Spike the. . . Cuddly???

Spike was having a bad day. No, scratch that, he was having the worst day in his unlife! //Of all the bloody demons ta run into I run into a Fradglarn. An' one making with the mojo too. Shit!// "Meow."

The vampire tried to swear again. "Mrrrow!"

//A fuckin' kitten! 'e couldn't 'ave turned me inta a lion or a wild tiger or somthin', no. He turned me into a kitten!// "Grrrrrowl." //Can't even growl right. My fuckin' balls 'aven't even dropped yet! Bloody 'ell!//

"Look mommy a kitty cat!" A chocolate covered hand tried to grab him. Spike lashed out and purred when he drew blood.

//No chip though.// He gave a kitty cat grin while the boy cried and disappeared into the crowd. //And sunlight isn't 'urtin' me. 'ey! Watch those boots!// "Mrrrowl! Hissssss!"

"Mangy cat!"

//'m not mangy.// He pouted and looked around. Where the hell was he anyway? //The magic box! Maybe the slayers minions c'n 'elp!// He waited for someone to walk in and slipped through the door.

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"Giles I understand that knowledge is a good and powerful tool but what does trigonometry have to do with anything if you aren't going into mathematics or advanced astro science?"


"It doesn't."


Willow pouted at the evil trig textbook. "So why do I have to take this class again?"


"Because you would like to graduate."


"Oh."


Buffy smirked, "And because there's a cute blond someone in the same class?"


Tara blushed and buried her nose in her books while all three of them giggled.


Giles smiled at his children and shook his head before moving toward the door to the basement, "Xander, would you like something to drink?"


"Sure, I'll be up in a sec G-man, just let me finish coating this she shelf so it can dry.


"Why do you insist on calling me that?" The watcher grimaced at the unwelcome pet name.


"Because even from way down here I can see you making the 'why me' watcher face."


This was met by the exact expression and fresh laughter from the girls.


Before Giles could reply he felt a slight tug on his trouser leg and looked down into a furry platinum face with big blue eyes. "Hello, what's this?" He lifted the kitten and smiled, "How did you get in here?"

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//Oi! watcher! 'elp me out 'ere!// "Mrrow! Mew! Meow Rowrr!" //Shit.//

Giles smiled and petted him.

//Well if yer not gonna 'elp let me go!//

"Ouch!"

Willow looked up sharply. "Giles?"

"It bit me." He looked at the ball of fur sullenly.

//Yer own fault!//

It was that moment Xander chose to come into the room, He was covered in the smell of fresh cut wood and clear coat. "It's your own fault."

Spike looked up at Xander and mewed in agreement. //There, he says so too.//

The watcher looked at Xander in annoyed curiosity, "I beg your pardon?"

He smiled and Spike perked up his ears and moved closer, but stayed out of reach for the time being.

"Kittens are scared of new people. You held him on his back and scratched his belly. It made him feel subdued and threatened. You can only do that if they trust you."

"You know the oddest things at the most interesting times."

"I had a cat once."

"Had?"

He nodded and smiled again but it was more forced. "So I know how to take care of them."

Willow looked at the kitten and smiled softly. "It's so cute!" She held her hand out and waited for the kitten to sniff it.

Spike glared. //'m not cute!// "Mrrowl!" His ears twitched again as Xander started to laugh.

"I think he. . ." The boy snickered, "He doesn't like being called cute."

//Right then I'm sticking with the whelp. 'e speaks kitten 'e does.// Spike climbed into Xander's lap and the boy stroked his back and held lightly making him curl up and purr louder.

Giles shook his head, "Amazing." He looked around, "Who's do you think it is?"

Xander shrugged, "It doesn't have a collar."

Willow picked up the paper, "People write in here if they lose a pet, we'll just take care of it until someone misses it."

"Xander." Giles looked at him in question.

"I didn't see any no pet clause in the lease on my apartment. Shouldn't be a problem."

"Cool." Willow smiled, "What are you going to call it."

The boy shrugged, "l asl ask uh. . ." He lifted the kitten up and looked at it's private parts, "Him later."

//Oi whelp, you wanna look at my kitty bit do it in private! 'm not inta public displays.// "Grrr Mew."

"Sorry li'l guy, but you didn't want me to accidentally name you princess or something did you?"

Spike shivered. //Ok Yer forgiven.//

"I'd better get going." Xander stood and lifted the kitten into his arms. "It's a weekend and I want to finish moving in before I have to be on site Monday."

Willow giggled, "Maybe Tara and I will drop by and see how your new roommate is doing."

He grinned, "We'll get a movie and order out. It'll be fun. Like a slumber party. Except for the slumber part. . . and the girls only part. A multi-sex slumber party minus the squishy noisy sex part. And I can't believe I actually SAID that! Call Buffy, see if her and commando boy want to come too. I'm going to go drown myself to save me from future embarrassments."

//Right, thanks for nothing watcher!// Spike snarled and as the door closed he heard Giles mutter. "I could have sworn that beast was glaring at me."
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Xander juggled Spike and his groceries and opened the door of the apartment then much the the vampire/kitten's dismay, he placed the litter box he'd purchased beside the toilet and filled it with Fresh Steps litter. "This is where you do your thing ok?" He rubbed the kittens nose in it and Spike growled. "No disrespect just pointing it out."

Spike walked around it a little and looked up at Xander, //Bloody 'ell you can't be serious.// But along with immunity to sunlight and the chip, came the living bodies need to relieve itself and feed itself normal food. //Well give us some privacy then!//

Xander grinned and turned around. "Sorry. Tell me when you're through."

//Can you really hear what I'm saying? Oi whelp! It's me! Spike!// "Mrrowl mew! Purrrowl! Hisss!"

"Nope, I'm not leaving, I still need to show you where your food will go. I'm not looking, go ahead."

//Fuck it all. Damn!// He did the deed and covered it quickly then stepped into Xander's line of site. "Mrrow."

Xander looked at the litter and smiled.

//'ey! Why'r y lookin' at it then? It's embarrassin' enough that I 'ave ta do it at all!//

"Good job."

//'e's praisin' me fer using the litter. 'm never livin' this down.//

Xander lifted the kitten into his arms and took him to the kitchen. Two bowls were placed on the table and filled one with food one with water. "I figured I'd spring for the good stuff since your a growing boy, There might even be real meat in there. Yum!"

//You're kidding right whelp?//

"You can eat up here with me. I don't have company often so. . . man, pathetic much? Sorry. Go ahead, find your way down so you'll know how to get back here."

Spike looked at Xander like he was stupid.

"Hey it looks different from the floor."

The vampire/kitten gave up and jumped from the table to a chair to the ground then back up and began to eat.

"Cool. Looks like you're all set, I'm going into the living room, right on the other side of the island here and relax a while. Come sit with me when you're done? If you want to of course."

//Whelp's good with cats.// Spike admitted as he watched the boy leave the room. //Gives me enough respect I feel at least a little like myself. Hmm. Talks right to me too. None o' thbabybaby talk either. This'll be fine 'till the mojo wears off. Most mojo wont stick ta vamps fer long. I hope.//

In the living room Xander was already half asleep on the couch with the TV playing in the background. //Least 'm not a dog. C'n still see color an' watch the telly.// He leapt up onto Xander's chest and curled up to watch.

"Mmm. Hey li'l bit."

//Am NOT little! Oh 'ell.//

"I haven' named you yet." The boy smiled sleepily and stroked the short fluffy fur.

Spike purred in spite of himself. //Better not be somthin' stupid.//

"How about. . . Hm. . . How about Spike."

The kitten blinked. //Well that works doesn't it. Why are you namin' yer ca' after me?//

"Your fur's about the color of Spike's hair." He yawned and his hand slowly stopped moving as sleep snuck up on him. "an' I like . . . Mmm. . . Spike."

//You like me?// The slit eyes strayed then to the whelp's face. //'e's a good lookin' guy when 'es not bein' an idiot. 'e's a real . . . yawn. . . nummy treat.// He stretched and nuzzled into the curve of the human's warm neck to sleep. The cat gig was yingying the hell out of him. But it had it's moments.