A/N: Yay! Angel's big turning point! For those of you who have said that Angel should be nicer to Spike, it's finally here. I put it off, because, as we now know, Spike's issue is fatherly love. Nothing is ever easy in my world = ) So the road to Angel loving Spike will not involve kittens and puppies (If you want that, read Higgy's fic "not so big bad"). I think Angel would have quite a few father/son issues, because of his past experiences at parenthood. Plus, Angel and Spike never really saw eye to eye, so there's added issues there = ) But we are in for fun and hugs today. Plus I'm going back to clean up the formatting on my past chappies. Bloody likes to take all my pretty formatting away =[

Disclaimer: Hmm, I probably should have done one of these ages ago. Yo dude, obviously not mine. Surfs up amigos.

Chapter 6
Speaking of Vampires

"I bought your honey" Wes said, putting his groceries down on the kitchen bench.

Fred shuffled over to him, wrapped in her doona cover for warmth, "Mmm thanks," she said, kissing his cheek.

"You sure you don't want toast with it?" He asked.

"Nope." She pulled of the honey lid and hopped in her blanket over to the cutlery draw. "So, did Dr Evil bend to your will? Did he answer your questions? Or did you have to beat it out of him?"

Wes smiled as Fred started the long shuffle back to the lounge room "I got some answers."

"Oh good." She said, shuffling painfully slowly across the kitchen. "Wait, you didn't actually beat him, did you?"

Wes scooped Fred up and carried her to the lounge room. "No, I didn't beat him or anything. I just gave him my withering glare and he caved in."

Fred giggled as he sat down on the couch with her on top of him, "I could see that. Your withering glare is very intimidating."

"This one?" Wes said, glaring at her.

Fred put a hand dramatically on her chest and sucked in a breath, "I'm very intimidated." He relaxed and kissed her forehead. "So, you glared and what did the doctor say?"

"He said he key to restoring Spike to his original age is the love of his father." Wes said carefully.

"What?!" Fred cried.

Wes shrugged, "That's what he said. Spike has to obtain his fathers love to grow up."

"But Spike's fathers dead right?" She asked. "Or really, really, really old."

"I told the doctor as much. He said 'Spike has a father here he has issues with'" Wes paused, "I think that might be Angel."

Understanding dawned on Fred face, "Oh my gosh, you're probably right. Angel trained him to be a vampire right? Like a father?"

Wesley nodded, "I don't know weather we should tell Angel." He said in measured tones.

"We have to." Fred said.

"Think about it though. Angel has to give his love to Spike, if he knows that's what he has to do, will he be able to? Won't he just force himself?"

"But Angel hasn't been great with Spike so far." Fred mused, "Maybe he needs some encouragement."

"Maybe you're right." Wesley said.

Fred shook her head. "No, you are. If Angel knew, he'd try and force himself to love Spike, and you can't force a thing like that. He needs to mean it." Wes gave her a little squeeze. "What was that for?" she asked.

"For being wonderful." He said.

"As always." She took another spoonful of honey and shovelled it into her mouth.

"Isn't that disgustingly sweet?" Wes asked. asked.

"Mmhmm," Fred said, "Just the way I like it."

Wes kissed her cheek affectionately. "Whatever pleases you."

Fred smiled and took another spoonful of honey. "Do you want some?" She asked, holding the spoon out to him.

"Not really," He mumbled.

Fred waved the spoon at him, until a large glob of honey fell off onto his shirt. "Oops..." She giggled.

Wes frowned. "I was going to wear this shirt again tomorrow." He said.

Fred smiled, "You've got nicer shirts." She said hopefully.

"That's true. You're forgiven." He said.

Fred furrowed her brow, "Speaking of other shirts. Don't you ever go to your apartment anymore?"

Wes laughed, "What does that have to do with other shirts?"

"That's where your shirts live. I supposed you went there to get other clean shirts." Fred said, "Don't you need more clean shirts?"

"I have shirts here. And only one has honey on it. Most are clean." He said.

"What about your fish." Fred said, "Don't you need to feed your fish?"

"I don't have fish." He said.

"Oh." Fred said, "do you want fish?!" She asked sharply.

"No," Wes laughed, "Do you?"

Fred thought about it, "No, I s'pose I don't."

"What was that about?" He asked, confused.

"Fish." Fred replied, "But now we have that sorted." She snuggled closer to him, licking the last of her honey of her spoon. "Wesley," She drawled after a while.

"Yes love?"

"My throat hurts." She whined "Kiss it better?"

Wes laughed, and leaned into her neck, kissing her softly, "with pleasure." He crooned.

Spike looked down at his hands folded carefully in his lap. He tried not to move. He sat perfectly still on Angel's couch. If he sat really really still, and did nothing else bad, maybe everyone would just forget about it, about him. "Sorry." He mumbled guilt and dread bubbling up in his stomach again.

"It's alright." Angel called from the kitchen.

Spike listened to Angel pull things out of cupboards, and open draws. He tried hard not to cry again. "I really am sorry." He whispered, tears in his voice.

"I know you are." Angel said somewhat tiredly, "And it really is alright."

Spike's hands trembled, he tried to hold one hand still with the other, but they were both shaking too badly. Spike felt a tear drip down his cheek, and reached up to wipe it away. As he did, his hand brushed against his mouth. Trembling, he ran his fingers over his eye teeth. He shivered and pulled his hand away. They were normal sized. What had happened? He wasn't sure. He had been mad, and crying, and he had jumped off the couch. He was so angry. And he had lunged at Angel. And then he had bitten him. Hard. So hard he drew blood. Gunn and Angel had pried him off... "I'm s-s-sorry!" Spike wailed.

Angel walked calmly into the lounge room, "Shh, it's ok Spike," He said, kneeling down beside the couch, "I promise, its ok." Spike continued to wail and hiccup, shaking his head, "Spike, I..." Angel didn't know what to do. Acting on instinct, he reached out and put his arms around Spike, feeling the little vampire lean his miniscule weight against Angel's chest. "Shhh, it's alright. No need to cry. It's all alright."

Spike cried into Angel's shoulder until his shirt was wet with tears. After Spike had calmed down, Angel pulled him off, and looked him in the eyes. "Now, are you crying because I'm hurt?" He asked. Spike nodded. "Well I'm fine." Angel said, he awkwardly held up his leg and pulled up his slacks to reveal barely a scratch from the earlier bite. "Ok?" Spike nodded. "Now" He said gently, "Why...why else are you crying?"

Spike looked down at his lap, "I...when I...it felt like...I was different." He said, reaching a hand towards his mouth, but quickly pulling away with a squeak.

"You, you changed." Angel said, "Your teeth grew longer right?" Spike nodded. "And inside too, it felt like you were an animal. And you felt powerful."

"Y-Yes" Spike cried, throwing his arms around Angel's neck and letting his tears fall again.

Angel pulled Spike off him and sighed. "Spike, there's something I have to explain." He said. Where do you begin telling a little boy he's a vampire? Angel thought. "Do you know about fairytales? And magical creatures?" He asked, choosing his words carefully. Spike nodded, "Well, do you know about Vampires?"

"They only come out at night, and they come out to drink peoples blood" Spike said, "And they can turn into bats." He added.

Angel furrowed his brow, "Well yeah, except for the part about the bats." He said. "Well, Spike...you're not like other children. You're special." He paused "You're a vampire Spike."

Spike pulled away from Angel, screwing up his face in anguish, "No?" He squeaked, "No, no, no." He shook his head as sobs racked his tiny frame. "You're lying! Stop it! No! Don't lie!"

Angel held onto Spike's wrist, "Spike, this isn't a lie. You are a vampire."

Spike shook his head violently, "No! I'm not, I'm not! I don't wanna be a monster."

"You're not a monster." He assured Spike, "You aren't. There are bad vampires. Lots of them, but you aren't one of them. You have a soul. You're good." He said, "like...me."

Spike stopped crying and looked at Angel. "You're a vampire?" he hiccuped.

Angel nodded. Spike looked at him in hopeful disbelief. To prove his point, Angel morphed into his game face, causing Spike to gasp. "This doesn't mean I'm bad. I do good things, because I'm a good vampire. And I know you are too." Spike reached a tentative hand towards Angel's demon forehead. He brushed his fingers along the imposing bump, and as he did, Angel morphed back.

"Well, ok." Spike said. Angel was a vampire too. They were good vampires, the both of them.

"There are rules," Angel said hurriedly, "You can't go out in sunlight, you can't touch crosses or holy water. You can't eat garlic bread." Spike looked a little disappointed. "But you get to be super strong."

Spike grinned, "I didn't like the sun much anyway."

Angel smiled at Spike. He couldn't imagine how scared Spike must be of himself. Pride swelled in Angel's silent chest. "You mustn't tell anyone ok? Gunn, Lorne, Wes, and Aun'y Fred are the only ones who know ok?" He said.

Spike nodded. "Do we um, drink blood?" he asked.

"Well, pigs' blood yeah." Angel said nervously. "Would you like me to show you?" Spike nodded, and Angel hurried to the kitchen to fetch a glass of blood. He handed the glass to Spike, who took it with trembling hands.

Spike regarded the red liquid in his glass, watching it swirl ominously. He closed his eyes slightly, and lifted it towards his lips. The blood slithered towards his mouth, and spilt across his shirt as Spike thrust his arm outwards away from him. "It's...it looks icky." He said.

"It looks icky, but it's ok to drink." Angel assured him. Spike looked down at the blood, making a disgusted face. "I promise, look." Angel took the glass from Spike, and took a long sip. He swallowed his mouthful, "See, its ok."

Spike held the cup with one hand, and his nose with the other. He scrunched up his eyes, opened his mouth just a little, and tipped the cup towards his mouth. He took a little sip, made a face and stuck out his tongue in disgust. "It's ok." He said.

Angel grinned, knowing Spike's protest was all in his mind, but amused all the same, "You want something else?" he asked. "To wash it down?"

Spike shook his head, "No, it's ok." He took a little sip, without the drama this time. Then a gulp. He finished his drink and grinned at Angel.

Angel reached out a hand towards Spike, "You have a little...moustache." He laughed, wiping the blood from the child's lip.