Pairing: Spike/Angel
Rating: Mature Audiences (M/M sexual content)
Summary: The final battle came at a terrible price. Can our boys recover some of what they've lost? Do they want to?
Spoilers: Post end of S5 AtS so Minor if any
Author's Note: Don't own the characters etc and bow down to their original creators Joss, et al., plus all the wonderful online writers who continue to give them life.
Part 37
Angel and Spike did not even bother with the conventional corridor, instead the two master vampires hurdled to the next story from their own balcony then dropped on to Dawn and Connor's. It was expected. And Connor let them in. Spike shivered as he passed the extraordinarily strong wards.
The babies were crying, Dawn was frantic and Connor's eyes had changed and his fangs were down ready for attack. Like any devoted father he stood ready to protect two wailing children and a crying partner… Realizing who it was, he fell into his fathers' arms. His fangs found their mark immediately and he took straight from his true father's jugular.
Spike took Dawn into his arms, then calmly pulled her to the bed, rising only to collect the two wailing children tucking the pair between them and whispering, "Let's try somethin' Pet"
then accepted Spike's offered wrist. The babies seemed to calm as their parents stilled with the imbibing of familial blood. Dawn was propped up on pillows and two tiny mouths found their mark with a little assistance.
They were all barely relaxed before they felt and saw the crackle of another attack as Connor curled up on his father's lap while Dawn continued to lap Spike's wrist rhythmically as he supported her little girl with the other hand and both children tugged at her breasts.
The two vampires growled at the attempted intrusion but Connor looked up, calmer yet now feeling rather like a little boy instead of head of a family. He looked up at his father rather apologetically then began to shift by found himself even more tightly embraced and a loving smile greeting his angst.
"Stay for a bit son. Nothing wrong here now and you did the right thing. For Spike and I, there's nothing more important than your two… well… four now… nothing!"
Spike pulled his wrist away and patted his 'daughter in law by Mating' and struck up, "C'mon Sire, time for the granddads to placate the littlies then, while the young lordship here sorts out his lady." The wink and grin from the blond was seen by Connor and Dawn and lightened their mood a little. Angel and Spike let love flow through the link knowing Connor had just fed from his father he would be privy to the emotions at least for a time, but Angel did not miss the very real worry in the look Spike shot him while the parents gently changed and wrapped the two tiny people.
It was decided Angel and Spike would play grandparents, nursemaids and protectors to the twins for a few hours that night, and give the young parents time to regroup. When ready, Dawn and Connor would join them at the vampires' apartment. The problem was still the question as to who was trying to break the wards and why. A very sleepy Willow and F'Iaid arrived around midnight – along with an elegant looking young man who introduced himself as Hugh.
……………………..
Their apartment was quiet, though the sparks through the wards indicated that someone had been targeting them as well. But for now, all was seemed settled.
Two tiny bodies had been disturbed with the move, so were about to be fed. Dawn had done a sterling job at expressing for the first time – F'Iaid's lessons paying off and her own breasts used to feeding two, full to the point of pain far too often. Her body would eventually adjust but for now… expressing was a sensible option.
Spike wandered into their bedroom with two bottles of Dawn's warmed breast milk. He handed one to Angel then settled himself beside his larger lover as Angel cradled the two tiny figures in his arms and eased a teat into the minute mouth of his grandson as Spike did the same with Talia.
Spike smelt it and looked across to his lover, his Sire had tears tracking down his cheeks… The little lad had curled his tiny hand around the pinky of Angel's free hand, and the memories of Connor at the same age were a little too acute… and then the loss of his son… twice… but now… this, these beautiful children… grandchildren! Spike leant over and kissed away a tear on the closest cheek. Then saw more spill.
Spike knew that words would be inadequate, so opened his free wrist and let his Mate suckle as their grandchildren enjoyed their meal.
Eventually, at much the same time as his tiny charge released her bottle, Spike felt his wrist fall free. He pulled away and felt surprisingly tearful himself as he observed the babies sleeping contentedly, snuggled together on their snoozing grandfather's cool torso, the larger vampire's strong arms cradling the minute humans easily with their baby blanket surrounding them.
Spike eased himself away then returned with food for both he and his mate. Angel woke slowly to the gentle attentions of his partner.
Angel carefully eased the two tiny figures onto the bed between them, then stretched up to kiss his mate. Their fingers touched as they simultaneously reached over the grandchildren, and their legs intertwined in a show of protection like no other.
The wards were hit again but it wasn't noticed by the mated couple, their physical boundaries prevented the protagonist from detecting the presence of the children.
It puzzled the attackers.
The key and her partner were present, and making love.
The Sire and Childe were in their space sleeping together… but the children had apparently… disappeared.
The order came as two of their number disintegrated. "Find them!"
…………..
Spike and Angel woke a little stiff, having kept the same position for almost four hours. Their two tiny grandchildren were just beginning to stir and there was a quiet knocking at the door.
Spike squeezed his partner's hand then rose to answer the call, feeling Conner seeking out his children through their own familial link.
Dawn was standing looking on the edge of panic as the door was answered and they were ushered in.
She fell into her favorite inlaw's (or should that be outlaw's) arms and was relieved to hear a quick report.
"Oh come on Bit! They're fine. Couple of hits on the wards no big… The ol' Poof an' me will see off any nasties – you know that!"
"I know but…" Connor squeezed his wife's hand then turned to Spike. There was still high anxiety flowing freely through the link, before his partner managed to hold back her tears and managed a very halted, "F'Iaid and Willow think it is a big deal!"
The blonde vampire pulled the rather frantic young mother to Angel and his shared bedroom to reveal two tiny forms just beginning to squirm and a blissful grandfather enjoying the moment. Angel moved off the bed allowing the two young parents to take care of their children, Dawn's milk leaking before she had even made it to the bed. Connor assisted and tiny mouths latched on to breasts replete with mother's milk.
Dawn's pallor was indicative of her genuine terror for her children and Angel saw the parental anxiety. It was too reminiscent of another vampire's child.
Connor barely held his composure as he felt the related distress, worried for his own children and felt his wife's panic.
Dawn's pleading eye's met Spike's as he took her hand and they all settled onto the huge bed that graced the master bedroom of their apartment. She allowed tears to flow as she accepted her perfectly safe twins back, felt her milk flow drop and relaxed as two welcoming tiny mouths latched on. The combination of relief and worry saw her own tears fall as those around her made sure her two children continued with their meals, propping them up on pillows and coaxing them to stay attached, before gently lifting the two sleeping babies and tucking into their bassinette.
Angel was still fascinated by the feeding, but Spike seemed strangely comfortable. His connection and commitment to Dawn was absolute, and now as she had become a mother, he felt a pride in her, and adoration for the new little humans of their family. And he still took his oath to protect her, even after years of separation, most seriously.
She faced her former protector, now relative. "Someone is trying to get them, Spike… They're so tiny and already someone's trying to get them… They probably want them for parts or something horrid like that and then there'll be Connor and … even me and Ohhh Spike!"
Reassurances were made and blood exchanged with Connor, the circle of three males resolute… so it eventually twice a week the young couple forgot about the external threats and simply enjoyed each other. Three months later, Angel and Spike minded the children for the evening while and within a week, could smell it. Connor and Dawn had been amorous, and although it was unexpected … indeed should not necessarily even been possible, given that she was feeding twins, she was pregnant again.
Spike and Angel's apartment's wards were hit hard the evening the young couple announced th, though they now expected it. It occurred every time the small folk were with them, or Dawn and Connor but this time Willow and F'Iaid were summoned. Dawn drank from her partner's wrist as he bit down harder into her jugular than ever before and took from her while pressing an already dripping wrist and felt that something within her had changed but was too worried by other issues with the babies to worry about her own state.
…
Spike rolled his eyes as his Mate, his Sire, sighed and reached over to stroke his lovely partner as the music began on the sound system.
Louis Armstrong's 'Dream a Little Dream' followed 'What a Wonderful World'. The easy pace and sweet melody all contributed, the wards quieted, and the babies relaxed and slept. Spike reflected as Angel also yawned, Satchmo style strangely always seemed to calm the children, and his Sire… with the advantage that his lovely partner in all things was always amorous afterward.
This time however, it had been for comfort, and after the 'compulsory' kiss, they had focused on the feeding then sleeping children before relaxing, still stroking each other.
'Louis' was still on a loop and quietly playing in the background as Dawn and Connor let themselves into the apartment. As they entered, 'Hello Brother' was playing… and the parents could see the two grandfathers curled apparently snoozing around two tiny figures with spent bottles by their sides and the obvious signs of feeding on their wrists. Both children were sleeping, arms akimbo carefully circled by the protective bodies of two of the strongest vampires on the planet. But Dawn was not to be fooled.
She saw the slow tears tracking down the man who was her step father and had defended her beyond his own final death… and now protected her own children.
As she approached the bed, as the recording of Louis began to sing and Spike's azure eyes opened to her and the love they held was astounding and the combination gave her now option but tears.
A man wants to work for his pay A man wants a place in the sun A man wants a gal proud to say That she'll become his lovin' wife He wants a chance to give his kids a better life, yes Well hello, hello, hello brother
Connor sidled up behind her, slid his arms around her and smiled at the conscious Spike and the scene, then began to really listen to the words. Spike saw the shift and the babies stirred a little but did not wake. Connor turned his beautiful wife and reached to wipe away her tears after she too witnessed the touching scene. Her recent worry had just been obliterated by a lovely private evening, and now the very old fashioned song reminded her of just how very lucky she really was.
Connor's rather teary adoring look caused her to bury her face into his neck and as the next stanza began, he pulled her close, mirrored her position and the two slow danced in the doorway of the Grandfathers' bedroom.
You can travel all around the world and back You can fly or sail or ride a railroad track But no matter where you go you're gonna find That people have the same things on their minds
A man wants to work for his pay A man wants a place in the sun A man wants a gal proud to say That she'll become, his lovin' wife
He wants a chance to give his kids a better life Well hello brother, hello, yeah
Grandpa Spike stayed put and the twins slept on, as did their ancient grandfather.
Connor and Dawn smiled at the blonde as the song finished and availed themselves to the spare room.
(Thanks to Louis Armstrong (postumously of course)