Anything for You

<Part 3>

    After that first day Spike became a regular fixture in
the Xander Harris household. He was there every morning on the weekends,
feeding and playing wite kie kids so that Xander could get some sleep. He
was there when Xander got off of work, fixing dinner and playing mr. mom
to the three demons.

    It was one day two weeks later when Ssol called Spike
Wil-Daddy that Xander realized what was happening. Spike 'was' their daddy
almost as much as Xander himself. The kids were 'theirs'. He heart felt like
it might beat out of his chest he was so happy!

    Spike ed ted to look at the wide eyed human and arched
a brow, "What's wrong whelp? Your heart's all jumpy. You feeling ok?"

    "Y. . . yeah. I just. . . um. . . thank you."

    He smiled, "Told yah I like the whelps. You're not so
bad either, when you're away from the minions."

    "The. . . oh! The Scoobies?"

    "Yeah. They aren't good for you."

    "Well maybe not. But they're my friends."

    "And now that . . . that the slayer is gone?" Spikes eyes
fell and Xander ached. His happy home illusion was shattered.

    //He still loves her. I . wh. why did I . . . Shit.//
"We'll fight like we always did. Buffy was great, but we weren't half bad
either."

    "You'll get killed quick out there without the slayer."


   ndernder nodded and sighed then looked up at Spike with
a serious look he almost never wore. One that said 'please listen to what
I'm going to say, it's life or death to me'. "If I die Spike, will you raise
the boys?"

    "Huh?! Me?!"

    "They already call you Wil'daddy."

    Spike blushed. "Heard that did you?"

    "And Ssol never says something unless he means it. None
of them do. I'm human. I know I'll die and I could die any day on the Hellmouth.
They need one of their daddies."

    "I. . ." Spike's blush deepened and Xander realized how
that had sounded.

    "I didn't. . ."

    "Sure."

    "Wha. . .?"

    "I'll watch the whelps if something 'appens ta you."

    "Thank you."

    "Yeah yeah." He turned back to the stove but Xander caught
his smile. Spike was pleased with the idea, and Xander was happy too.



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    The week that Buffy came back to life, Spike didn't show
up. Not even one day. Xander knew he was trailing Buffy like a lost puppy
but he worried anyway. Since They'd become a suedo family Spike had never
been gone longer than one night, and he'd been in trouble that night, almost
caught in the sunrise!

    The fifth day he finally gave up worrying and decided
to go look for the vampire. After tucking the kids into bed and giving them
as much blood as he could spare, he kissed them on the brow and smiled down
on them. "Guys, I'm going out to find your daddy ok?"

    "Is daddy ok?" Essej asked in a quiet voice.

    Xander nodded, "I'm sure he's fine, he's just. . . been
busy."

    Yrral sniffled and gazed up and Xander with big eyes,
"Is the Buffy lady going to take daddy away again? Like before?"

    "No. Buffy lady never took daddy away. She knows I love
him. He takes himself away when she's around. But this time. . . I'll tell
him. Ok? I'll tell him how I feel and maybe he'll stay with us ok?"

    "But what if he hates us for it?"

    "It'll be better than waiting for him to come home then
wont it?"

    "I love Wil-dad Daddy." Essej sobbed.

    "We all do baby. I'll try to bring him home. I promise
I'll try."

    They watched their daddy go and settled into an unpeaceful
sleep full of worries and sadness. Their family was in trouble and not one
of the small Garkreshin could do anything about it.

_________________

    Xander walked toward Buffy's house going over what to
say in his mind. He knew Spike would be around Buffy so now all he needed
to do was find the right thing to say. Somehow, 'I love you come raise baby
demons with me' just didn't sound right.

    When he reached Buffy's block a tremor shook the sidewalk
and he looked up to see y's y's house shaking in it's foundation. "What the
H. . ." He ran toward it praying as he went, "Please be ok, please be ok,
please. . ."

    He froze outside the window. His heart flying into his
throat. Buffs fis fine. Spike was too. They were fine together. She was riding
him and both were moaning in pleasure and lost to the world. Neither heard
the gut wrenching sob from the boy on the other side of the broken window
pane. And neither saw the face of the man they called friend crumble like
a demolished dream. Xander backed up. eyes never leaving Spike's wonderfully
happy face until the house blocked it from view. Then he ran. He until he
could see his apartment building and then slowed down to a walk and fought
to rein his agony in. The children had loved Spike too. They'd lost a daddy.
Xander had only lost a hope.

    The kids were not blind.



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    The minute their daddy walked in the children knew that
something was wrong. He smelled like misery. "Dad?" Ssol walked forward only
to be crushed in a 'n'-bn'-bone crushing hug. The Garkreshin hugged his Xan-daddy
back carefully, knowing that humans were fragile creatures. Finally Xander
collapsed right there. On the floor. He just couldn't stand up anymore.

    Essej and Yrral helped him to the bedroom and looked on
worried. "What happened Ssol?"

    "He was so sad! His heart was screaming pain and I couldn't
make it better." The demon looked away, "So I told him to sleep."

    "He needs sleep. You did the right thing."

    "Why did. . ."

    "Daddy is strong." The youngest sniffed, "He's a good
human. No one can make daddy hurt out loud."

    Ssol blinked, "No one but the pack." He smoothed back
Xander's hair, "And Wil."

    "But Spike loves daddy doesn't he? Isn't that what 'mates'
means?"

    "Mates doesn't mean it when Spike daddy uses it. It just
means friends."

    "Is Xan-daddy gonna die?"

    Ssol stood up and stomped to the door, "This kind of pain
doesn't kill you." He growled and ripped it open. "They are NOT hurting our
daddy again!"

    "Ssol!" The other two cried out but Ssol was gone.

    "He's going to face the slayer!"

    "Daddy Spike won't let. . ."

    "But the buffy lady is with him!"

    Yrral's eyes widened and he began to shake Xander in earnest,
"Dad! Wake up! Daddy!">
<>


    "What kind of sleep did Ssol put him in?"

    "I'm scarred Yrral!" Essej sobbed.

    Yrral held his little brother and kept a brave front,
but he was shaking. //Xan-Dad, please wake up before Ssol. . .// He buried
his face in his brother's hair, "Daddy."



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    Willow's eyes shot to the store front when the bell rang
once and then embedded itself in the wall next to her head, "Where are they?!"


    The witch backed up slowly and tried not to freak. No
freakage going on there. //'eight year old kid' sized demon, just a nice
human sized demon with silver white hair and eyes with catlike slits and
silver scales. Nice demon, not really big claws, lizard tail, nothing to
worry ab. . .//

    "WHERE?!"

    //Sharp fangs, lots of sharp fangs, oh shit shitshitshitshitshit!
Ok now I'm freaked.// Willow looked around for a stake or any weapon, nothing.
"Um who? I. . . Giles and. . . I mean, I don't. . ."

    "The slayer and the vampire."

    Giles ran into the main room when he heard the noise and
tried to chant a spell but he was suddenly struck mute.

    "My daddy wanted to die because of them.  Daddy never
gives up! What did he see?! Where are they!"

    "Ssol!"

    He swung around and saw Yrral and Essej run into the shop
doors. "He's ok Ssol. He just needs to sleep! Calm down!"

    Willow blinked as the three almost identical demons hugged
each other and her assailant began to cry. //No freakage here// she thought
softly, //What did Buffy and Spike do to them?//

    The door opened again and Buffy and Spike both made their
entrance. Buffy's hand went for a stake but Spike stopped her, "Boys? Where's
your daddy? What happened?"

    They backed away and Willow saw hurt flash across Spike's
eyes.

    The slayer had put the stake away and looked at Spike,
"You know them?"

    "These Whelps' Daddy's me mate."

    "Don't say that!" Ssol and his brothers screeched in tandem.
"Don't say that unless it's true."

    Spike took an involuntary step back, eyes wide. They had
never yelled like that before. It was like they'd suffered some horrible
los. . . "Where is he? Is he ok?"

    "Why would he be ok?! You crushed him! You are uninvited
from our house. You're a bad man!"

    Spike's heart sank. Sure he was bad, but he loved the
whelps almost like his own! Why. . .

    The door shattered as it was banged against the wall once
again, "Guys!"

    "Xander!"

    Willow smiled but he didn't come to them, he ran to the
demons and knelt on the floor at their feet, hugging their waists, "You're
not staked! Oh thank god you're ok!"

    "Daddy!" They returned his hug and the slayer and slayerettes
could only watch in shock, Spike in pain that he was no longer accepted by
them.

    "Don't you EVER do that the me again! Do you know how
worried I was! Do you have any idea what you just put me through?!"

    Willow blinked and looked at Buffy. "He soundse mye my
mom."

    Buffy nodded.

    The chocolate eyed boy hugged the three demons even tighter,
"My babies. God I can't loose you! It would kill me to loose you guys!"

    "Us too daddy." They knelt on the floor with him and almost
bowled him over with hugs and cuddles, "We're sorry."

    The sound of a throat clearing caused Xander to look up.
//When did the scooby gang get here?// Oops. "Um. . . hi guys."

    "Xander what is going on?"

    "Well I. . . uh. . . that is. . ." He looked up and froze.
"Spike."

    "Oh no you don't! Not my fault ya daft git!"

    The slayerette bit the inside of his cheek until it bled.
//Spike. Buffy and Spike. Oh God.// He stood up and walked out, his three.
. . whatever they were walking behind him.

    Willow's eyes followed him. He had looked broken! Xander
didn't break! He was the strong one. She looked at the others and finally
registered how close Buffy and Spike were standing to each other. And that
both had blotches on their necks. "Buffy." Her voice sounded so small!

    "Xander's finally gone off the deep end." Buffy breathed.
"what happened?"

    "You did Buffy." Willow blinked back tears.

    "What? What did I do?"

    "You don't remember." The witch sat against the counter
and buried her face in her hands, "Poor Xander!"

    "What? What don't I. . ."

    "THINK Buffy."

    The blond stepped back and blinked.

    "Xander trusted us with a secret two years ago. What was
it?"

    "Secret crush." She answered without hesitation.

    "Who, Buffy."

    The slayer stiffened and her eyes darted to Spike, then
to Willow. The witch nodded. "Oh no."

    Spike was getting really impatient, "Will someone Tell
me what's going on?!"

    "I. . . I slept with. . . and Xander . . ."  Her
face was so hopeless!

    "Don't worry slayer, only one you slept with an a week
is me. C'n smell it I can."

    The hopeless face became stricken and Spike's mouth dropped.
"Shit."

    And the slayer cried.