Disclaimer: Since my name is not Joss Whedon, neither Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Angel, or any of the amazing characters associated with either show belong to me. I also don't own the story line - that is taken from gidgetgirl's 'Mr Spike Challenge' (details below). The kids at the day care centre belong to me.
~*The Mr. Spike Challenge*~
Set in Angel season five. When the head of the Wolfram and Hart daycare service for employee children (both human and non-human) dies, Angel decides to kill two birds with one stone by putting Spike in charge of the daycare.
Requirements:
One of the kids must be a slayer. One of the kids must do magic At least two kids must be entirely mortal. One child should remind Spike of someone he saw a hundred years ago.

Rating: PG – just to be on the safe side. Mostly for Spike's language.

Author's Note: I'd like to thank all those who reviewed this story and a special thank you to whoever nominated this story for the Barefoot Awards. I'm so flattered! Thank you!

Author's Note II: Thanks again to B Teenage Slayer for her suggestion of a game of hide and seek.

Words in / / = Thoughts.

Chapter 3.

Two hours later.

"Mr Spike?" David sidled up to Spike, smiling angelically. "Will you tell us a story? Please?"

"Stowy! Stowy! Stowy!" Livia, overhearing the young werewolf's request, started jumping up and down in excitement. "Livvie wan' a stowy – a bamp-eye stowy!" She added insistently.

"Yeah." Bradley chimed in enthusiastically. "Tell us a vampire story!"

Though the children had done nothing to endear themselves to Spike – quite the opposite – he wasn't about to traumatize eight under sixes and a juvenile Feoral demon with tales of his past exploits.

/Although, / He reflected mournfully. /It would be as good a way as any to get out of this job. /

"Uh . . .I uh . . . I don't know any vampire stories." He said lamely.

"Of course you do." Sarah told him briskly. She giggled, seemingly a propos of nothing. "The gypsy one is funny!"

Spike glared at the small telepath. "What did I say about reading Mr Spike's mind without permission?"

"Not too." The blond twins chorused sweetly.

"But how will you stop us?" Sarah asked curiously.

Spike couldn't think of an answer to that very reasonable question.

"Are you sure you guys wouldn't like a story about fairies?" Spike asked desperately. "Or leprechauns – leprechauns are good."

"No." Morgan glared at him. "Vampires."

"Bamp-eye! Bamp-eye! Bamp-eye! Livvie wan bamp-eye!" The toddler Slayer stamped her tiny foot for emphasis.

"Okay, okay." Spike lifted his hands in defeat, having no desire to unleash a Slayer temper tantrum. He flopped down on the couch. "I'll tell a vampire story."

Livia beamed up at him, satisfied. She climbed up onto the couch and into Spike's lap, wriggling a bit until she was comfortable. The other children gathered around, the older ones on the couch, the younger ones sitting cross legged on the floor, looking up expectantly at Spike.

Livia looked up at the blond vampire, a commanding expression on her small face. "Tell!" She ordered.

Combing his mind for a suitable story, one that would satisfy them without scarring them for life, Spike considered how amused his enemies would be to see the Big Bad ordered about by a two year old girl.

/Peaches would wet his knickers if he could see this! / Spike thought bitterly.

Taking a deep breath, Spike launched into the traditional beginning to all good stories.

"Once upon a time . . ."

* * *

Half an hour later.

" . . . And so the heroic vampire took the amulet and wore it into battle, nobly sacrificing his own life to kill all the bringers and save the world. The End."

"Wow!" Bradley whistled softly in appreciation. "That was a really cool story, Mr Spike!"

"Livvie like stowy." The tiny Slayer announced, standing up to hug Spike tightly, wrapping her slightly chubby arms around his neck.

"What happened to the heroic vampire?" James asked eagerly. "Did he go to Heaven?"

Spike, finally managing to disengage himself from Livia's embrace, regarded his young charges for a moment before responding.

"Yeah," His voice was sarcastic. "He went to the bleedin' happiest place on Earth!"

* * *

Forty-five minutes later.

"Sorry, I'm late." A serious looking man in his late thirties entered the daycare center, a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm Nathan Rivers – Bradley's dad. I got held up in the office." His son, the last of Spike's charges, ran up to him. The man scooped the little boy up into his arms. "I hope that he wasn't too much trouble."

If Spike hadn't been completely exhausted, he would have punched him.

* * *

Later that night.

"I don't know what Peaches was thinking giving me this job!" Spike lamented. He paused, reconsidering his words. "On second thoughts, I know exactly what Captain Forehead was thinking – he wanted to have himself a right laugh at good old Spike's expense! Daft bugger! You'd think that he'd think more of the kids!" He added virtuously. "Surely they deserve better – I know nothing about kids! The little monsters were running wild today."

Fred patted his shoulder sympathetically. "They're just getting used to you – testing your limits." She comforted. "In a few days, they'll have settled down and they'll behave better."

"In a few days, I'll have staked myself!"           

"They're probably just high spirited." Fred remarked. "You said that you have a mini Slayer and a werewolf in the bunch?" Spike nodded confirmation. "Not to mention the fact that all little kids seem to have more energy than the average power plant! Did you try any kind of physical activity with them today?" Spike shook his head. "Well there's your problem!" Fred told them. "Try playing 'Duck, Duck, Goose', 'Simon Says' or 'Hide and Seek' with them – I'm sure you'll have no problems."

* * *

The next morning, half past nine.

"Hide and seek?" Morgan shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant. "Sounds like fun."

"So who's 'It'?" Bradley asked bossily, not wanting to let Morgan hog all of the attention.

Spike covered his ears as a deafening chorus of 'Not It' – or in Livia's case 'No me' – sounded from every child in the room.

Delia giggled, delighted. "You're 'It', Mr Spike." She danced on the spot for a minute, plainly thrilled with this turn of events.

"Bloody brilliant!" Spike huffed. "So what do I have to do?"

* * *

" . . . Ninety seven, ninety eight, ninety nine, one hundred." Spike chanted robotically. "Ready or not, here I come."

He opened his eyes and looked around the playroom.

Even with his heightened vampiric senses, Spike couldn't see any movement in the room, which was as silent as a tomb.

He sniffed apprehensively, tying and failing to catch the scent of one of the children.

/They're probably in the nap room or the bathroom or something. / Spike thought, chiding himself for his initial panic. /I'm worrying about nothing. /

* * *

Five minutes later.

It was official.

Spike had searched behind every chair and couch, under every bed and table, in every nook and cranny in the room, every spot that a child could have squeezed into, even some places that not even Livia could have fitted into.

He couldn't delude himself any longer.

The kids were gone.

Sighing, he took out the cell phone and hit the speed dial button.

"Fred here . . . I mean, Wolfram and Hart Science Division, Winifred Burkle . . . Fred  . . ."

"It's me, pet." Spike cut her off before she could continue.

"Spike?" She sounded concerned. "Is something wrong?"

The vampire chuckled dryly. "You could say that, luv."

"What happened?"

"I'm afraid your little 'Hide and Seek' idea didn't work out as well as you thought it would." Spike informed her, a distinct note of irritation creeping into his voice. "The kids are gone."

"Gone?!" The horror in the young physicist's voice was evident, even over the phone. "How did that happen?"

"You tell me, luv." Spike was both worried and supremely ticked off. "I was counting like I was supposed to and when I turned around, the kids were gone!"

"They must have run off to find hiding places." Fred said, dismayed. "I don't get it, you did tell them that their hiding places were limited to the daycare center, didn't you?" There was a brief, uncomfortable pause. "Spike? Didn't you?"

Even with her concern for the children, Fred couldn't stop herself from smiling at Spike's response.

"Bugger!"

TBC.

I'm sorry – I can never resist leaving a little cliffhanger.

The search for the missing munchkins begins in the next chapter, which I hope to have posted as soon as possible.

For future chapters, would anyone be interested in seeing a visit from Buffy to the daycare center to see what Spike is up to? Is there anything else anyone would like to see or any of the team anyone would like to see interact with the kids?

Please keep the reviews and the suggestions coming.