Herding the kids out the door and into Angel's large black convertible proved to be quite the task but was eventually accomplished and each adult was soon seated with a toddler in their lap excluding Doyle who was driving, the 'bat mobile' as Cordelia had dubbed it, with noticeable glee and Dawn who got two, stuffed in the back with Cordy and Giles. The engine roared to life, Angel whimpered and little Spike's lower lip trembled with the threat of tears.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Cordy hushed peremptorily, casting Giles and Dawn worried looks as Angel started to whimper louder.
"Look William, we're flying." Joyce suddenly exclaimed, pointing out the window. Pulling the little boy closer she let him look out at the ground that was speeding past swiftly, his lips formed a perfect O and he was immediately fascinated. Grateful for the reprieve, Cordy hoisted Angel over to look out the window too while Buffy and Xander never ones to be outdone scrambled over Giles' lap to stare out his window.
"We're not flying!" the little blonde protested with a glare at Spike who was sitting in her mommy's lap.
"We're just driving!" Xander pouted.
"Yes, but we're driving on air not land Xander." Dawn quickly covered.
"Really?" the boy questioned, his eyes wide as saucers as he scrambled back over Giles to stare out at the road.
"Yes, really." Giles replied, wincing as bony three-year-old knees dug into his thigh.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, leaning further out the window to try to see below the car but the ex watcher grabbed onto the back of Xander's shirt and pulled him back inside.
"Xander, I'm sure you've been told not to stick yourself outside of the window." Giles scolded, while Xander completely ignored him and resumed staring out the window. With a heavy sigh, Giles resigned himself to completing the drive holding on to the back of Xander's shirt.
Fifteen long minutes later they finally pulled up in front of the Summers' home and Buffy and Xander were out the door before the car had even come to a complete stop so they could see if it was in the air or on the ground. Unfortunately for them by the time they got by Giles the car was no longer on and so they didn't know what to think but just stood there pouting for a few seconds before Buffy smacked Xander on the arm.
"Tag! You're it!" She announced, sprinting away. Xander stood for a second looking stunned before hitting an unaware Angel who was standing next to him.
"You're it!" he told the other boy before running off after Buffy.
Willow and Spike looked at each other for a second before shrugging and running off after the other three, leaving Giles and Cordy to sputter in disbelief while Doyle, Dawn and Joyce chased after the rug rats, catching them before they crossed over into other yards.
"No tag in the front yard!" Joyce scolded as they all made their way up the front steps. Transferring Buffy to Giles' arms she fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the front door. The whole gang trooped in after her and then stood around waiting for instructions. Joyce blanched at all the expectant faces turned to her. Well she had always wanted to help with a Scooby gang problem.
Heaving a large sigh and rolling her eyes heavenward Joyce launched into General Mom mode. "Okay, Giles there's instant mashed potatoes in the kitchen, make up a batch of that and open a can of tuna to go with it, I'll be in to help in a minute. Cordelia, Doyle, go to the mall and get two changes of clothes each for the kids including underwear, oh and pick up some jello and juice and a bunch of macaroni and cheese dinners. Dawnie, you go down to the basement and see if you can't find you and Buffy's baby clothes, they should be in a box near the window. Okay?"
Everyone nodded and filed out, Doyle with a salute and a big grin as he followed Cordy out to the car, arguing all the way over who got to drive.
"Hey, hey, it's okay." Cordy hushed peremptorily, casting Giles and Dawn worried looks as Angel started to whimper louder.
"Look William, we're flying." Joyce suddenly exclaimed, pointing out the window. Pulling the little boy closer she let him look out at the ground that was speeding past swiftly, his lips formed a perfect O and he was immediately fascinated. Grateful for the reprieve, Cordy hoisted Angel over to look out the window too while Buffy and Xander never ones to be outdone scrambled over Giles' lap to stare out his window.
"We're not flying!" the little blonde protested with a glare at Spike who was sitting in her mommy's lap.
"We're just driving!" Xander pouted.
"Yes, but we're driving on air not land Xander." Dawn quickly covered.
"Really?" the boy questioned, his eyes wide as saucers as he scrambled back over Giles to stare out at the road.
"Yes, really." Giles replied, wincing as bony three-year-old knees dug into his thigh.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, leaning further out the window to try to see below the car but the ex watcher grabbed onto the back of Xander's shirt and pulled him back inside.
"Xander, I'm sure you've been told not to stick yourself outside of the window." Giles scolded, while Xander completely ignored him and resumed staring out the window. With a heavy sigh, Giles resigned himself to completing the drive holding on to the back of Xander's shirt.
Fifteen long minutes later they finally pulled up in front of the Summers' home and Buffy and Xander were out the door before the car had even come to a complete stop so they could see if it was in the air or on the ground. Unfortunately for them by the time they got by Giles the car was no longer on and so they didn't know what to think but just stood there pouting for a few seconds before Buffy smacked Xander on the arm.
"Tag! You're it!" She announced, sprinting away. Xander stood for a second looking stunned before hitting an unaware Angel who was standing next to him.
"You're it!" he told the other boy before running off after Buffy.
Willow and Spike looked at each other for a second before shrugging and running off after the other three, leaving Giles and Cordy to sputter in disbelief while Doyle, Dawn and Joyce chased after the rug rats, catching them before they crossed over into other yards.
"No tag in the front yard!" Joyce scolded as they all made their way up the front steps. Transferring Buffy to Giles' arms she fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the front door. The whole gang trooped in after her and then stood around waiting for instructions. Joyce blanched at all the expectant faces turned to her. Well she had always wanted to help with a Scooby gang problem.
Heaving a large sigh and rolling her eyes heavenward Joyce launched into General Mom mode. "Okay, Giles there's instant mashed potatoes in the kitchen, make up a batch of that and open a can of tuna to go with it, I'll be in to help in a minute. Cordelia, Doyle, go to the mall and get two changes of clothes each for the kids including underwear, oh and pick up some jello and juice and a bunch of macaroni and cheese dinners. Dawnie, you go down to the basement and see if you can't find you and Buffy's baby clothes, they should be in a box near the window. Okay?"
Everyone nodded and filed out, Doyle with a salute and a big grin as he followed Cordy out to the car, arguing all the way over who got to drive.