Author: Taz:
Title: My Daddy Says... - The Joys Of The Park
Summary: Buffy attempts to placate her son with a day trip to the park...
Author's Notes: Okay, that last one was a little serious for my liking. I think it's time to get back to the light-hearted stuff.
Disclaimer: Golly-gee Mr Whedon, I'm only borrowin' 'em. I won't hurt 'em, I promise!
"Colm put him down!" Buffy called to her son as he dragged Nicky, physically, towards the swings.
"Jeez Buffy, he's like a little ox!" Xander exclaimed, watching in fascination as Buffy's son threw a Frisbee only for it to sail a good quarter of a mile before thudding into a tree.
"I know," Buffy sighed, passing her hand over her eyes. "His teacher told me just the other day to stop sending him to Karate classes."
"But you don't..."
"I know, that's the worrying thing. It's like he just knows what to do to defend himself."
"I guess Dead Boy being his father really doesn't help."
"Xander! Will you kindly refrain from referring to my husband as 'Dead Boy', you're a little old for name-calling now."
"Seriously Buffy, what are you going to do about him?"
"Home schooling?"
"Funny."
"Unfortunately Xander," she turned to her friend with a smile. "I wasn't trying to be."
"There's always Ritalin..."
"Xander, I refuse to drug my son."
"It worked on Nicky when he used to get hyperactive."
"Nicky has ADHD. Colm has one vampiric parent and one whose sole purpose in life is to slay demons. I really don't think behaviour modification drugs are going to help."
"Think of something he can positively focus his energy on... like... karate classes?"
"Weren't you listening?"
"Probably not, no..."
"Xander, go away!" Buffy muttered playfully. "If you can't say anything helpful..."
"There's always military school..."
"Stop it!"
* * *
"Wanna play Ninjas?" Colm asked Nicky casually as they sat on the jungle gym.
"Nah," Nicky replied, swinging his legs and flicking his dirty blonde hair out of his eyes.
"Why not?" Colm pouted.
"Last time we played Ninjas you tore my jacket and my mommy says that money doesn't grow on trees. And she said that people give her money for goods and services she doesn't want to have to hand it back because Buffy and Angel's little monster doesn't have any social skills."
"Who's Buffy and Angel's monster?"
"Don't know."
"Oh. So, what do you wanna play?"
"We could play cowboys and Indians, but you broke my gun last time," Nicky said sullenly.
"I did not!"
"You did too!"
"Didn't!"
"Did! You threw it and it went in the pond and now it doesn't go bang it just goes pop and it sounds lame."
"You're no fun," Colm pouted.
"I know what we can do," Nicky shot his best friend a cruel smile as he stared at the adults then cast a glance around the playground. "What we're gonna do is..."
* * *
"Xander? Where are the boys?" Buffy asked, glancing around in concern.
"Uh... they were right there a minute ago...."
"Yeah well they're not now! COLM? NICKY?"
"Nicholas Harris come out here right now!" Xander yelled.
No boys emerged, terrified, Buffy jogged to the playground and turned to one of the eldest children there.
"Have you seen two little boys, one of them's wearing a Lakers shirt, around here?"
"They went that way," the little girl replied, gesturing for the lake.
"Oh God no!"
Buffy was sprinting towards the lake before Xander had a full grasp of what had happened. He was hot on her heels but couldn't hope to match Slayer speed. By the time he reached them he was shocked to find Buffy and Angel scolding their son and his in the shade of a clump of trees. Casting a glance to the side he discovered Angel's blacked out car and a blanket tossed to the ground nearby.
"Never, ever do that again!" Angel yelled, gesturing to the rope swing that hung over the water.
Xander took in Angel's soaked clothes and gathered he had taken a bit of a ducking to help his son.
"Aw but dad," Colm whined. "I was okay."
"You were swinging on that... that... thing," Angel growled, fighting his game face as the shock of what could have happened caught up with him. "You could have fallen in and been seriously hurt young man. Now," he dropped down so that his face was level with his son's and stared at him hard, his eyes resting on an alarming shade of amber. Colm stared back unfazed, he was used to seeing his dad like this, Nicky however shrunk back against his own father. "I want you to promise me you'll never do that again."
"I promise," Colm replied flippantly, burying his hands in the pockets of his drenched jeans.
"You didn't mean that!" Angel exploded, thoroughly exasperated.
"Good point," was Colm's only answer.
"Where did he get such a god-damned smart mouth?" Angel asked Buffy wonderingly.
"His facetious side started to show itself right about the time you and Spike started arguing a lot..." Buffy informed him softly.
"Oh..." Angel trailed off, obviously embarrassed.
"Colm, listen to me, little boys get hurt playing on things like this. Try and be a good boy and play other games okay? Something like Ninjas?"
"But mommy, me and Nicky aren't allowed to play Ninjas 'cause his mommy says yours and daddy's monster broke his jacket," Colm lamented.
"Who's our mon-... oh," Buffy cast a despairing glance at Xander.
"Mommy, who is yours and daddy's monster?"
"Well... uh... you see..."