Spike's POV

We got back to Buffy's house quickly and even though it was barely ten, we were all exhausted by the emotional tension of the day.

The Slayer and her soldier went to her room. The bit to hers. Demon-girl left soon after, hitching a ride from the watcher.

We all told Buffy we'd do the night's patrolling before we headed back to the mansion for the day. We'd only just finished the last graveyard when I smelled Bit. It was fresh.

I stopped, sniffing her out and followed the trail along the sidewalk. "What was she doin' out here so late?"

"It's nearly four in the morning." The Poof commented, following behind me with the others.

"It leads up there." Connor pointed to a big white building. I sighed.

"That's the Whelp's place."

Peaches growled. "Dawn and Xander were the only ones that talked or saw Willow." Cordelia explained to the confused ones.

"They're probably talking to her."

We all followed the scent to the Whelp's door and I paused outside. Five hearts were beating, two fainter and slower than they others. "She's here." Peaches breathed out.

I nodded and raised an arm to knock on the door.

The Poof, though, wasn't waiting. He barged in, opening the unlocked door, and stopping when he hit the barrier. I snorted and passed through. Good one.

Red, the Whelp, and Nibblet were all seated on the couch. They stopped talking, all turning to the door at my interest and I smirked. "Red." I acknowledged.

She looked tired and wary, but nodded. "Spike." she said back.

I laughed. "Don't worry, pet. I'm playing for the bloody white hats now."

She nodded with a small smile. "Xander told me."

I shook my head, ignoring the circles under her eyes and the sagging of her face. "Besides being pissed tired, you look good, luv."

She smiled. "Being pregnant agreed with me."

Xander pinched her hip. "Got a little curvier."he teased.

She shrugged. "Gran said I could stand to gain a little more."

"HELLO!" Angel growled from the doorway suddenly. Everyone but him had hesitantly started to the door but he blocked them.

"Oh..." Red sighed, looking suddenly even more tired than before.

"You wanna ignore him, Wills?"

She sighed. "Invite him in. He knows now, best to get it over with."

"Come on in, Deadboy!" the whelp called out.

Angel practically flung himself through the door, as if the invitation would be revoked if he wasn't in within three seconds. He came to a stop beside me. "Where are they?" was all he said.

Willow rolled her eyes but pointed to the bedroom. "Sleeping."

He hurried to the door but was repelled once he got within a few inches of the knob. He whirled back on Willow.

"They're asleep." she snapped out.

"I want to see them." he growled.

"And I want you to leave them alone." she replied, looking almost lazy about it.

He growled again and started to stalk toward her. "I want to see them...NOW."

Red rolled her eyes once again but stood and walked to the door. She opened it and a large black and white mutt came running out, rubbing against her legs in affection. She left it open long enough to let Peaches gaze inside before shutting it again. "You can meet them tomorrow before we go home. Right now, they're tired. They were kidnapped, if you remember, by your insane daughter."

We all turned back to the doorway, where Dru was still stuck outside. She looked like she may cry. "It was for Daddy." she whimpered.

Red stood from the couch she'd just sat back down on. "I don't give a fuck!" she raged, her hair going white. "You knocked me out, took my terrified children from their home and left them with three fledgling vampires who could have decided to snack at anytime. You're so fucking lucky Drusilla."

"Why aren't you killing her?" Dawn asked, then flinching when she realized her question. "I mean...what's making you not do it?"

"Spike." she grit out. "His love for her is what's stopping me."

I rose a brow, completely awed that she was restraining herself for me. "Thanks, Luv."

She nodded my way, never breaking eye contact with my ex. "But don't push it, you hear? There's only so much before I'll flip. And pushing it would include looking at my children ever ever again." She sat back down, her hair bleeding back to red. Finally, she looked back to Peaches. "Your death glare isn't changing my mind, so go on home or whatever. Come back at noon, when we're all well rested and they can meet you." They held a miniature stare down and I was a little dissappointed in myself and completely impressed by Red when she never backed down. When she finally relented, it was with a sigh. "I'm not playing your little vamp games. You're not going in."

Finally, Peaches growled and turned on his heel before stomping out of the room. The Fang Gang followed a little more slowly, saying polite goodbyes as we left.

Connor's POV

I had been fine all morning. Dad seemed tense, but I was excited. I'd never thought I'd get siblings. I'd showered and changed and ate before anyone else and then waited impatiently for the others to get ready and noon to roll around.

But when we finally approached the guy's apartment again, standing outside of the door, I realized my hands were shaking. It must have started sometime on the walk over.

The dog barked from inside and I heard a little girl squeal, "RYAN!" before a giggling fit started.

"Hey! Don't mess up your Uncle Xander's rug!" Willow called out. "Come on now. Lunch is served."

"What is it, Ma?" the girl asked.

"Spaghetti."

"With garlic bread?" she asked hopefully.

"Whaddaya think?"

The girl squealed again. "Jesse! Uncle Xander made bread too!" There was the sound of a loud victory whoop and then scrambling. I looked to my dad, realizing we'd been standing there for a minute or two. He had his hand raised, but stood frozen.

I needed to get this over with, so I leaned forward and knocked quickly. He turned to glare at me but the door opened quickly. "Bout time!" the hot redhead said cheerfully. Whoa. She's like my stepmom, sorta. Can't be thinking of her like that. "You guys were standing there for awhile." The smiled faded for a minute. "One strike and you're out." she said, dead seriously as she met my Dad's eyes.

His brows lifted. "Excuse me?"

"One jab at me in front of them, I'll teleport us back to Ireland and be moved from my old house in a day. We'll all find out how great of a hacker I am. But...I don't want to have to change names again. So...come in. And behave."

We all followed, a little shocked and stopped in the middle of the room. The whole apartment was sort of smeared together, except for the bathroom and bedroom. Xander and two small children were seated at the table. Dawn must've went back home sometime.

The boy looked up. Like that minion had said, the boy had big green eyes like his mother and the same deep brown hair that Dad and I shared. "Ma?" He froze suddenly, pointing. "Ma! Tha's the lady tha' hurt ya!"

My perpetual scowl turned into a slight smile. He'd called out the warning as if Willow hadn't noticed.

Willow moved forward quickly, boxing the children in between her and Xander. "I know, baby. But she's sorry. She's just...a little crazy." she stage whispered. They both giggled. "She doesn't know any better, so just stay away from her." They both nodded. "But...there are a few people that want to meet you guys." She glanced up and rose a brow.

"Oh!" Dad stepped forward. "Oh. Uh, um...I'm Angel." He held a hand out to shake. The boy regarded him carefully before taking it.

"Are you our Da?" he asked, deadly serious.

"Jesse!"

The boy turned to his mom. "Is he Ma?" She looked unable to answer, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

The boy turned back to my-our-dad. His eyes were narrowed as if inspecting him from head to toe. "Ma' said he was real tall and dark. And 'is name was Angel. Just like ya."

I thought Dad might have a stroke for a minute. He looked to Willow, who wouldn't meet his eyes and then he swallowed and nodded. "Yes." he finally managed to rasp out. The boy beamed.

"You are?" the girl asked curiously. She sounded a little skeptical about it. "Then 'ow come we ain't never metcha?" Okay, I hated to admit it. But there accents were adorable.

"Because I never told him about you two." Willow spoke up. "I went to live with Gran and I didn't see Angel, so..."

"Did Gran know our Da?" Jesse asked his mother.

Willow smiled. "No. She never got to meet Angel." Willow kept repeating his name, emphasizing it, as if she was uncomfortable with them calling him that. "Gran and I wanted you all to ourselves."

"I miss Gran." the little girl said.

"Me too, baby. Me too."

"Anyway." I said awkwardly, stepping forward. It seemed like I was next on the list. "I'm Connor. Uh...your brother."

The boy laughed. "You're too big to be our brother. Ma ain't old 'nough to 'ave kids, is what everyone says."

Willow did look too young to have two small children. But mostly because she was so petite and fresh-looking. Not like most mothers you see.

I just smiled at them. "Willow isn't my mom. But Angel is my dad."

"Oh."

"So...what's your names?" I finally asked, curious about the girl's name since it hadn't been spoken.

"Jesse Alexander Casey." the boy stated, sounding proud. "Ma said she named me after 'er two favorite boys in the entire world...after me, though. 'Cause I'm her favorite now." Obviously, this was something had told him alot. "Uncle Xander an' Uncle Jesse." He leaned toward me a little and whispered conspiratorially. "Uncle Jesse died."

Willow and Xander flinched simultaneously and she met his gaze and clutched his hand on the table. "I didn't want to lie to them about anything." she said sadly.

Xander glanced to Willow. "You named him after Jesse? And you named him after me too? And you changed your last name?"

She nodded. "You guys were my family, Xan."

I heard a barely audible growl from my dad and supressed a chuckle. I was starting to like Willow, and as much as I'd have loved to known my siblings, I could understand why she'd gone.

"And I'm Micah Elizabeth Casey." the girl proclaimed, bringing the attention back to the names. "But I was named after...well, ma Gran, cause she 'elped Ma when we was still babies. And Aunt Buffy..." Even as she said this, you could tell she had no clue who that was. "But I ain't never met 'er." she added, as if knowing my thoughts.

"Micah?" I asked, unable to stop myself.

Willow nodded. "Gran was named Micah, but went by Mickey before she decided I should call her Gran." She smiled fondly. "She hated having a boy's name. But I found it online listed for boys and girls so..."

"It's pretty." I told her. I was rewarded with identical sheepish smiles from my little sister and her mom. I couldn't help but to smile back.