while we were in the shelter. Seems that he needed
rest *and* Sire’s blood… Isn’t he beautiful Sam?… Just look… Sam
isn’t he??”

Eddie’s unadulterated adoration gave them all cause to smile. The
children also seemed to pick up on the emotion, shifting their
attention to their parents and returning to Eddie and Jon for a
loving five-way embrace.

Samuel’s visions were still troubling but at least were no longer
life threatening. The coven had provided him with an amulet that
protected him from the pain of the visions and relayed their content
direct to two of their most powerful seers. The dissipation of the
message seemed to ease Samuel’s distress and certainly gave the
coven an ‘early warning’ system, and where possible, rescue
opportunities. The wiccan group had been reluctant to let him return
to the farm until the amulet was confirmed to be effective. Samuel
was desperate to rejoin his family though acknowledged the need to
depart again quickly if things ‘heated up’. His visions were
valuable and would not be risked.

He smiled as he watched ‘his boys’ interact again. It seemed the
weeks in the shelter had done them no harm. If anything they seemed
even more of a unit than before. Daniel had been good for them and
their contact with Robbie seemed to have given them a little more
confidence. Samuel was reluctant to be ‘devil’s advocate’ but would
continue to worry and protect. The Initiative had not finished with
the magical community.

As they wandered the farm Willow and Mikaela spoke to Daniel at
length regarding Xander’s ‘condition’. They were only able to stay
five more days at most. Willow resolved to speak to Xander and Spike
that evening.

They were sitting comfortably on the porch after a very adequate
dinner of fluffy omelets, fresh spinach salad and Spike’s home made
bread.

Willow took her life long friend’s hand and kissed it. “Daniel told
me the full story… about your changes I mean…”

Xander suddenly looked ashamed and a little worried, “Ohhh?”
“Is Daniel right… I mean … Oh God Xan … this is hard but… it seems
like…?... Would you and Spike?… I mean… I’m happy to… you know
donate… eggs that is, if you can… “ She paused and looked directly
into Xander’s good eye that was fast filling with tears, “Do you
want us to try for you and Spike?… to have kids I mean?… It’ll
probably be a one off so … we might be able to… you know an only
child or twins…” She paused as the brunette gave her an unreadable
look, then gave an uncharacteristic giggle, and finally began to
spill silent tears but still said nothing.

“Oh sweetie!!! I didn’t mean to!!!... Oh Xan I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Spike was at their side instantly and enveloped his partner in a
tight hug, all but growling at the white haired witch. Amongst his
emotional tears there were a few words, all of them absolving Willow
of any blame. It was everything Xander had hoped for, but simply
could not ‘bring up’.

Barely a half hour later, Daniel, Mikaela and Willow were in serious
discussion with the two regards the practicalities of an attempt at
impregnation. Xander’s own sperm could be used it seemed, and Willow
would donate the eggs, possibly two or three. The DNA of the egg
could be replaced by Spike’s but there were no guarantees. They
suspected that magical intervention would be necessary to create the
zygote and enhance the chances of fertilization. Mikaela offered to
monitor the impregnation and assist Xander through the first few
days, provided they did it… immediately.

Despite the Initiative risks, Xander did not hesitate, nor did
Spike. Willow, the egg donor and without a doubt, most powerful
witch on the planet, was also Xander’s lifelong friend. Her DNA
would be replaced by Spike’s, but if that failed, both Spike and

Xander agreed, having children with Willow as the ‘mother’ was more
than acceptable.

Time was of the essence. Eddie and Jon kissed their friends, then
retreated to the shelter with their own family in arms as the
procedure began. A day on, Samuel was still exhausted from
his ‘trip’ through the ether with the wiccans, the consequent
reunion and occasional upsetting vision. He excused himself and went
to bed.

The fire was stoked and Xander settled on the couch while other
arrangements were made ready. Daniel and Mikaela were medically
trained and quickly set up a lab type arrangement in the kitchen. It
was not as sterile as either of them would have liked but they were
all aware of the competence and confidence of the team, so relaxed a
little.

Spike offered and Xander accepted. His partner slicked him lovingly
as Xander fitted a condom ready for ‘collection’. Unlike his
Initiative humiliation, the experience was a joyous one. Spike
penetrated his partner with a very lubed finger and found Xander’s
prostate. He stroked the gland in time with the rhythmic pumping of
Xander’s painfully hard erection. The only bizarre part of
Xander’s ‘coming’ was Spike tasting a hint of human milk as he
sucked his partner’s aroused nipples. It was almost as though
Xander’s body knew the reason for the stimulation.

Spike quickly brought himself to completion and delivered
both ‘samples’, one warm and one cool, to the team in the next room.

Willow had done her part. There were four magically induced,
perfectly healthy eggs waiting.

Two hours later, the efforts of the Initiative were being tested.

Sadly, only one of three eggs treated had been viable after the DNA
had been replaced and the same fertilized. They decided to fertilize
the fourth without treatment. Now, as far as they could tell, Xander
carried one of Spike’s offspring and one of Willow’s, but both
were ‘his’. There was still a high chance that the pregnancy would
not proceed but Mikaela did her best.

Xander had been magically anesthetized for the implantation and was
still asleep some thirty hours after the procedure. Spike keeping a
vigil at his side, hardly looking up to accept blood or acknowledge
the others. Only when Willow hugged him on the second day, did he
break down. Fear of losing Xander was simply more than he could deal
with.

By the fifth day, as the wiccans all prepared to depart, Xander was
awake and functioning again, though some odd dizzy spells and
unusual fatigue signaled some of his body’s changes. Daniel
confirmed the flow of blood and nutrients to the extra organ in

Xander’s body, and blood tests revealed the extreme hike in Xander’s
hormone levels. His tiny breasts were beginning to return, this time
he knew why and rejoiced. In Daniel’s absence, Jon would monitor
Xander’s blood pressure and they were to watch for signs of diabetes
and kidney problems.

Mikaela and Daniel promised regular ‘checkups’, but the visits, by
necessity, would be fleeting. The coven headquarters was on the move
again. The work of the Initiative in Britain had apparently ‘ramped
up’ after the storms, despite the fact that the government had
already wiped out the entire demon and magical population in and
around London as part of the final solution. There was talk of a
short term shift to Denmark for the covern.

Spike’s number one priority was keeping them all safe. Xander had
another thirty nine or so weeks to go, and goodness knew what that
time might hold.

They kissed the wiccans farewell, the little folks expressing what
they all felt, as the little figures sobbed inconsolably and reached
for Daniel as he disappeared with Mikaela. Willow stayed for a
moment longer, unwilling to let go her friend and soon to be father
of her child… their child… Spike and Xander and Willow’s child… she
was still coming to terms with it. The whispered “Please stay safe.”
was not for the unborne children though, it was for her existing
friends. They all knew… Gaia may have struck back but it was the
beginning of a very long and bitter battle for balance.

………………..

On the day of Samuel’s arrival, Robbie had departed quite late
having met and greeted, and rejoiced. He drove up his own driveway
singing loudly and quite out of tune to Frank Sinatra’s “That’s
Amore”.

Samuel began convulsing only minutes later… it was too local to be
of coven interest… yet the message was clear but came too late.
As Robbie’s old truck approached the house, military spotlights were
suddenly switched on and he was faced with what he recognized as
twelve M16A4s aimed at his upper body.

He departed the old Landrover hands aloft, and knelt on the ground,
faced his vehicle and placed his hands carefully behind his head,
waiting for the final shot. His last thought before blackness was
that he hoped his mother was not watching. But instead of a shot,
the rifle butt to the back of his head lead to unconsciousness
allowing his transport. His mother had been hospitalized earlier in
the evening with apparent heart palpitations (a by product of five
hours of interrogation and some decent ‘drugging’.)

Robbie’s mother was close to eighty five, but it was apparent that
harboring an alleged sympathizer, led to an utter lack of respect
or clemency regardless. Kathleen learned of the ‘arrest’ of her
elderly friend by the end of the week and incensed, went directly to
the pastor of their church, the state member for their region and
the Mayor… collecting twelve other ladies from the fundraising
committee of the church and seventeen other influential members of
the community (including the principal of the local high school)
along the way. Mavis (Robbie’s mother) was a fine upstanding
citizen, her son a decorated military man, and now they were
apparently being subject to persecution courtesy of ‘bad blood’
between the McPhersons and the rest of the county?! Outrageous!

The Mayor became involved, really not wanting to take sides but
forced to do so as the upstanding nature of the individual arrested
was revealed, and the very ‘untimeliness of the error’ on the
military’s part risked his own reelection (with polling less than a
month away). Mavis was released within a day of his appeal and when
National television was threatened, Robbie was released also (with a
warning) as apparently any evidence against him had been hearsay or
non existent.

The mayor’s approval rating spiked to an all time high and the many
locals who had stepped forward in his defense were given civic
awards. The American way had been upheld even if only in their small
enclave. The crowning glory was Robbie being feted at their county
fair within a week of his release. He was finally the ‘returning war
hero’ (three years late, but Mavis and Kathleen still cried… as did
the boys, but that was from relief not pride… )

When the boys on Sam’s farm heard Xander and Spike went very quiet.
They thought of Jason… and Neil… and knew intuitively… Robbie also
would not have survived the Initiative’s attentions… Xander cried
Spike held him… the both endured.

Robbie checked in infrequently for three months after that, but
eventually regained confidence.

Four weeks after Robbie’s arrest, the day the family had all dreaded
arrived. The McPhersons reported Samuel for a second time. This
time they were given warning by the local church, and several ladies
arrived ahead of the local constabulary. It was not a long wait, but
the rather formidable line of women at Samuel’s gate left the police
with a very difficult dilemma. Three of the men on the police
vehicles were facing their (rather annoyed looking) mothers. Others
saw aunts or friends of their mothers’. The captain a rather gentle
Captain Richard Macey, sized up the situation and finally stepped
down from their ‘response truck’ to chat to Mavis and Kathleen.

He was rather taken aback by their forthright attitude and more than
a little intimidated by the fact that he could see his wife in the
back of the group.

“Now don’t you *dare* tell me that your Daddy would have
countenanced this Nazi rubbish… How long are you going to torment
this poor lad? Because so help me Richard Macey, I will stand on
your daddy’s grave and tell him… and if that won’t do it well I’ll
… I’ll …. I’ll tell the papers… And how about your wife and your
children! I’m sure Rhonda would be less than thrilled… Rhonda??” The
woman in question stepped forward, arms folded across her ample
chest, glaring. Richard did not fancy the next few weeks being fed
in his ‘shed’ and treated to silence from his lovely partner as his
children were ushered from his side with the excuse, ‘Your Daddy has
chosen other things over us.’

Richard and his fellow officers were saved from the embarrassment
of ‘stepping down’ when the Mayor arrived, asked them to leave, then
went inside (with film crew and ‘ladies’ in tow), to have coffee
with their ‘good neighbor’ Samuel.

There were always more powerful things than the gun it seemed.