Title: The Babysitter

Author: Azure K Mello

Part: 9?

Pairing: Angel/Spike

Rated: R

Type: AU

Summery: Talking to Dad and the ex-gif

Thank you to snowpuppies for the plot bunny inspired by On the Other Side. I want more of that soon! Sorry it's taken so long for the update!

Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS.

The house was silent. Liz was asleep. Xander was at a play date. This all meant that Will needed to be as quiet as a snake in the grass because he didn't want to face his father so early in the day. As he turned the key in the lock he heard the house alarm go off. Bloody typical, so much for being a snake, maybe a rattlesnake.

"Ah, William, good. I wanted a word with you this morning. Um. . . what happened last night? I think I know, but I'd like some explanations."

"What do you want clarified?" asked Will with a put upon sigh.

"Weren't you going for dinner with Cordy?"

"We went for an early supper."

"So why did you going clubbing with Oz?"

"I told you I was going to. Cor and me broke up and I went out with Oz to cheer up."

"So where did you go?"

"The Well of Loneliness."

"The gay bar?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"No real reason, I wasn't trying to pull if that's what you're getting at."

"No," his father said calmly, "I meant why didn't you go to the Bronze?"

"Because I didn't want to see Cordy."

"So where did you meet Angel?"

Laughing bitterly, Will said, "Your perfect babysitter's a fag."

"Don't use that word."

"Does it hit too close to home? Does it scare you?" Will didn't understand his own anger. Just a moment before he'd been in such a good mood. His father's questions made him mad. He could understand why his father wanted answers. His father had every right to pry into his business, he'd done truly stupid things in the past. And he knew that his dad was just worried about him. But he was still angry, maybe at himself, at how stupid he had been. At the fact that he had a past which warranted his father questioning him after a night out. "Look, if you're trying to figure out if I did something illegal then, no, I didn't break any laws. And if all you're trying to do is be on the ball for when the cops call then you don't have to worry." He started to storm up the stairs but his father's voice stopped him.

"I do love you, Will."

Pivoting on his ankle he shook his head, "Is that your answer for all the toughest problems? You love Xander and you worship Liz. But you don't love me. And I can't fault you with that. I've never given you a reason to love me. All I've ever done was provided you with reasons to be ashamed of me. When you look at me you see a yob. You treat me with a mix of familiarity and disappointment. I understand your position but please don't tell me that you love me just to stop me from hating you. I don't hate you. I'm sorry, Da." He slowly made to go to his bedroom.

"Will?" Giles asked softly. "One more question?"

"Yeah?" He didn't turn around. Instead he stared at a picture of a dead girl on the wall.

"I know that you weren't trying to- but did you pull last night?"

"I slept at Angel's."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Angel's a man."

"You still aren't answering."

"I'm going upstairs now and then later I'm going to go get a picnic and go to the beach."

"With Angel?"

"With Angel."

"He's a nice boy. You could do a lot worse."

The cliché was grating, "Since when am I gay?" Will asked his father angrily, "Until last night I had a girlfriend. And now I'm gay and apparently picking out china patterns with Angel?"

Giles said nothing for a moment and then, "Love has nothing to do with reason or actions. And despite what you think you do make me proud. I'm not very good with affection but I do love you. In the past your actions have left me hurt or confused, but I've always loved you."

"Ok."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Yes."

She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup. "Please don't hurt him," she said after they had been reviewing for close to two hours.

"Who?" asked Angel innocently.

"You know who," she said not quite coldly, "I know he seems very hardened and maybe, I don't know, uninterested? But he's a child. He thinks that I don't know about his life. But believe you me, he doesn't need to get hurt again."

Mouth dry he said, "I won't hurt Spike, Joyce."

"You better hope you don't." Her smile suddenly brightened. "I don't know why they call him Spike."

"Oh it's because he had blue spiky hair."

"Will never had blue hair," she shook her head getting back to business. "Ok, tell me everything you know about Monet."

The colour bleached out of his cheeks. There wasn't much there to begin with, even though he wasn't wearing make-up he still didn't have much blood in his face to begin with. Cordelia walked into Picture Perfect Picnics slightly out of breath. As she blew her hair out of her eyes Will felt his breath catch in his throat. She was beautiful.

He started praying to a god he'd long forgotten that she hadn't seen him. But just as the wish crossed his mind the young girl behind the counter called, "Giles, lunch for two." Cordelia looked up and smiled as she crossed to Will.

"Whatcha doing here?" she asked with another tight smile.

"Giles, lunch for two," repeated the girl.

"Oh so you're picking up for your parents?" She asked and he could hear the slight edge of desperation on her voice.

He couldn't lie to her, "No."

Swallowing convulsively she said, "God I'm a masochist." She smiled a self-deprecating smile and bit her lip trying not to cry, "I remember when you took me out for a picnic."

"It's not like that, Cor, this isn't some courting maneuver." It was true, he didn't need to seduce Angel.

"Will's there a new girl?"

"No, Cords, you're my only girl."

"Giles," started the girl sounding annoyed.

"That's me. Just hold on one bloody minute!" He put his hands on his ex-girlfriend's shoulders. "Can we go out to lunch tomorrow?"

"We have school," she turned away slightly and he laughed.

"And we've never cut lunch before!" he said sarcastically as though the very idea was scandalous.

"Fine," she pouted and there was a time when he would have caught her lip between his teeth but that time was past, "Take me some place expensive."

"You got it, Princess." He kissed her forehead.

"Giles, lunch-"

"For fuck's sake!" he shouted and stormed off to grab the meal.

"Who's it for?" she asked softly as he passed her on the way to the door.

Laughing he acted as though the question were silly, "Xander's babysitter, Angel, and me."

She smiled, glad that her ex wasn't eating with a date.