Through the Eyes of a Child

Sundown found the Scoobies and the AI team together at the Magic Box. There were books scattered everywhere. Giles and Wesley were arguing quietly over some obscure phrase in some little known demon dialect. Willow was in her usual place, pulling up information from her computer. Angel and Spike were working their way through a pile of musty books, mostly written in strange demon languages. Cordy was sitting with them, pretending to be doing the same. Buffy and Gunn had taken one look at the pile of books and headed into the training room. The quiet of the studying was broken by the sounds of something being hit and grunts from whichever one was on the receiving end, probably Gunn. Tara and Dawn had Xander on the floor, playing Go Fish with him, trying to keep him occupied so the others could research. His ever-present firetruck was by his side. Every so often Xander would glance up and look at Cordy then quickly put his head back down. When she noticed what he was doing, she would wiggle her finger at him every time he looked up, he would smile shyly and look back down. Willow closed the cover of her laptop.

“Bored now.” Willow dragged out the words.

Cordelia shrieked, Angel dropped his book on the floor and Giles cup of tea rattled against the saucer and spilled. Both men just stared at Willow. “WILLOW, that wasn’t even funny. Are you trying to scare me to death?”

Buffy and Gunn came running from the training room, armed and looking for whoever was attacking. “Where is it?” Buffy asked here eyes darting aback and forth looking for the enemy. Gunn was at her side, battle-axe up and ready.

“Well..ehhh..Willow scared me!”

“Oh yeah, Wills is just so scary, Cordy. Did she brandish her laptop at you?”

“No, she said she was ‘bored now’.” Cordy explained.

“Wills, that is so not funny, somebody might have tried to stake you.” Gunn was looking between the two women with a look of total confusion. Willow was giggling until Xander stalked over to Buffy with his fists resting on his hips, looking like a little gunslinger ready to draw down

“whos gonna staked my willow? nobody hurts my willow.” Xander was scowling, looking from person to person, trying to figure out who to be mad at.

“Xander honey, it was just a joke, no one is going to stake me, promise.”

Gunn finally couldn’t stand it anymore, “Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Wouldn’t mind knowing that myself.” Spike joined in.

“It started when Cordelia got jealous..”

“Buffy, I was so not jealous. I mean, what was there to be jealous of?”

“You were so jealous. How else did Anyanka get her claws…” Giles clearing his throat stopped Buffy in mid sentence. He cast his eyes over to Xander and for once, Buffy actually got the point. Tara stood up and stretched.

“Little guy, why don’t I take you across the street for a treat. I need to get out of here for a little while. Ice cream?”

“Hey, what about me? I like ice cream”

“You can come too, Dawnie. Well, Xan, ice cream?”

“yep…chocolate? spike, can I go with my glinda?” Xander picked up the firetruck and went to stand next to Tara and Dawn.

“Yeah, go on sprout. Mind your manners. Glinda…”

“I know Spike. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him.”

“ready, glinda.” Xander took Tara’s hand and head for the door. He looked back over his shoulder and grinned, “you can all growed up talk now.” The three went out the door as the rest of the people sat in silence for a minute, then erupted in laughter.

“Anyway, Cordy made this wish thingie, that I never came to Sunnydale. Well, Anyanka was right there waiting for her to do it. Presto..no Buffy and Sunnydale becomes Vamp Central. Xander and Willow were both vamps, favorites of the Master. The one I was supposed to be here to defeat.” Buffy stuck her tongue out at Cordy.

“Oh, very mature Slayer. Glad my Xan isn’t here to see that. Would like to ‘ve seen my boy as a vamp though. Bet he was effin gorgeous. But how did you all get to see vamp Willow?” Willow became red faced as Giles, Buffy and Angel laughed.

“I’m afraid it was another of Willow’s less successful spells. After Anyanka became human she lied to Willow and told her she was trying to find a treasured family heirloom. The heirloom was actually her power source. She convinced Willow to seek the amulet with a spell. Well, the spell went wrong and evil Willow arrived in our Sunnydale. She was…was quite…”

“Yeah she was, Giles. She was hot, very hot and really evil in this uber evil, all leather, thinks she’s Angelus kind of way. Her big thing was saying ‘Bored now.’ I swear she must have had the attention span of a gnat.” Cordy cast very mischievous eyes at Willow. “She was also on the very gay side, even goosed herself.”

“CORDELIA!! I don’t think they needed to know that.” Willow’s face was now as red has her hair.

“Well, it could have been worse, she could have been calling you ‘puppy’.“ Cordy smirked at Angel,

Angel hit the table with his head, several times, “Couldn’t help yourself could you? Just had to say that.” Spike was on the floor roaring with laughter. Every once in awhile he would stop, point at Angel say 'puppy' and start roaring again.

“Gunn, I suggest you forget you ever heard this story. Cordy, you and Wesley forget as well, please.” Angel was pleading.

“Angel man, there is no way I am forgetting this, ever,” he snorted, 'puppy'.”

“Okay, that was fun but we need to get to trying to fix my Xan-pet. There has to be something.” Everyone started grabbing books and Willow returned to her computer.

Out on the street:

“Xander, don’t you let go of my hand. No wandering off this time, okay?”

“i’ll be good, i promise.” Tara held the hand that didn’t hold the firetruck and headed across the street.

“is that where we get ice cream? I wan’ chocolate and chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkly things and…and whip-did cream stuff. A biiiggg bowl.” Xander through one arm out wide to show how big a bowl he wanted. Tara and Dawn both giggled.

“Do you think we should do that to Spike? Remember the Ding Dong nightmare?” Dawn had an evil look on her face.

Tara looked just as evil, “Why not. Aren’t we supposed to make things up to Xander?” Both girls grinned at the thought of what tonight would be like for Spike.

Xander’s eyes were huge as he looked at all the pictures of ice cream treats on the shop walls. Ice cream was something he didn’t get very often. “can…can i get ..” He didn’t finish and put his head down. “sorry, not ‘apposed to ask for things. it’s rude and i gets in trouble for it. i jus’ wanna a little banilla one.”

“Screw that…”

“DAWN Summers!”

“Well, it’s not right and I don’t like it. If he wants Death by Chocolate, he gets it, and I’ll even pay. And if Spike doesn’t like it, then…”

“Dawn Summers don’t you dare say that again.” Tara couldn’t act too angry, she agreed with Dawn. Xander was watching the two and trying to cover his mouth so they couldn’t hear his giggles. “So you think that’s funny, huh Xander?”

“yep, can we gets ice cream now?”

“Yep” Tara answered copying Xander, “What do you want, little man?” The young girl behind the counter had been watching the interaction and couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong. She knew Xander as a good customer and something was off. He was acting funny and carrying a toy firetruck. She caught Tara’s eye and pointed to her head. Tara nodded then left Dawn and Xander debating ice cream flavors and went over to her.

“What’s wrong with Xander? He’s a regular in here and we really like him.”

“He had an accident awhile back and has a brain injury. He thinks he’s a little boy so could you, you know, kind of play along?” The girl’s eyes teared up but she nodded yes.

“Okay, what would every one like.”

Tara answered, “I want a single of Berry Blend sorbet, Dawn wants two scoops of Caramel Fantasy in a waffle cone and the Xan-man wants two scoops of Triple Chocolate with hot fudge and whipped cream.”

Xander whispered in Tara’s ear, “Oh yes, I forgot. He wants chocolate sprinkles too.”

“That’s sound about right for him, but…only two?”

“Two’s plenty, we’re trying to limit his chocolate consumption a little.”

The girl laughed, “I can understand that. I’ve seen him after an all chocolate Monster Sundae. It’s not pretty.”

Tara carried her and Xander’s ice cream to a table and Dawn followed, steadily licking on hers. After setting his firetruck on the floor, Xander began shoveling it in like he was really afraid it would disappear. “Hey, little man, slow down. No one’s going to touch it. I promise.”

“immsst goomm.” Both girls watched him enjoy the treat. He already had chocolate all over his mouth. It took so little to make him happy. They both enjoyed watching him. When he was finally finished Tara had to ask the counter girl to wet a napkin for her.

“Xander, you are a big mess, a big chocolate mess.”

“better clean up good then. beasties ‘ll eat me alllll up. spike says they like little boys ‘cause they’re fulled up with candy.”

“Well, I’m sure Spike would know what the beasties like since he knows most of them.”

“my spike knows the beasties?” Xander gasped.

“Sure, he plays poker with them.” It suddenly struck Dawn that maybe that was something Xander really didn’t need to know. Thank heaven she hadn’t said kitten poker. “Well, I think we should forget about that one.” They headed out the door to return to the Magic Box. Xander was walking right in front of the girls. They all turned when they heard a ‘meow’ come from the alley. Before they could stop him, Xander had taken off.

“XANDER HARRIS you get right back here. You know better than to…” Tara quit yelling when she saw what was in the alley. Four very large, horned demons were running toward them. One grabbed Xander and wrapped his arms around him. Two went for Tara and one after Dawn. Xander was screaming loudly. Tara yelled for Dawn to run then dropped to her knees and started to chant. You could feel the power gathering in the air. Before she could finish one of the creatures hit her over the head. Dawn was doing her best to fight back. She didn’t spend all her time watching Buffy train for nothing. She dropped the first demon with a hard, sharp kick to the groin. But the other two were just too much for her. One picked her up and threw her into a wall. She was still conscious and trying to get up as she watched the demons carry Xander down the alley. He had quit making noise and that really scared her. She had to get to the shop; she had to get to Spike.

No one looked up when the door opened, they knew it was almost time for the three to return. Spike and Angel both caught the scent of blood in the air at the same time and jumped up.

“Spike…help…Xan..please…” Spike had the girl in her arms before she could fall.

“DAWNIE!! Let me through. Spike what’s wrong with Dawnie?” Buffy was in panic, kill something mode. Looking around for the enemy.

“Oh Goddess, where’s Tara?”

“You gits just get yourselves back. Give the Niblet some air.” Spike sat on the floor and held Dawn in his lap. “Okay Bit, what happened.”

“In the alley, go now. Hurry, they took Xander and hit Tara in the head, demons, big ones. By the ice cream place, HURRY!” As Cordy sat down with Dawn, Giles began pulling weapons out of the closet and tossing them into waiting hands.

Cordy was crying quietly, “I’ll take care of Dawn, you go get my Xander, NOW!”

Spike and Angel were in the alley helping Tara up before the others could get there. The witch was very unsteady on her feet.

Spike began checking out the alley for signs of Xander when he came across the firetruck, lying where Xander had been grabbed. Spike hit his knees and howled. The others in the alley got chills up their spines from the sound. Buffy and Angel went over and knelt by Spike, trying to comfort the hysterical vampire.

“Sire…my Xan-pet, they took my mate.” Bloody pink tears were streaming down his face. “What am I going to do? Sire?”

Angel wrapped his arms around Spike and helped him up. “We’ll find him, childe. We will tear ever part of this city to pieces until we do. We’ll find your mate, calm down, Wil. You can’t help if you can’t concentrate. You’re our best help in finding him. You can sense and smell him better than I can. You marked him.” He walked Spike, still clutching the toy; back over to the where the witches were standing.

“Spp..sp..spike, I’m so sorry. We tr..tried to stop them. Th..th..they were w..waiting for us to pass by. Th…the…they were just to b..big.” Willow put her arm around Tara to support her.

“”Shhh, Glinda I’m sure you did your best. Now how many, what kind and which way?”

“There were four of them, b…big, really big, greenish, short fur and t..two curling horns. They were waiting for us and went straight for Xander. W…we heard a kitten and he t..t..took off before I c..could st..st..stop him.” Tara gave into her emotions and was sobbing on Willow’s shoulder.”

“Vorklash demons, muscle for hire. They’ll do anything for a price.” Angel had run into their kind before. “We spread out and start from here, three groups. One group goes with me; one goes with Spike and one with Buffy. These guys are strong and work together. Watch out for the horns. Remember, we have to try and take one alive. If Xander isn’t with them, it could be our only way to find him. Willow you need to get Tara back to the Magic Box and check her out. Let’s go.” The moved off in three different directions. Spike and Angel kept sniffing the air trying to catch the scent that was unique to Xander.

While the hunt for Xander was getting organized, the demons had headed for the sewers. They had been told not the hurt the humans and had tried their best not to. They had especially been told what would happen to them if they hurt the dark male. They had no doubt that the person who hired them would carry through with the threats made against them. The man was struggling against them and it was hard to hold him and not hurt the puny human. At least he had quit making so much noise. After almost an hour in the sewer, they climbed out by an old abandoned house. This is where they had been told to bring the man. They carried him through the door to where their employer was waiting for them. They sat the man down in front of their employer and backed up.

“Hello, my Dark Kitten.”