A/N : Wow, I continue to be stunned by the huge amount of positive response for this fic! As with most of my fics, they start off as this little half idea and I start writing and suddenly it turns into something different and it's also mega popular. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story and thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter; Xtremely-Canadian, hisluvpet, libraflyter, Slayergirl1212, Trojan Nag, Kristine, Faint Hate, naiya-isis, Katie, Elizance, Rhonda, IceBlueRose, lilmisscookiemonster, star2421, Mr Lennox I pressume, pixiecorn, Bridge, Culf, tsw, Alliegirl, darkmistress013, Gaea15, peanutbuttersandwich, Freezyboncoolipants, sirc, yarrow, jobe, Spuffyfan4eva, Crazy4mySpike, Lindsay, spikeswife1 (thanks for the tips by the way), MaidenRo, Rowan Rice. Hope you enjoy this chapter too! :-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 7
"Buffy, Spike" Joyce called to the kids that sat on the other side of the room, "Didn't I promise you both a fun day out today?" she smiled, and grins spread over both the mini Slayer and mini Vampires face at the reminder.
"Can we have ice-cream, Mommy?" was Buffy's first question as she bounded over with Spike at her side.
"I'm sure we can" Joyce smiled, ruffling the little girls hair, as Xander made a face and looked away.
"Whatever's the matter, Xander?" she asked him and Anya sighed heavily.
"It disturbs him to see Buffy and Spike holding hands" she explained, "It's ridiculous really"
"Absolutely" Joyce agreed as the kids shared a look and shrugged because they didn't see the problem, "Spike, sweetheart, pick up your blanket" she told him, before turning to Giles, "Rupert, we'll be back by four, and Xander and Anya are going to stay to take care of you til then"
"Really, Joyce, I don't need to be watched over like a baby" he told her, as she got up to leave, though he was truly touched by her concern.
"It's no big, Giles" Xander cut in, "We need to be here with the books anyway, if we're gonna reverse Will's spell"
"Wouldn't it just be easier to get her to do it?" Anya asked, "I mean, she finds people with her computer all the time, can't we do that?"
"I do believe Willow left her computer last time she was here" Giles realised, "It's on the coffee table over there, I think" he gestured in the rough direction that he thought it was in and Anya went to fetch the laptop.
"I'm not so much Net-guy, Giles" Xander frowned, "That was always Will's thing"
"Perhaps Anya might try?" the Watcher suggested, "She can hardly make things worse by trying to locate Willow, or Oz whom she is chasing"
The boy shook his head.
"You don't know Ahn like I do"
Joyce got Spike into the car and told him to stay down whilst they were on the road. Buffy was strapped in next and told to keep an eye on her friend.
"Where are we going, Mommy?" the little blonde asked as they hit the road. She leant in close to the blanketed form of Spike before adding, "Spike wants to know if it's an indoor place"
"I think I know the perfect place for us to have fun" Joyce smiled as she glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Buffy put her head under the edge of the blanket.
"Spike trusts you to think of a good place, Mommy" she reported back, "and me too"
"Thankyou" the older woman almost laughed, "Both of you, I hope you're not disappointed"
Ten minutes later...
"Oh Spikey!" Buffy shrieked, as Joyce pulled into the parking lot and she looked up at the building in front of them, "The ice rink Spikey! We're going skating!" she bounced up and down in her seat, alternating between clapping excitedly and peeking under Spike's blanket to grin at him!
Joyce smiled to herself. She remembered when Buffy had really been five years old, and even older than that, she'd been so obsessed with Dorothy Hammil and ice skating. With the rink being indoors, in made for the perfect venue for Spike as well as Buffy, and Joyce silently congratulated herself on a decision well made.
Bundling the kids complete with blanket into the building she was only slightly surprised to see they were holding hands again within moments of entering. Still, she was just happy they were suddenly getting on so well and not fighting about anything and everything.
"Look Spikey!" Buffy pointed out across the ice to all the people already skating around, "Isn't it pretty?"
The little vampire swallowed hard and squeezed the mini Slayer's hand tighter til she yelled.
"Hey!" she shoved him in the shoulder and pulled her hand from his, "That hurts, Fang-face!" she complained, rubbing one hand with the other.
Joyce was paying and getting skates but she sighed when she heard the squeaky sound of Buffy's angry-girl voice.
"What happened, sweetie?" she knelt down to her level and asked.
"Spike tried to break my hand" Buffy complained, showing Joyce the damage which was actually invisible. Spike rubbed his shoulder where he'd been shoved and looked daggers at the little Slayer.
"Now listen to me the both of you" Joyce told them in a low voice, holding onto one of their hands in each of hers, "Today is supposed to be fun but it won't be if you two can't behave. So I don't wanna hear who started it or why, I just want you both to apologise and be friends again. Can you do that for me?"
"But..." both Buffy and Spike said together but the look on Joyce's face made them stop and turn to each other.
"I'm sorry, Buffy" her companion said solemnly, reaching for her 'damaged' hand and kissing it better.
"I'm sorry too" she nodded, pulling him into a hug and Joyce was pleased to see it. She was slightly surprised however when she moved to stand up again and Buffy shyly asked;
"You'll still marry me won't you, Spikey?"
"Course, pet" he promised, "You're still my favourite Slayer-bint" he smirked, looking so much like his older self it was almost scary.
"And you're my favourite Fang-face boy" Buffy giggled as they resumed their hand holding and followed Joyce over to the seats to put on their skates.
- - - - - - -
"Oh, penis!" Anya complained, hitting the side of the computer screen in frustration.
"Ahn, maybe you should give it a break with the computer" Xander suggested, "How about some book reading, find a reversing spell or something?" he tried but her fingers began hammering at the keyboard once again.
"This shouldn't be so hard" she said frustratedly, "Willow does it and it's not like she's a genius"
"Computer-wise, she actually kinda is" Xander told her and she gave him a nasty look for that.
"I am quite capable of working out how to use this machine" she insisted and her boyfriend sighed tiredly as he flipped open another spell book. Giles had been half asleep on the couch until now but Anya's loud voice and smacking of the computer had soon brought him round.
"Xander?" he checked and the boy went to his side.
"Still here, Giles" he told him, "How're those peepers of yours?"
"Sadly Xander, my magic-induced blindness is no better for my having slept" the Watcher snapped, immediately regretting having been so harsh, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so abrupt, but I can't stand this, being useless..."
"I know how you feel" Xander sympathised, "I'm not doing so good with the spell find-age and Ahn..."
At that moment the lid of the laptop was flung down with a loud snap as Anya stormed over to the table, sat herself down and opened up a book without a word.
"And Ahn didn't have so much luck with the Willow find-age either" he added quietly.
"This is hopeless" Giles shook his head, wishing he had his glasses on hand to polish, "I really can't believe Willow could be so irresponsible"
"She was hurting so she did a little spell, I really don't think she meant for any of this to happen" her friend defended her, though Giles already knew blame should not really be put on anyone. The young witch made a mistake, something that everyone did from time to time, it just so happened that hers had caused a chain reaction of problems.
"I suppose we must look on the upside" the older man decided, "I am not completely incapacitated, Buffy and Spike are safe with Joyce, and it seems your demon problems have ceased to be"
The sound of breaking glass made a liar of Giles as the face of a demon appeared where the living room window used to be.
"Spoke too soon" Xander said with some panic, yelling at Anya to grab the books and the computer and get out whilst he helped the blind Watcher.
"Where will we go?" Anya asked frantically as they flew out the door.
"We'll know when we get there" was all Xander could give as an answer.
- - - - - - -
Spike stood by the wall at the edge of the ice rink, watching Buffy as she danced rings around even some of the adults out there. Joyce had given up on trying to stay with her, preferring to stand at the side with Spike when it became clear he was not at all comfortable on a pair of ice skates. Buffy it seemed grew bored of dancing by herself though and was eager for her little friend to join her.
"Did you see Mommy?" she grinned excitedly, "Did you see me when I twirled and I didn't fall down?"
"I saw, honey" Joyce nodded, so happy to see her little girl so thrilled over simple things again. Monsters and slaying didn't fill this child's head, and it was a pleasant relief even if it was only temporary.
"Spikey, why won't you come skate with me?" Buffy's grin turned to a pout when she realised her companion still had a death grip on the wall. He just shook his head and swallowed hard as a couple flew past them at high speed.
"Are you scared, sweetie?" Joyce asked him and Spike was quick to deny it, even if that denial was an outright lie.
"Not scared of anything" he said indignantly and Buffy looked at him strangely, not quite accepting that as the truth.
"Then come on" she said, holding out her hand to him. He eyed it carefully then glanced up at her face.
"I won't let go" she promised and cautiously Spike took his hand from the wall and reached out to Buffy who wrapped her fingers around his and held on tight. It took everything he had to dare to take his other hand off the wall, but when he did it and allowed himself to move across the ice it wasn't half so scary as he thought it would be.
"See, Spikey. Skating is fun" Buffy told him with a giggle and he smiled back at her as they moved faster towards the opposite side of the rink. He was starting to believe her until his hand accidently slipped from hers and he went hurtling off to the side, only just managing to stay on his feet. Buffy tried to turn and check he was okay but completely lost her balance in the process. Joyce, who had walked around the outside of the rink, saw Buffy fly back towards her, until her back hit the wall right by where she waited.
"Oh sweetheart" her mother cried, reaching her arms over the side of the wall.
Buffy's eyes had closed as she skidded back and hit the edge. Two arms reached down to grab her as a frightening scene shot through her mind. It was like intense deja vu as a demon-man hauled her off the ice and in her mind she saw a vampire come to her rescue, pain in her body, blood spilt on the surface of the rink.
She screamed.
To Be Continued...
A/N : I did warn you that this fic was probably gonna develop some kind of plot. Originally I was just gonna go with Buffy and Spike getting turned into kids for a while, forming a friendship, getting turned back and being big with the Spuffy love, but then I started having all these ideas so looks like we're in for another long ride with this story! It seems pretty popular so far anyway so that's good :-) Review and let me know what you think of the latest chapter and I'll update soon :-)
