Reviews:

Anegativegrl- EEP! I don't know what to say except that you're going to have to read on and find out what happens but there will be a relatively happy ending. Don't worry; I'm not splitting Xander and Spike up in this fic.

Siren of the Darknessflame- Sorry but this won't become a X/A fic. I have an X/A fic in progress, though.

Kat R. Fair- NO!! I can't say what's gonna happen! What I will say is that it will make 99.98 of the readers happy.

Redrose2310- I can't say what the ending will be like just that everyone will enjoy it (Except for those that wanted Xander to get with Angel).

Mus4u- Here's your chapter!

Angelkitty77- I've always imagined Spike as being a semi-hard ass in front of others but really sweet and loving to those he loves.

Chapter Six: Sharing

Xander and Spike finished tucking the children into bed then climbed into their own bed in hopes of going to sleep. Of course, with everything going on, sleep was the farthest thing from their minds. Xander felt the cool body beside him snuggle closer and a hand begin to lazily trace designs on his chest. Spike purred softly as the younger man combed his fingers through his short, curly hair. Suddenly, the 5'11 vampire slid out of bed and crept into the next room and brought back a small, enamel box that fit in the palm of his hand with some kind of flower on the lid. He sat back down on the bed and opened the box.

"After Dru turned me, I went back home and turned my mum because she was ill. As thanks for saving her life, kid of, she gave me this box. I hated it. I kept it at the bottom of my footlocker so no one would see it. Anyway, I keep the things I value most in here." He fished around the rectangular box and pulled out a ring. It was relatively plain for a signet ring. Set deep into the band on either side of the crest was a small black onyx and bloodstone. Spike took Xander's hand and slid the ring onto his left pinkie. "The bloodstone is to help you overcome obstacles and calm your fears of an enemy and the Onyx is for protection. My father gave me the ring when I turned eighteen. It just makes me feel better knowing that there is something to help protect you when I can't." He closed the box and placed it on the bedside table. Knowing that Spike cared about him enough to give him his father's ring made him feel all warm inside. Spike ran his thumb over the engraving on the top of the ring before pressing a kiss to his palm. "I forgot." Spike leaned over and pulled an oval brooch and a heavy ring from the box. He fingered the ring before giving it to Xander to look at. "I figure that I would share some of the most important things with you. This was another of my father's rings. After I turned my mother, my father took a cutting of her hair before she was buried and had this mourning ring made. I took it from him after he died." He watched as Xander studied the front of the ring. "See, these are my mum's initials: L. J. A., Lucretia Judith Ambrose. On the other side is the cutting of her hair." Explained Spike then handed Xander the brooch.

Xander was surprised to see a slightly different looking Spike delicately painted on one side of the brooch and a curl of light brown hair on the other side. "William Christopher Ambrose." Xander read. "You didn't change much except for the hair. Same facial expression, too." He leaned in and kissed him. "Thank you for sharing this with me." He reached and placed the ring and brooch on the bedside table and pulled Spike on top of him. "Would you mind if I called you Will?" The head lying on his chest shook making Xander smile. "Will, turn the light off." Xander ordered.

Spike obediently went and shut the light off and closed the door before pouncing on top of the bed and Xander. His slender hand intertwined with Xander's. "Promise me that when the time comes, you won't do anything stupid."

"I promise." Xander whispered before leaning up and capturing the blonde's lips in a passionate, yet soft, kiss.

The couple lay in bed for nearly an hour just kissing, their hands pressed as tightly together as their bodies were. A rock hard erection was pressed against Xander's hip, slowly rocking back and forth as Spike ground against his boyfriend wrenching the most delightful gasps and sighs from the young man. Right now, Spike wanted nothing more than to pound him into the mattress and make him scream but he pushed it all aside, reminded himself that the kids were in the next room. He needed to figure out a way to get them out of the house either the next day or the day after so he and Xander could have some alone time before he sent Xander and the children off. His blue eyes darted to the digital clock on the bedside table. "We should get some sleep." He murmured against the soft lips beneath him. He laughed at Xander's sound of protest when he pulled away.

Not five minutes later, Spike and Xander fell asleep with Spike's head on Xander's chest.

The next morning saw Spike and Xander in the kitchen with Xander complaining about the state in which Spike left him last night. Spike found the whole situation amusing and watched as Xander became ever more flustered before closing the distance between them and kissing him. A pair of pale, thin arms wrapped around Xander's neck, pulling him closer. "I love you."

Xander pulled back, his brown eyes wide with shock. "I mean, you said it before but you were ranting. Do you mean it?"

"I'd never lie to you about that, pet." He smiled and soon found himself seated on the countertop next to the sink.

"I love you, too." Xander grinned and resumed kissing him fiercely. A feeling of being complete and at peace settled over him whenever the vampire had his arms around him.

"Eew!"

Xander pulled away from Spike, giving him room to hop off the counter. The brunette had a somewhat dazed expression from their brief, but intense, snog fest. Spike swept the half asleep girl up in his arms and plopped her in front of the counter. "What would you like for breakfast?" Xander asked.

"Ice cream?" She asked hopefully, throwing in a pout just for good measure.

"No ice cream for breakfast, Ariel." Spike said, his voice as stern as it could be. "I invented that pout."

"She picked up your pout in four days. Stop corrupting her!" Xander scolded while waving Spike's mug before placing it in the microwave.

Ariel gave her father and Spike a curious look. "Why were you kissing daddy? Boys don't kiss. That's what my old mommy and daddy said. They said it was disgusting."

"Pancakes okay?" Xander asked taking the box out of the cabinet, ignoring what the girl was telling them that her parents had said. She nodded and smiled brightly. Spike gave his significant other a pleading look. "She asked you so you answer." Spike stuck his tongue out at him.

"Well, niblet, I was kissing your father because I love him very much. It's okay for boys to kiss other boys. There's nothing wrong with it, princess. Just remember, love comes in all different shapes and sizes and that it's never wrong to love someone because they have the same bits as you. So are you alright with me being your father's boyfriend?" She wrapped her small arms around the blonde's neck and kissed his cheek.

"You're cold." She commented.

"I'm a vampire." When he turned around, Spike saw that Xander had his blood all ready for him. "With Weetabix and cinnamon and everything. This is why I love you, Xander, because you feed me." Spike gave him a quick peck on the lips before turning on the television and drinking his breakfast.

"Can you go wake you brother, sweetie?" Xander asked, pouring the pancake batter into the pan. "Will, can you see if Nicky needs to be changed?"

"Did you just call me Will?" Spike asked, placing the mug in the sink and giving it a preliminary rinse, knowing that Xander hated cleaning out his bloody mugs.

"Yeah, that is your name, isn't it?" Xander smiled as he checked a pancake to be flipped.

"Think Giles'll watch the kids for the night?" Spike asked, his arms wrapping around Xander's waist. "We could finish what we started last night." He planted a kiss just below Xander's ear and went into the bathroom to shower.

With a sigh of utter frustration, Xander piled the cooked pancakes onto a plate for Ariel and started on making smaller pancakes for Nicholas. He placed the plate in font of Ariel and checked the boy's nappie to see if he needed to be changed which he didn't. The thing that was troubling him most was telling Ariel and Nicholas that they needed to go away for a while without Will and that there was a chance they might not get to see him again. Nicholas might have been only two years old but he was a very perceptive two year old and could tell when his favourite care taker was out of the room and would usually go to try and find the blond. He pushed all the negative thoughts out of his head and told Ariel to help her brother with his breakfast seeing as the boy was getting pancake everywhere but in his mouth.

A wisp of steam curled up from under the bathroom door drawing Xander's attention away from the children. "When you're done eating, go and get you and your brother dressed, okay?" He asked kindly and kissed the top of her head. A cloud of steam, accompanied by Spike's singing, hit Xander the second he opened the bathroom door. "Xan?" A foamy, blond head poked out of the shower curtain. The sight of Spike with his hair all shampooed into an attempt at a Mohawk was quite possibly the most amusing and the most adorable thing Xander had ever seen.

"Just brushing my teeth." Xander shouted over the radio and water. As Xander was rinsing his mouth, a very wet and very naked Spike stepped out of the shower and padded over to where Xander was to pick up the towel he had placed by the sink earlier, purposely leaning against twenty-two year old who was combing his hair. Glancing to his right, Xander noticed that his boyfriend was taking his time wrapping the fluffy, blue towel around his hips giving Xander quite an eyeful, not that he hadn't seen Spike naked before, though. Brown eyes roamed hungrily over the alabaster form leaning casually against the wall in front of him. He noticed that the loosely secured towel about the vampire's waist was gradually riding lower and lower. A pink tongue darted out to moisten parched lips as Xander watched the towel slip over a sharp hip bone as if he was willing the towel to fall off.

Spike smirked at hearing the younger man swallow quite loudly. The intense waves of pheromones coming of the boy was enough to make the blond want to throw Xander to floor, rip off the boy's clothing and brutally fuck him into next year. Then again, getting Spike to that particular level of desire wasn't all too hard.

"Change, get out and watch the kids." Xander squeaked, his voice far too high. He quickly stripped out of his clothes as soon as Spike closed the bathroom door behind him and jumped into a very cold shower.

Spike was sitting with Ariel and Nicholas on the couch watching a movie when he realised that Xander had been in the shower way too long. He listened and noted that the water in the shower was still running but he was wondering why it was still running. The water had been running for nearly forty-five minutes, he noted. Finally, Spike lifted the boy from his lap and placed him on the couch, instructing Ariel to watch him until he came back. Pushing the curtain back, Spike quickly turned off the chilly water and pulled Xander to his feet. He took the navy, terry cloth dressing gown from behind the door and helped Xander into it.

Together, Spike and Xander sat on the shaggy rug in front of the tub with their backs against the outside of it. An arm wrapped tightly around Xander's shoulders, drawing the larger man closer. "What's wrong, pet?" Spike asked him, pushing a lock of damp brown hair behind Xander's ear. His lips pressed against the brunette's temple as he took one of Xander's hands in his own.

"It's just- we just got together and now you're telling me to run away. You are just as much a father to them as I am, Will. I don't want you to go and open the seal with them and fight with them but I know you have to." He sighed, his head lolling to the side and coming to rest on Spike's shoulder.

"Were you sitting in a cold shower the entire time just now?" Spike questioned.

Xander shook his head. "No, after you left I took a cold shower, then I took a regular shower and I must have switched it back to cold after. You worry about me, don't you?" A small smile began to creep slowly over Xander's face.

"More than anything, pet. We need to get you dressed. Come on." He gave Xander's arm a gentle tug.