Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my car and the little goldfish habitat thingy on my desk.
Chapter Two: Can We Keep 'Em?
Morning came all too quickly. The shades on the windows didn't let any light into the room leaving the alarm clock on the night table as the only indication of the time of day. The harsh beep of the alarm went off, letting the occupants of the bed know that it was 8 am.
A slim, pale hand grabbed the clock and yanked the cord from the wall before turning on his side and falling back to sleep. The comforting scent that was distinctly Xander filled his nose as he took in an unneeded breath. Just as he was beginning to fall asleep, he was jerked back awake by a cry from the next room. Slipping out of the bed, Spike walked quickly to the next room to see why little Nicholas was crying.
A chubby little hand wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks as he sat up in the bed, ignoring his sister's attempts to quiet him. He was soon scooped up into the vampire's arms and gripped onto the man's white t-shirt for dear life.
"What's wrong?" He asked the little boy. As he gently smoothed the fine, dirty blonde hair, Spike's hand ran over the bump forming on the back of the toddler's head. "Did you hit your head?" He cooed.
"Aww, who knew William the Bloody was such a softie when it came to children." A light-hearted laugh came from the doorway forcing Spike to turn around and glare at the brunette.
" 'M not a softie, whelp. I'm the Big Bad and you'd best do well not to forget it." Spike knew there was no point in putting up a fight when it came to the Harris boy. Just as Xander was about to walk away, Spike called back to him. "Boy! Go down to the store and get nappies, will ya? Don't really know how long the Niblets will be here." He heard the young man sigh and the jingle of house keys as he dressed and walked out the door. There was a small tug on his shirt. "Yes?"
"Hafta go to the bathroom." Ariel said softly. Spike led her out of the room and into the bathroom.
Spike sighed. For all he knew, last night could have been the closest he would ever get to the object of his affection. He really was love's bitch and would do anything for the young brunet Scooby. "It's bad, isn't it? Why did I have to go and fall n love with him?" He asked the boy whose head was resting on his shoulder. He heard the toilet flush and the soft creak as Ariel opened the bathroom door. "Did you wash your hands?" Ariel turned and walked back to the sink; a guilty expression plastered on her round little face. When she came back, Spike ushered her into the kitchen. "Do you want some breakfast?" He asked seating Nicholas on the counter.
Ariel nodded shyly. "The bad men that set the car on fire killed mommy and daddy, didn't they mister?" She asked sadly.
Spike turned away from the refrigerator and placed his elbows on the counter in front of the girl. "Yeah, they did but they the bad men won't come back." A cool hand stroked her hair lightly. "There's not too much to eat 'round here. Do you like Fruity Pebbles?" He asked trying to change the subject to something lighter.
She nodded and held out her arms towards Nicholas. "He likes to sit with me when I eat." She said as Spike place a bowl in front of her and filled it with the multi-coloured cereal.
Lifting the small child from his place on the counter, Spike placed Nicholas next to his older sister. "What's gonna happen to us?" She asked.
"I don't know, luv. Do you have grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins that you could live with?" Spiked leaned against the sink. Her hazel eyes filled with tears as she shook her head.
"I don't know where our grandma is." Her lower lip quivered as she tried to hold back her tears. She looked next to her to see her brother holding out a Fruity Pebble for her. "Thank you, Nicholas." She smiled and took the tiny rice puff.
Spike heard the lock of the door click then open. "I'm back." Xander called to an empty lounge.
"Will you be alright by yourselves for a few minutes?" Spike asked the two children. "Good." Spike ran a hand through his tussled platinum hair. If he had a functioning heart, it would be beating a mile a minute. He quickly composed himself and met the handsome brunet in the lounge.
The brown paper bag was placed on the floor. "I think we need to have a chat." Xander crossed his arms over his chest and fixed a stern gaze on his roommate. "Why were you in my bed last night?"
"I was cold." It wasn't a complete lie. There was a draft and Spike didn't like being cold. "I talked to the Niblets. Ariel knows her mum and da are dead. She's bright, Harris. She doesn't know where her family is. That's all I could get from them."
"Can we keep them?" Xander asked hopefully. In the short time that he'd known the children, Xander was already attached to the little boy, Nicholas and he knew Spike was getting attached to the girl.
"They're not dogs, pet." Xander looked hurt and Spike instantly wanted to take the man into his arms. It was then that Spike recalled what he had just said. "I mean whelp."
It didn't matter. Xander had caught what the vampire had called him. "You just called me pet!" Xander tried not to laugh.
"Did not, whelp!"
"Did too!" Xander paused. "I want to keep them. You said that she didn't know where her family is."
Big, brown eyes pleaded with Spike. Finally, knowing that there was no point in trying to resist, Spike acquiesced. "Fine. You do know that this is your flat and not mine, right? Don't need my permission." He dug through the paper bag and found the wet naps and nappies. "Change the boy." He smirked and watched Xander as he walked out of the room.
Just as Spike was about to plop on the couch and light a cigarette, Xander's head popped into the lounge. "I don't know how." He admitted sheepishly. Spike sighed and got up, taking the boy from Xander.
"Watch and learn, boy." He said as he placed Nicholas on his bed and slid his little jeans down. Spike's sensitive nose was assaulted as soon as he opened the soiled nappie. He snatched a wet nap from the box and a dry nappie from the bag and cleaned Nicholas' bottom before fastening the tabs of the clean nappie. "There you go." He held the boy out to Xander and threw the soiled nappie in the bathroom rubbish bin.
"They need clothes. I could take them shopping." Xander suggested as Spike went back to the kitchen.
By noon, Xander and Spike had come to the decision that the children would be staying with them due to their lack of living family. Nicholas was asleep on Spike's bed while the two adults sat in the lounge with Ariel.
"I like you. You're nice to me and my brother." Ariel whispered to Spike. The girl shivered when Spike put an arm around her. "Why are you cold?" She asked curiously.
"You might as well tell her the truth." Xander said as he continued to flip through the channels on the television. When Spike said nothing, Xander sighed and pulled the girl into his lap. "Our friend, Spike, here, is a vampire but he's a good guy, no matter what he says. He wouldn't hurt anyone."
"Vampires aren't real." She stated a little unsure of herself. "Why is your name Spike? Did your mommy name you Spike?"
Spike scowled at what Xander said about him but brushed it off. He would get back at the whelp for saying things like that. "Spike is a nickname of sorts. My mum named me William."
"Are you really a vampire?" Spike nodded. "Prove it." Both men were shocked that Ariel wasn't scared. If anything, the girl was curious and raised a small hand to gently prod at the ridges on the blonde's forehead. "Is that why we're waiting to go shopping?" Both men nodded.
Spike slipped back to his human visage and lit a cigarette from the packet on the end table. Before the cigarette was even lit it was plucked from his lips and placed back in the packet. "Some of us here are still alive, ya know." He could feel the warmth emanating from the younger man. Xander's close proximity to him was driving him crazy. He didn't know why he was so attracted to him, he just was.
"Why don't you take the Niblet to the mall and I'll stay here with Nicholas." He watched longingly as Xander and the girl left the flat and groaned in frustration. He got up and went to the refrigerator to fix himself a mug of blood.
"Are you going to be my new daddy?" Ariel asked quietly. Xander was caught off guard by her question and crouched down so he was looking directly at her. "My daddy wasn't very nice when he was home. He wasn't home very much."
"we'll talk about this when we get home." Xander gave her a warm smile. "Pick out whatever you want. Your brother needs clothes, too."
Xander watched amusedly as the seven year old looking at everything from jeans to jumpers but noticed that she only picked up three items. He grabbed a few more items that appeared to be her size and told her to go try them on.
Several hours and countless stores later, Xander walked to the car laden with shopping bags as Ariel walked along side him. He even made her get a party dress and mary janes. He grinned remembering how her eyes lit up when he told her to pick out anything she wanted from the toy store for her and Nicholas. She chose two teddy bears. The ride back to the flat was a quiet one. Both were tired from their afternoon of shopping.
He wanted to prove something to Xander but he wasn't sure what it was that he wanted to prove but he knew there was something. While Xander and Ariel where shopping, Spike had bathed Nicholas with the baby wash that Xander had picked up. It was then that he realised that the sweet smelling baby shampoo worked pretty well for his over processed hair. He then cleaned the flat as best he could and attempted to have a nice dinner on the table when the two came back. Silently, Spike sent a prayer of thanks to his mother for teaching him things he thought he would never need to know.
Take away containers were thrown into the plastic bag which was promptly slid down the garbage shoot. He didn't want Xander to think he was lazy but there was a footie match on and sports and t.v. ranked higher than cooking on his list.
The key slid into the lock and turned until it click causing Spike to jump from his seat on the couch and hurry to the dining area to make sure everything was perfect. If he had a reflection he would have been checking to make sure his ever-gelled hair was perfect.
The delicious aroma of…chicken wafted up from underneath the door. Ariel grinned at the smell of hot food causing Xander to give her a curious glance.
"Will you be my daddy?" Ariel's gaze was cast down at her feet. "Mommy said daddy was in an accident after I was born."
"You and Nicholas have different fathers?" Xander asked. After a moment of thinking about the question, Ariel nodded. She was far too trusting Xander thought. Being that trusting of people would get her hurt when she got older. "Why don't you think about it for a day and see if you really want me to be your new daddy, okay?" He opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find a very clean flat that still had the scent of glass and wood cleaner lingering in the air. The bags were dropped in a pile beside the door as he looked around. What really got him was the dining table. Food was all laid out and plates, not paper or polystyrene plates but actual plates, were at each place setting.
"You did this?" He asked Spike who had just appeared holding Nicholas.
"Yeah. Thought I could do something nice for a change. Make this place look presentable." He drawled, rolling his eyes. Nicholas was placed at one of the settings before the blond took his seat. "You just gonna stand there, whelp?"
Xander blushed. Spike decided that he liked the way his Xander looked when he blushed.
Dinner was a quiet affair with Spike telling Xander what he did while he was gone. Ariel had decided to rattle off everything that Xander had bought her and Nicholas. Xander watched, fascinated, as Spike cut up the chicken and vegetables into small enough pieces for Nicholas.
Ever the observant child, Ariel noticed the stolen glances between the two men. It puzzled her but she just thought that maybe it was a grown up thing.
After dinner, while Ariel was showering and brushing her teeth, Xander cornered Spike. "You ordered the food, didn't you?"
"Would've cooked but Man United was playing." Xander laughed at the excuse.
"Ariel asked if I would be her new daddy." Xander sighed and slumped down next to the blonde on the couch.
"Tell anyone I said this, Harris, and I'll deny it. I think you'll make a great da." Spike smiled and grabbed his packet of cigarettes and went outside the building for a smoke. When he came back, Xander had already put Nicholas down for the night and was currently watching the telly with Ariel. "Come on, Niblet, time for bed. You've had a long day and you're yawning." He gave her a gentle push in the direction of his bedroom; chucking her teddy bear in after her.
For a while, Xander and Spike sat silently watching the telly. After a while, Spike began to notice that Xander was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "Off to bed with you, whelp." He helped the larger man up and led him off to the bedroom. As he was walking out of the room, Spike spun around to face the sleeping man. "Are you bloody blind, Harris?!" Xander's eyes shot open at the volume and tone of the man's voice. "I've been here, what, a month and all I've done is try to get your sodding attention! I packed you lunch for work, cleaned your flat, made you dinner several times, and when you were drunk, I sat with you 'til you could lift your head from the bleedin' toilet! Don't make me say it, boy." Xander looked a bit confused. "I fancy you. I like you. Shit, I fuckin' love you. Every fantasy I wank off to, you're in them. Should I keep going or have you heard enough." Spike sighed deeply.
He had no idea what to say to the devilishly handsome blonde. Sleepily, Xander rose from the bed and caught Spike's slender wrist as he walked out of the room. "You'll wake the kids." Xander smiled at his words and turned Spike to face him. Slowly, Xander leaned down and brushed his lips over Spike's. "Come to bed." He whispered against the vampire's cool, moist lips.
A/N: Sappy, I know but I've been watching sappy movies all day.
PS I'm not updating until I get more reviews. Reviews are my inspiration.