A/N: To those of you with the weird impression Spike is Dawn's kids'
father, check out a new story going up, explaining the back-story of Dawn,
Spike, Ryan and Lexi, 'Don't tell Mom, the babysitter's dead'. Full amazing
title credit goes to Jen, who thinks up these witticisms.
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"Spike?" Izzy repeated. The blonde vampire scratched his head, and then folded his arms uncomfortably.
"Yeah, s'me, Bit. I'm havin' a bit of trouble with the-" He gestured to the doorway impatiently.
"Okay. Quick question," she said, leaning against the door frame. "You're not all grr-y and soulless, and out to kill us all?"
Spike shot her a withering look. "Do I look like Peaches to you?"
"Point," she agreed. "Okay. I invite you in, Spike."
"Thanks," he muttered, stepping over the threshold. A pathetic squeak emitted from a toy of Will's Spike had stepped on. The vampire bent and picked it up, the bright yellow fluff looking ridiculous against his black leather duster.
"So, why are you here?" Izzy asked. "Big with the non-killing. That's good. But generally, you're not the white picket fence, hearts and puppy dogs type. And our street kinda- is."
Before he could answer, Lexi, carrying her bowl of half melted ice cream very carefully, pattered in across the wooden floor, backed by Ryan, his hands shoved in his pants' pockets, scowling.
"Izzy? Mommy said to come back and eat," she called. Spike coughed self consciously. The two kids turned, and saw him. Ryan's scowl disappeared, and a brilliant smile appeared on his face as he threw himself at the vampire. Lexi squealed, and slid in, hugging his knees as Ryan was in the way.
Spike lifted Ryan into his arms, and held the boy tight in a rough hug, ruffling Lexi's hair with a choked laugh.
Izzy smiled, watching the Big Bad attempt to maintain his composure, and failing miserably.
"Uncle Spike, I lost a tooth, and Ryan fell off the monkey bars, and he didn't cry, and Wills can say sentences now and-" Lexi babbled, bouncing happily as she gazed at Spike with a joyful smile. Izzy swallowed when Ryan tucked his head into Spike's chest, and whispered,
"Don't go away again." Spike bent his head and muttered something back. Willow, looking harried, stepped into the living room.
"Where are you guy-Spike?" she asked, puzzled. He looked up, and swung Ryan gently down onto the floor.
"Yeah. I need to talk to you, Red," he said curtly. She nodded, distractedly.
"Give me a few minutes. We're at dessert. Come through. Dawn will be happy to see you," she added. Lexi gave up on Spike for ice cream, but Ryan stayed close, tagging onto the vampire's footsteps.
"Evenin' all," Spike greeted, as he stepped outside. The table looked up.
"Spike!" Dawn said, and shoved her chair back, and hugged him. He held her tenderly, and stroked a lock of brown hair.
"How are you?" he asked. She nodded.
"I'm good. We're good." She smiled, almost shyly. "Thanks."
He grunted non commitally, and swooped up Wills, who was sitting in his booster seat, completely baffled.
"Heya mate," Spike mumbled, a small grin appearing on his face. Wills smiled, and then patting Spike's cheek, burbled a string of incomprehensible babble. Spike looked grave, and nodded.
"Buffy," he nodded, ducking his head. The blonde Slayer, tiny as ever in her early forties, smiled.
"Hello Spike," she said, in a low voice. Xander blinked, and stared at her.
"How's soul-boy and Cordy?" he asked, addressing Spike. The vampire grinned.
"Good. She's been good for a while now. Got a part the other day. Spent the entire day yesterday arguing with Angel over whether the director was a demon." He laughed. Anya waved.
"Hello Anya," Spike said, his lips twitching. He glanced at Lin. "Can you drive yet?"
"Yup," Lin said proudly. Spike turned a questioning brow to Izzy. She groaned.
"Let's just say I don't have the best experience with cars. Or driving. Or any kind of movement when in them." Izzy closed her eyes. "That didn't come out right." Every adult in the room looked at her and then nodded.
Spike laughed. "If you want, the DeSoto's battered enough. I can teach you a bit. If you want. Night drivin' though."
"That could be cool," she said, thoughtfully. He nodded.
"Good. Talk to you later about it. Willow?"
"Are you going to be staying a little while, then?" Dawn interrupted. Spike looked at her, a soft look in his blue eyes. A small tornado going by the name of 'Ryan' threw himself at Spike, and clutched onto his ankles. Lexi gave a battle cry, and launched herself onto his lap. Wills crowed loudly, banging his spoon on the table.
"Pleeease don't go, Mr Spike," Libby said, batting her eyelashes at him. Spike gave a small grin.
"Guess I am, then," he answered.
"Yaaay!" Lexi yelled. Spike smirked.
"Much as I'm one to join the Spike love-fest," Xander drawled sarcastically, "The kids need to go to bed."
"No bed, no bed," Will complained, banging his fists on his tray. Dawn scooped him up, and buried a kiss on his stomach. Will shrieked with laughter, and tried to fend his mother off with small fists.
"Mommy, can Mr.Spike tell me a story?" Libby pleaded. Anya met Spike's eyes.
"Nothing gross. Or bloody. Or anything involving the nature of communism. I don't want you to scare my children," she said, very definitely. Spike gave a nod.
"Right then. No stories involving Russia or China. Just big scary monsters."
"Monsters aren't scary," Lexi informed him, from Xander's lap. First you stomp on the toe, then snap the neck, and if you're really lucky they're biode-" she met Buffy's eye, uncertain of the word.
"Biodegradable," Buffy finished. "That's the girl."
"You tell her this stuff?" Spike asked, incredulously. Buffy smiled.
"She has to be trained."
"We'd better put you guys to bed," Dawn said, standing up. Ryan, who hadn't left Spike's side, clung onto his hand obstinately.
"No," he said firmly. "Not going to bed." Buffy rose at that, and lifted the six year old effortlessly, and carried him out, following Dawn. They climbed the stairs to the children's rooms.
"We'd better go, as well," Xander said. "C'mon Lin. Libby sweetheart, we're gonna go home."
"Mr.Spike, are you gonna tell me a story?" the little girl asked. Mr Spike looked at Willow.
"Tomorrow night. I've got to talk to Red, here," he answered.
"See ya," Izzy called, from the front porch. Lin waved back from about ten yards away.
As Izzy climbed the stairs to change into her pyjamas, the study doors slid closed. Puzzled, she crept back down again, and listened. Mom was shouting at Spike, about it not being the right time, and then Spike's voice rose.
"Izzy?" Willow suddenly called. Izzy ran for the stairs. "Go to bed," Willow ordered.
"Night, Mom," Izzy called, frowning. Something was up.
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A/N: REVIEW!
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"Spike?" Izzy repeated. The blonde vampire scratched his head, and then folded his arms uncomfortably.
"Yeah, s'me, Bit. I'm havin' a bit of trouble with the-" He gestured to the doorway impatiently.
"Okay. Quick question," she said, leaning against the door frame. "You're not all grr-y and soulless, and out to kill us all?"
Spike shot her a withering look. "Do I look like Peaches to you?"
"Point," she agreed. "Okay. I invite you in, Spike."
"Thanks," he muttered, stepping over the threshold. A pathetic squeak emitted from a toy of Will's Spike had stepped on. The vampire bent and picked it up, the bright yellow fluff looking ridiculous against his black leather duster.
"So, why are you here?" Izzy asked. "Big with the non-killing. That's good. But generally, you're not the white picket fence, hearts and puppy dogs type. And our street kinda- is."
Before he could answer, Lexi, carrying her bowl of half melted ice cream very carefully, pattered in across the wooden floor, backed by Ryan, his hands shoved in his pants' pockets, scowling.
"Izzy? Mommy said to come back and eat," she called. Spike coughed self consciously. The two kids turned, and saw him. Ryan's scowl disappeared, and a brilliant smile appeared on his face as he threw himself at the vampire. Lexi squealed, and slid in, hugging his knees as Ryan was in the way.
Spike lifted Ryan into his arms, and held the boy tight in a rough hug, ruffling Lexi's hair with a choked laugh.
Izzy smiled, watching the Big Bad attempt to maintain his composure, and failing miserably.
"Uncle Spike, I lost a tooth, and Ryan fell off the monkey bars, and he didn't cry, and Wills can say sentences now and-" Lexi babbled, bouncing happily as she gazed at Spike with a joyful smile. Izzy swallowed when Ryan tucked his head into Spike's chest, and whispered,
"Don't go away again." Spike bent his head and muttered something back. Willow, looking harried, stepped into the living room.
"Where are you guy-Spike?" she asked, puzzled. He looked up, and swung Ryan gently down onto the floor.
"Yeah. I need to talk to you, Red," he said curtly. She nodded, distractedly.
"Give me a few minutes. We're at dessert. Come through. Dawn will be happy to see you," she added. Lexi gave up on Spike for ice cream, but Ryan stayed close, tagging onto the vampire's footsteps.
"Evenin' all," Spike greeted, as he stepped outside. The table looked up.
"Spike!" Dawn said, and shoved her chair back, and hugged him. He held her tenderly, and stroked a lock of brown hair.
"How are you?" he asked. She nodded.
"I'm good. We're good." She smiled, almost shyly. "Thanks."
He grunted non commitally, and swooped up Wills, who was sitting in his booster seat, completely baffled.
"Heya mate," Spike mumbled, a small grin appearing on his face. Wills smiled, and then patting Spike's cheek, burbled a string of incomprehensible babble. Spike looked grave, and nodded.
"Buffy," he nodded, ducking his head. The blonde Slayer, tiny as ever in her early forties, smiled.
"Hello Spike," she said, in a low voice. Xander blinked, and stared at her.
"How's soul-boy and Cordy?" he asked, addressing Spike. The vampire grinned.
"Good. She's been good for a while now. Got a part the other day. Spent the entire day yesterday arguing with Angel over whether the director was a demon." He laughed. Anya waved.
"Hello Anya," Spike said, his lips twitching. He glanced at Lin. "Can you drive yet?"
"Yup," Lin said proudly. Spike turned a questioning brow to Izzy. She groaned.
"Let's just say I don't have the best experience with cars. Or driving. Or any kind of movement when in them." Izzy closed her eyes. "That didn't come out right." Every adult in the room looked at her and then nodded.
Spike laughed. "If you want, the DeSoto's battered enough. I can teach you a bit. If you want. Night drivin' though."
"That could be cool," she said, thoughtfully. He nodded.
"Good. Talk to you later about it. Willow?"
"Are you going to be staying a little while, then?" Dawn interrupted. Spike looked at her, a soft look in his blue eyes. A small tornado going by the name of 'Ryan' threw himself at Spike, and clutched onto his ankles. Lexi gave a battle cry, and launched herself onto his lap. Wills crowed loudly, banging his spoon on the table.
"Pleeease don't go, Mr Spike," Libby said, batting her eyelashes at him. Spike gave a small grin.
"Guess I am, then," he answered.
"Yaaay!" Lexi yelled. Spike smirked.
"Much as I'm one to join the Spike love-fest," Xander drawled sarcastically, "The kids need to go to bed."
"No bed, no bed," Will complained, banging his fists on his tray. Dawn scooped him up, and buried a kiss on his stomach. Will shrieked with laughter, and tried to fend his mother off with small fists.
"Mommy, can Mr.Spike tell me a story?" Libby pleaded. Anya met Spike's eyes.
"Nothing gross. Or bloody. Or anything involving the nature of communism. I don't want you to scare my children," she said, very definitely. Spike gave a nod.
"Right then. No stories involving Russia or China. Just big scary monsters."
"Monsters aren't scary," Lexi informed him, from Xander's lap. First you stomp on the toe, then snap the neck, and if you're really lucky they're biode-" she met Buffy's eye, uncertain of the word.
"Biodegradable," Buffy finished. "That's the girl."
"You tell her this stuff?" Spike asked, incredulously. Buffy smiled.
"She has to be trained."
"We'd better put you guys to bed," Dawn said, standing up. Ryan, who hadn't left Spike's side, clung onto his hand obstinately.
"No," he said firmly. "Not going to bed." Buffy rose at that, and lifted the six year old effortlessly, and carried him out, following Dawn. They climbed the stairs to the children's rooms.
"We'd better go, as well," Xander said. "C'mon Lin. Libby sweetheart, we're gonna go home."
"Mr.Spike, are you gonna tell me a story?" the little girl asked. Mr Spike looked at Willow.
"Tomorrow night. I've got to talk to Red, here," he answered.
"See ya," Izzy called, from the front porch. Lin waved back from about ten yards away.
As Izzy climbed the stairs to change into her pyjamas, the study doors slid closed. Puzzled, she crept back down again, and listened. Mom was shouting at Spike, about it not being the right time, and then Spike's voice rose.
"Izzy?" Willow suddenly called. Izzy ran for the stairs. "Go to bed," Willow ordered.
"Night, Mom," Izzy called, frowning. Something was up.
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A/N: REVIEW!