Disclaimer: I own Amelia, Hendrix (Drix), and Reagan, but that's it.
One month later. . .
Opening his eyes, Drix looked around his bedroom to discover it was now empty of all other human life. Where had his mummy and daddy gone? They hadn't left him, had they? Throwing the covers off himself, and feeling hot tears of panic welling up in his eyes, he padded over to the door across his room, and opened it, now sobbing, outright.
"MUMMY! DADDY!"
Feeling his way around the hall, and blinded by tears, Drix heard a bedroom door open, and a moment later, strong arms were scooping him up, and holding him close, and a soft voice was in his ear, comforting him.
"What's wrong, Drix? We're right here."
Drix sobbed into his father's t-shirt, and heard his mother join them a moment later, and felt almost all his fears fleeting as she rubbed his back.
"Oh, Drix, honey."
Taking him from his father, Fred carried the little boy downstairs, and motioned for her husband to follow after. Drix held, tightly, to her neck, and calmed himself. They hadn't left him.
"Mommy knows just what you need."
Carrying him into the kitchen, Fred sat him on Wesley's lap as soon as the older man was situated at the table, and then, went to the freezer, opening the doors, and squinting her eyes as the bright light pierced the darkness of the night.
"It's okay, Drix, we didn't leave."
Wesley knew Drix feared being abandoned, he had, himself, feared the same thing as a child, and even as an adult he had feared being abandoned by his friends, whom he had grown so close to.
Pulling out the carton of vanilla ice-cream, Wesley and Drix's favorite, Fred scooped it into a bowl, and carried it, and a spoon, to the table, where Drix had situated himself to sit on his father's lap, head resting on Wesley's shoulder, and one hand firmly grasped around his father's wrist to make sure he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"There you go. Go on, it'll make you feel better, honey."
Taking a bite, Drix watched his parents, wearily. Fred remembered the first night they had brought the children home, all three children had snuggled into their parents' bed, and they had stayed there until late the next afternoon, laughing and cuddling, and basically being the family they had all missed out on in the last five years.
Since then, the kids had grown so attached to their parents, but Wesley and Fred knew all scars weren't healed. Amelia and Reagan were very cautious about who they trusted, having been fooled for most of their lives about who their parents were. They hadn't excepted Lorne until he told them a story about an awkward experience in his childhood involving a small pig-like creature of his world called a Priggins, and a whole mess of a Pylean dish called Rosh, which Wesley didn't really like to think about.
Of course, they, to their parents' weary had fallen for Spike in a heartbeat, lured in by his funny poses, east-end British accent, and occasional dirty language. Though, to everyone's surprise, and relief, he tried to keep it moderately clean around the kids.
Amelia and Reagan's behavior, however, seemed normal by all standards compared to Hendrix's. The poor boy took to following his parents everywhere they went, never a step behind. The first week, he had even followed one of them into the bathroom, just to make sure they weren't trying to abandon him, and then flinched when he ran into them, expecting punishment.
After a while, though, it had gotten a little better as he realized they weren't leaving him to be taken back by his grandfather, or the men from the Council, and they weren't going to hit him. Though, he still wanted company in the night, that's when he had nightmares.
Fred smiled as she watched Drix eat his ice-cream, clearly happy that he had found them and that he was being given a treat. Just then, the three turned to see their party had grown to five.
Amelia and Reagan walked into the kitchen, sleepy-eyed at first, but wide awake when they saw their mother had given Drix ice-cream. Walking, hopefully, to the kitchen table, the two girls took seats, and looked at their mother with the same look a puppy begging its master for a treat gives.
Smiling, Fred stood, and made two more bowls, handing them to her daughters, who began eating instantly. Ten minutes later, the kids had finish their ice-cream, Reagan and Amelia beating Drix by two whole minutes, and were all looking sleepy in the pre-dawn glow.
Kissing Drix's head, Wesley could feel the little boy falling asleep on top of him, and knew Amelia and Reagan were, too.
"I think it's time for some very sleepy children to get back to bed."
Feeling Drix tense, Wesley lifted him into his arms, and stood, a dim glow of pink light falling a few feet away from him.
"I'll sleep with Hendrix, and Amelia and Reagan can sleep in our bed."
Nodding, Fred lifted Reagan into her arms, and Amelia followed her mother and father upstairs, splitting in the hallway, Wesley with Drix, and Fred with the girls.
Laying Drix down, Wesley crawled in bed after him, and his head on one of the royal blue pillows, closing his eyes, and trying to fall back asleep. Then, a small body was pressed against his, cuddling. Looking down, Wesley discovered Drix, with his body curled into a ball, and his head pressed against his father's chest, fast asleep.
"Goodnight, Drix."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next morning, things were hectic as Wesley and Fred went from room to room getting the children ready so they could take them into work. Breakfast had been a fiasco, as Reagan had spilled her milk, setting them back fifteen minutes. Of course, now they were all showered, but that left the task of getting them dressed.
Fred pulled the emerald green t-shirt over Drix's head, and worked his arms into the sleeves, but he was trying to put on his shoes at the same time.
"Drix, honey, wait for Mommy to get the shirt on."
"Sorry."
Smiling, and kissing his forehead, Fred rubbed his arm, letting him know he didn't have to apologize or be scared of punishment. Pulling the strings on his grey sneakers, Drix looped them, and then stood, smiling up to his mother as Wesley poked his head in the room.
"Alright, good, two children down, one to go."
Lifting Drix into his arms, he carried the boy back to Reagan's room, where Amelia was sitting on the bed, and Reagan had a purple shirt on, backwards.
"Oh, look at you."
Fred covered her mouth, and smiled bending down to help Reagan turn the shirt around, and put her jeans on.
"Okay, honey."
Slipping her sandals on, Fred turned to see that everyone was ready, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright. Let's go."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Walking into the lobby at Wolfram and Hart, the children instantly spotted their favorite blonde vampire, and Amelia and Reagan were on him in a heartbeat, hugging, and begging for any stories he was willing, or rather 'allowed' to tell them.
Drix, however, stayed behind, clinging to his mother and father's hands.
"Well, I guess Uncle Spike has two children, now, for the third."
Bending down, Fred wrapped her arms around Drix's waist, and smiled.
"Do you want to come play with some new chemicals Mommy got, yesterday?"
Looking up at his father, who smiled and winked, Drix turned to Fred and nodded, smiling. Fred was sure to keep the more lethal chemicals locked up, but Drix seemed to know his way around the simpler ones, and had even helped her on some of her projects.
"Alright, sweetie."
Standing, Fred kissed her husband, and then, took Drix's hand.
"Spike, I'll be in my lab, with Drix, and Wes is in his office. Can you handle them?"
"Of course, the nibblets will be fine."
Walking upstairs, Fred held onto Drix's hand as she opened her lab door, to find Knox already instructing some of the employees on that day's work.
"Oh, hey, Fred. I see Hendrix is spending the day down here."
"Yeah, he's going to help me on that new case."
"Oh, well, I already laid the files on your desk."
"Thanks."
Following his mother into her office, Drix turned and gave one last look to Knox. He didn't like the man. Only his mother and father were allowed to call him Hendrix, and Knox didn't seem to like his daddy very much.
Closing the door, Fred handed Drix a pair of safety goggles, and put her own pair on.
"Okay, now, we have a Hydrogen project, a simple atom dissection, a dead body, well, you're not getting near that, and. . .oh, a staff meeting this afternoon."
Drix smiled, and swung his legs, back and forth, carelessly, sitting on his mother's desk.
"Hm. . .where should we start?"
"Hydrogen project."
"Okay, good idea. Alright, we're going to need. . .hm, the protractor, the pliers, and. . .oh, I think I left the copper wires out in the main lab. Can you go get them for Mommy, honey?"
Giving her puppy dog eyes, Drix stuck out his lower lip, and Fred giggled, smoothing his short, spikey brown hair.
"Mommy's not going anywhere, Drix, you know that. I could never leave you."
Emphasizing this with a kiss, Fred lifted him off the desk.
"Please? For Mommy?"
"Okay."
Opening the door, Drix went down the short sets of stairs, and across the lab. They weren't on any of the main tables, so he guessed she had left them in the private lab, where they had been working last night.
Walking, quickly, he slipped into the room, and went for the back table. Bending down, he opened one of the compartments, and began sifting through the materials. Then, he heard it, footsteps coming into the room. Looking around the table, expecting to see his mother coming to help him, he found Knox and another man, who was fat and bald.
Wanting to hurry, and get out of there before they noticed him, he scooted behind the table, hearing the door close.
"I don't know. It's very risk. . ."
"No, it's not. It's supposed to work. I'm her priest."
"Yes, but Illyrai? She's. . .she's a. . ."
"God, I know."
"Then, you know she won't be easy to summon."
"Yes, of course. Has that idiot, Charles signed the form."
"Yes."
"That's all we needed. We'll be able to do it, today. I just need to have the sarcophagus delivered to the lab."
"What about the capsule?"
"I've got one in mind."
"Who, though? It can't be just be anyone."
"Don't you think I know that? It isn't anyone, either. It's Fred."
Opening his eyes, wider, Drix sat frozen. What were they going to do to his mother?
"She's beautiful."
"Yes, but she's not mine, she doesn't even notice me now that Wesley and those kids are back in her life."
"Do you think they know? I mean, Angel and his little gang of crusaders?"
"They couldn't. No one, but you and me will know until it happens."
"It's such a shame to waste such a beautiful thing, though. I mean, you know it will kill her, right?"
Deciding he had to get out of there right then, Drix took off from under his table, and ran to the door, opening it, but it was slammed before he could stop it, and his arm was in a painful grasp.
"You."
"Let go of me! I'm telling my mummy and daddy on you, and you're not going to kill her!"
"Oh, is that what you think?"
"Let me go!"
Struggling against the man, Drix was shocked when Knox grabbed his other arm, and squeezed.
"You're not going to tell anyone what you heard, because if you do, I'll not only kill your mother, I'll kill your pathetic father, and sisters, too. Do you understand me? You'll have to go back to your grandpa, and I don't think he'll be too happy. What do you think he'll have in store for you? Hm? Perhaps a good beating or maybe he'll just kill you."
Crying, Drix didn't know what to do, but a moment later, his rescue came when the door opened, and his father stood in the doorway.
"What's going on?"
Loosening his grip, considerably, Knox looked up to see Wesley, and let Drix go.
"Nothing, the little guy, and I were just talking."
Wrapping his arms around his father's waist, Drix looked around to see the other man had disappeared. Looking down at his son, Wesley placed a hand on his head, and then loosened the boy's grip.
"Go to Mummy, Drix, she's in her office, okay? Daddy will be there in a moment."
Running to his mother's office, Drix didn't look back as his father closed the door. Waiting a moment until he was sure they were all alone, Wesley descended on Knox, punching him, and sending him crashing into one of the lab tables, then, to the floor.
Bending down, he grabbed the other man's lab coat, and pulled him forward.
"If you ever touch my son, or my daughters, like that, again, I'll cut your hands off, and make sure you bleed to death. Do you hear me?"
Nodding, slightly, and wincing, Knox looked up into piercing blue eyes. A moment later their stares broke, as Wesley stood, turning, and then with lightening speed, kicking Knox in the stomach, and knocking the air out of him.
"Come to think of it, keep your eyes off my wife, as well."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back in her office, Fred was holding a sobbing Drix, who had come running in in a hurry, and had buried himself in his mother's arms.
Just then, her office door opened, and Wesley came in, composing himself.
"What happened?"
"I think Knox hurt him. Has he said anything?"
Shaking her head, Fred bent down and looked into Drix's eyes.
"Did Mr. Knox hurt you?"
Staying quiet, Drix could hear Knox's words ringing in his ears, and he was very confused. Tell, and have his whole family killed, or stay silent, and let his mother be murdered? Fred's concern was joined by Wesley, who had situated himself in a crouch in front of Drix.
"Son, what was going on?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me so long to update. Here it is, though, and I hope you enjoy it! What will happen? Will Drix tell, or stay quiet? What will happen? Oh, and thanks a lot for the help, Heather!