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.


Author's Note I: Thanks for all the reviews.


Author's Note II: To Darklight - Do you really hate the adults that much? And poor Dawn! I'm afraid that, much as I would love to bring Anya back to teach the kids about the joys of capitalism and have Morgan conjure lots and lots of bunnies to freak her out but sadly, Morgan just doesn't have the kind of power it takes to raise the dead. Yet. Charmed-Angel4's ghost suggestion would be plausible, though.


Author's Note III: To gidgetgirl - I'm sorry, but I just couldn't see Xander introducing himself as 'Mr'.

Author's Note IV: To Queen C – Poor Faith! Don't you think she's suffered enough. She didn't kill that many people!


Author's Note V: To Pixie13 - Yes.

*


Chapter 13.



Two days later, half past eight, the daycare centre.

For the first time since he had been stuck with his position as Director of the Wolfram and Hart Daycare Centre, Spike was truly, blissfully happy.

He regarded his new assistant with a gleeful smirk, taking great pleasure in every second of his discomfort.

He grinned widely. "Welcome to Hell, Gramps."

* * *

Angel regarded the nine small children warily as they sat down to their breakfast, half expecting one off them to attack him.

With this group, that was by no means an unlikely possibility.

Spike hadn't stopped grinning since Angel had arrived that morning

"Tell me again how you got stuck down here?" Spike couldn't hear that story often enough.

Angel sighed wearily. "Harmony called in sick . . ."

"Even though she's a vampire and vampire's don't get sick." Spike interjected happily.

"And since Gunn has a case, Buffy's patrolling, Wesley, Fred, Dawn and Giles are researching, Willow and Xander have already had their turns here and Lorne's talking with some contacts, I got stuck here." Angel finished unhappily.

Much as he hated to admit it, Spike felt a little sorry for his grandsire. He clapped a hand on the other vampire's shoulder.

"Not to worry." He grinned. "There are times when they're not too bad."

"Really?" Angel looked hopeful. "When?"

"When they're asleep." Spike responded dryly.

* * *

Half an hour later.

After breakfast, Chad, James and David overturned one of the tables for a repeat of yesterday's game of 'Pirate'

Sadly, without Xander's guiding hand, the game quickly turned into a free for all fight over who would get to be captain, resulting in several cuts and bruises and a nosebleed for poor Angel, who was caught in the crossfire when he tried to restore peace, afraid that one of them would be hurt.

"Don't bother trying to break the up." Spike called from the couch, where he was sitting with Livia on one knee and Delia on the other, taking pity on the other vampire. "It's not worth it. They sort thing's out better on their own."

As if to prove him right, the three boys came to a compromise a few minutes later, agreeing to take turns as Captain.

Bradley was hard at work on a macaroni bracelet set for Dawn, ignoring the pleas of his friends to join their pirate game. He had uncovered a tub of glitter in the art box and was applying it generously, becoming sticky and sparkling in the process.

Morgan and the twins were sitting by themselves in a corner, while the little sorceress displayed the gift Miss Harmony had given her as a 'thank you' for the enchanted mirror.

The two vampires wisely gave the trio a wide berth.

Spike paused in his story about his and Dru's exploits in South America and looked up at his unhappy grandsire. "How're you holding up?" Although he was furious that Angel had landed him with this job, he would have pitied anyone who was encountering the daycare crew for the first time.

Angel scowled, taking a seat on the couch next to Spike. "What kind of company signs a contract with a vampire that entitles her to a sick day allowance." He muttered resentfully.

Spike snorted in derision. "Don't blame the lawyers, blame the little bit." He nodded in Morgan's direction. "Ten quid says Harm's at home playing with the new toy the little witch gave her."

Livia, displeased at the delay in the story, turned around to glare at Angel. "Vampire." She scowled at him before looking up at Spike. "Bad vampire? Livvie stake?" She looked hopeful.

Spike shook his head regretfully. "Nah, the poof's got a soul."

"Poof." Livia tried out the word, before giving Angel a sweet smile. "Hiya, Mr Poof."

"Mr Angel." Angel corrected gently.

"Nuh-uh." Livia shook her head decisively. "Mr Poof."

Delia glared at Angel, her silver eyes sparkling with anger. "I don't like you." She said in a soft voice, full of anger. "You ate my Mummy. And Rachel and Anne. You took them all away. You made them be dead. Then the stars started talking all at once. I couldn't hear what they were saying but they wouldn't leave me alone." She sighed, sounding utterly unchildlike. "It made my head hurt." She buried her head in Spike's chest, crying softly. "Make him go away!"

"Bad Poof!" Livia kicked out at Angel with her short legs. "Bad Poof make Delia cry."

"Stop that." Spike chided the little Slayer firmly, catching her foot before it could make contact with its target. "No kicking." Livia scowled, but complied. Spike rubbed Delia's back gently. "There there, love." Angel was surprised by the tenderness in Spike's voice. "It's over, you're alright." He gave Angel a pointed look. "Maybe you'd better sodd off, Peaches."

Angel lingered for a few moments, watching the little Seer, a puzzled and guilty expression on his face. "Is she alright?"

Spike glared up at him. "Does she look alright?" He gave Livia a gentle shove in Angel's direction. "Take the tiny bit with you."

Livia held out her arms, waiting for Angel to pick her up.

Angel scooped up the two year old, holding her awkwardly.

"So," He smiled, trying to look friendly. "What do you want to do?"

* * *

Five minutes later.

"Come on, Bradley!" James wheedled. "You have to play. It's not as much fun without you."

"I'm busy." The five year old's response was curt.

James snorted in derision. "You're no fun anymore." He complained bitterly. "You've turned into a real sissy now that you're in love." He made it sound like some kind of exotic disease.

Bradley ignored him, concentrating on threading the lavishly painted and glittered pasta onto the length of wool.

Dawn had seemed to like the first necklace.

Maybe if he made her more, she'd start to like him.

James just wasn't mature enough to get where he was coming from.

* * *

"There." Morgan added the final touch to her masterpiece, brushing Damien's eyelids with a generous coating of blue eye shadow, the same shad she had used on Sarah.

The make up kit that Harmony had presented her with the previous day as a thank you for the magic mirror was being used to its full advantage.

Morgan looked around, combing the room for another victim.

"Mr Angel?" Her voice was sweet. "Would you like to play a game with us?"

Angel paused, earning himself a solid kick in the ribs from Livia, whose loyal steed he was doubling as.

"I don't think so." He declined politely, setting little Livia down. After hearing stories from those unlucky enough to pull daycare duty, he knew better than to willingly become Morgan's victim.

The little sorceress narrowed her dark eyes.

"Too bad." Her tone made it perfectly clear that she was not going to tolerate any nonsense. "It's time someone did something to hide your protruding forehead."

Angel touched his forehead self-consciously, pausing just long enough to allow the twins, Morgan's loyal lackeys, to grab his hands and pull him over to her.

Angel could have shaken them off easily, but he didn't want to risk hurting someone.

"Now," Morgan's voice was sweet. "Just sit down, relax and it will all be over soon. Livvie," She handed the toddler an eyebrow pencil. "If he moves, stake him."

Livia, her sapphire eyes sparkling, held her weapon aloft in a manner so eerily reminiscent of Buffy that, despite his predicament, Angel couldn't help smiling.

"Okay," Morgan looked thoughtful as she struggled to remember all that Miss Harmony had taught her. "Are you a winter or a summer?"

Angel groaned.

/You have only yourself to blame. / His inner voice reminded him severely. /This is what you get for exposing innocent children to Harmony. /

* * *

Ten minutes later.

"Feeling better, pet?" Spike asked gently, still cradling Delia in his arms.

"Yeah." The little girl was pale, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. "Mr Spike?"

"Yeah, luv?"

"When the bad man comes, you won't be able to stop him." Her voice was sad, resigned.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes, eh?" Spike said, ruthlessly squashing his private concerns so that the little girl wouldn't see his fear. "In the mean time," He looked across the room, where James, David, Chad and even Bradley had abandoned their own activities in favour of clustering around Morgan. "Let's see what the little witch has done to Captain Forehead."

Delia nodded her assent, resting her head on Spike's shoulder.

Still carrying Delia, Spike headed over to Morgan's corner, where the kids parted to let him get a glimpse of her handiwork.

Despite Delia's sombre prediction, Spike couldn't help laughing when he saw the state of his grandsire.

"Angel, you're . . . you're . . ." It took him a few moments to control his laughter. "You're gorgeous!" He taunted happily.

Angel, caked in half the contents of Morgan's make up kit, could only keep his scowl in place for a few seconds before succumbing to the irresistible laughter welling within him.

TBC.

That's all for now. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as possible. In the meantime, please keep up the reviews.

Would anyone like to see Dawn pull daycare duty? Or maybe Buffy?