Disclaimer: Characters belong to Joss Whedon, etc.
Authors note: Okay, I actually wasn't expecting so many of you to like this, but hey, not gonna complain about reviews. Anyway, here's your second chapter as promised. Sorry it took so long guys, life interfered, as did writers block. Takes up from right after the first, of course. With that ending where else would it start?
CHAPTER 2
"Spike, No!" Willow yelled, almost screaming. But it was too late. The boy had already let go of the plate and it was plummeting towards the floor.
Buffy winced. Her mom's plate! She dived towards the bench, reaching it milliseconds after the plate had passed the bench top and was continuing on its path to the floor. She threw her arms out in a desperate attempt to catch the plate. But it fell just out of her grasp.
Willow stared at the plate. She wasn't supposed to use magick if she didn't need to, but this was a special situation. Buffy would kill her if that plate hit the floor. And the death would probably be slow and painful. She focussed and floated the plate, using just a smidgeon of power. She didn't want to go deep enough that she touched the darkness, and a simple levitation spell shouldn't take that much of her energy.
Buffy heaved a sigh of relief. Of course, she had forgotten that her friend could do that. It was useful having a powerful Wiccan around at times. Even if it was a Wiccan who was trying to control her power use.
She fixed the mini- Spike with a glare. "Get down" she said, doing her best to sound stern. She had to admit, even to herself, that it wasn't very good. She just wasn't very good at the 'stern adult' voice. She hadn't had much practice.
Spike scowled at her. "Shan't," he said. "Don't like you, Slayer. You kill vampires."
"Yes I kill vampires, 'cause they're evil," Buffy told him, glaring right back. "It's my job, you know that."
Willow could see that this argument wasn't going to get Spike off the bench. He and Buffy were both stubborn, and this argument could probably continue for ages. She sighed, and floated the plate safely to a place out of Spike's reach.
"Spike, will you please come down from there?" she requested, as nicely as she could manage.
The little boy smiled sweetly at her. "Okay" he said, and jumped off, landing in a crouch on the floor. Willow couldn't help smiling down at him. He was just so cute.
"Spike, I don't want you climbing up there again, okay?" she said firmly. She didn't seriously expect him to listen, after all, he never did in his normal form, but she had to try at least. It was what you did to little kids right? Tell them when they shouldn't do stuff? Or was that puppies?
Spike pouted "But it's fun," he told her.
She held her serious tone. "It may be fun Spike, but it's dangerous" she pointed out, "you could fall, and hurt yourself or something."
"I not get hurt," Spike said confidently, "I'm a Vampy. We're strong and stuff."
Willow bit her lip. He had a point there. Did child vampires have the same abilities as adults? Were there any child vampires in the first place? Would anyone ever be cruel, or sick enough to turn a child? It seemed a horrible thought to her.
She raised her eyebrows at him. She just hoped she was doing it in the 'I'm the grown-up, what did I just tell you' way, and not the 'what am I supposed to do here' way.
A brief sulky frown passed over Spike's face, but it was soon replaced by a hopeful look, accompanied by puppy dog eyes.
"Can I have a cookie now?" Spike asked, looking up at Willow.
Willow had to smile at his instantaneous change of topic. That was one ability that seemed to be lost in those over the age of around seven.
"Do you really think you deserve one after dropping Buffy's plate like that?" she asked him. She suddenly realised that she was answering his question with another, one thing she had really hated when she was little. She had wanted straight answers from people.
Spike pouted at her again "You wanted me to put it down!" he pointed out. "You never said not to drop it!"
She had to say he had a point there. She hadn't.
Spike let out a huge yawn, trying to cover it up with his hand. He didn't want Willow to know he was tired. Grown-ups made you take naps when you yawned, and naps were boring.
But as with all adults in need of an excuse for giving a child sugar, Willow was quick to hone in on the yawn.
"You can have a cookie," she said "but only after you take a nap, okay?"
Compromise. That should work. That way she had time to get used to the thought of a little Spike, while he slept, and when he woke up he'd be happy because he'd got what he wanted.
Spike frowned, considering. "What if I no take nap?" he asked, wanting all the options made clear before he decided.
"No nap, no cookie" Willow told him firmly. She was surprised at herself. She was actually pretty good at this. Perhaps she'd missed her calling as a babysitter?
"Kay, I take nap, then I have cookie" Spike said.
"Good choice" Willow said, smiling down at him, "Come on, you can have my bed, okay?"
"Okay" Spike agreed.
He reached up his arms to Willow, and she realised just how tired he must be. He seemed to be an independent creature, even at this age. She reached down and scooped him up, and he nestled his head against her shoulder happily.
Buffy smiled at the sight they made. She had never thought to see Spike cuddle Willow; that was for sure. The little guy was a lot sweeter than in his normal form. Maybe they'd be better off keeping him this way!
Buffy grinned. She could just imagine the reaction she'd get if she said anything of that sort to Willow. She would be horrified, until she realised Buffy was joking. It would probably be rather funny really.
Willow carried Spike upstairs and settled him in her bed, then returned downstairs to confer with Buffy.
"What are we going to do about him?" Willow asked her friend. "We can't leave him like this for long, he'd kill us when we turned him back!"
Buffy had to agree with that. Spike would not exactly be happy to discover he'd spent time as a four-year-old. Well, if he didn't remember when they got him back, that was. And then of course there was the possibility that he would remember.
"And what are we supposed to tell the others about him?" Willow continued, oblivious to the fact that Buff wasn't really listening.
How was everyone going to react to Spike suddenly being four-years old, and a lot less capable of looking after himself than normal. They just didn't have the resources to look after a kid and fight the forces of darkness at the same time.
How on earth were they going to manage until they could turn him back?
Authors note: okay! I finally managed to wrap this chapter up; I was starting to think I was going to have to make it longer than I want the chapters in the fic to be. I find it easier to write shorter chapters with kid-fics, so I hope no-one objects. Anyway, as normal, please review with constructive criticism, comments, or just to say what you think about it :) I'll try to get the next chapter written quicker, really. And as before, I generally write chapters as I get demand for them, so if I don't get much response my other fics my end up taking priority.
Authors note: Okay, I actually wasn't expecting so many of you to like this, but hey, not gonna complain about reviews. Anyway, here's your second chapter as promised. Sorry it took so long guys, life interfered, as did writers block. Takes up from right after the first, of course. With that ending where else would it start?
CHAPTER 2
"Spike, No!" Willow yelled, almost screaming. But it was too late. The boy had already let go of the plate and it was plummeting towards the floor.
Buffy winced. Her mom's plate! She dived towards the bench, reaching it milliseconds after the plate had passed the bench top and was continuing on its path to the floor. She threw her arms out in a desperate attempt to catch the plate. But it fell just out of her grasp.
Willow stared at the plate. She wasn't supposed to use magick if she didn't need to, but this was a special situation. Buffy would kill her if that plate hit the floor. And the death would probably be slow and painful. She focussed and floated the plate, using just a smidgeon of power. She didn't want to go deep enough that she touched the darkness, and a simple levitation spell shouldn't take that much of her energy.
Buffy heaved a sigh of relief. Of course, she had forgotten that her friend could do that. It was useful having a powerful Wiccan around at times. Even if it was a Wiccan who was trying to control her power use.
She fixed the mini- Spike with a glare. "Get down" she said, doing her best to sound stern. She had to admit, even to herself, that it wasn't very good. She just wasn't very good at the 'stern adult' voice. She hadn't had much practice.
Spike scowled at her. "Shan't," he said. "Don't like you, Slayer. You kill vampires."
"Yes I kill vampires, 'cause they're evil," Buffy told him, glaring right back. "It's my job, you know that."
Willow could see that this argument wasn't going to get Spike off the bench. He and Buffy were both stubborn, and this argument could probably continue for ages. She sighed, and floated the plate safely to a place out of Spike's reach.
"Spike, will you please come down from there?" she requested, as nicely as she could manage.
The little boy smiled sweetly at her. "Okay" he said, and jumped off, landing in a crouch on the floor. Willow couldn't help smiling down at him. He was just so cute.
"Spike, I don't want you climbing up there again, okay?" she said firmly. She didn't seriously expect him to listen, after all, he never did in his normal form, but she had to try at least. It was what you did to little kids right? Tell them when they shouldn't do stuff? Or was that puppies?
Spike pouted "But it's fun," he told her.
She held her serious tone. "It may be fun Spike, but it's dangerous" she pointed out, "you could fall, and hurt yourself or something."
"I not get hurt," Spike said confidently, "I'm a Vampy. We're strong and stuff."
Willow bit her lip. He had a point there. Did child vampires have the same abilities as adults? Were there any child vampires in the first place? Would anyone ever be cruel, or sick enough to turn a child? It seemed a horrible thought to her.
She raised her eyebrows at him. She just hoped she was doing it in the 'I'm the grown-up, what did I just tell you' way, and not the 'what am I supposed to do here' way.
A brief sulky frown passed over Spike's face, but it was soon replaced by a hopeful look, accompanied by puppy dog eyes.
"Can I have a cookie now?" Spike asked, looking up at Willow.
Willow had to smile at his instantaneous change of topic. That was one ability that seemed to be lost in those over the age of around seven.
"Do you really think you deserve one after dropping Buffy's plate like that?" she asked him. She suddenly realised that she was answering his question with another, one thing she had really hated when she was little. She had wanted straight answers from people.
Spike pouted at her again "You wanted me to put it down!" he pointed out. "You never said not to drop it!"
She had to say he had a point there. She hadn't.
Spike let out a huge yawn, trying to cover it up with his hand. He didn't want Willow to know he was tired. Grown-ups made you take naps when you yawned, and naps were boring.
But as with all adults in need of an excuse for giving a child sugar, Willow was quick to hone in on the yawn.
"You can have a cookie," she said "but only after you take a nap, okay?"
Compromise. That should work. That way she had time to get used to the thought of a little Spike, while he slept, and when he woke up he'd be happy because he'd got what he wanted.
Spike frowned, considering. "What if I no take nap?" he asked, wanting all the options made clear before he decided.
"No nap, no cookie" Willow told him firmly. She was surprised at herself. She was actually pretty good at this. Perhaps she'd missed her calling as a babysitter?
"Kay, I take nap, then I have cookie" Spike said.
"Good choice" Willow said, smiling down at him, "Come on, you can have my bed, okay?"
"Okay" Spike agreed.
He reached up his arms to Willow, and she realised just how tired he must be. He seemed to be an independent creature, even at this age. She reached down and scooped him up, and he nestled his head against her shoulder happily.
Buffy smiled at the sight they made. She had never thought to see Spike cuddle Willow; that was for sure. The little guy was a lot sweeter than in his normal form. Maybe they'd be better off keeping him this way!
Buffy grinned. She could just imagine the reaction she'd get if she said anything of that sort to Willow. She would be horrified, until she realised Buffy was joking. It would probably be rather funny really.
Willow carried Spike upstairs and settled him in her bed, then returned downstairs to confer with Buffy.
"What are we going to do about him?" Willow asked her friend. "We can't leave him like this for long, he'd kill us when we turned him back!"
Buffy had to agree with that. Spike would not exactly be happy to discover he'd spent time as a four-year-old. Well, if he didn't remember when they got him back, that was. And then of course there was the possibility that he would remember.
"And what are we supposed to tell the others about him?" Willow continued, oblivious to the fact that Buff wasn't really listening.
How was everyone going to react to Spike suddenly being four-years old, and a lot less capable of looking after himself than normal. They just didn't have the resources to look after a kid and fight the forces of darkness at the same time.
How on earth were they going to manage until they could turn him back?
Authors note: okay! I finally managed to wrap this chapter up; I was starting to think I was going to have to make it longer than I want the chapters in the fic to be. I find it easier to write shorter chapters with kid-fics, so I hope no-one objects. Anyway, as normal, please review with constructive criticism, comments, or just to say what you think about it :) I'll try to get the next chapter written quicker, really. And as before, I generally write chapters as I get demand for them, so if I don't get much response my other fics my end up taking priority.