Magic Moments

by
Sukiblue

Part Sixteen

Xander checked his watch and stared up at the ceiling. He was bored. Around the darkened room, candles burned, incense smouldered and chanting echoed.

It was all beginning to get a bit old.

Xander had been tense for the first ten minutes, his grip on Spike’s hand almost crushing as renewed fear poured through him. Everything had suddenly felt overwhelming, so serious. The darkened room, the eerie lighting, the strange demonic language, the weird swirly light that circled his body. It was all so frightening.

Willow’s voice had turned into a dark, guttural, demonic rasp and Xander had been seriously tempted to bolt from the room. But then Willow had said something that sounded like, ‘Light my butt plug, fuckwit,’ and Xander had struggled not to snicker. Unfortunately, Spike had heard the same thing and had roared with laughter.

Willow had not been pleased.

They had started the ritual again.

So now, half an hour later, Xander was still on the couch with Spike at his side, waiting for the birth.

Spike ran his fingers through Xander’s hair and then traced a path down his cheek. When Xander turned his head, Spike took advantage and kissed him deeply, communicating his affection and comfort the only way he could. Talking was not allowed. It interfered with the ritual.

“Hey, since when did those two start making with the smoochies?!” Buffy cried in surprise.

“I think it’s sweet,” Dawn stated.

Buffy looked back at Spike and Xander. The kiss had increased to almost pornographic proportions. “I think it’s…hot….Is it warm in here? Just me? Willow? Willow, why has your hair gone all black? Oh.”

They started the ritual again.

Spike leant against the couch, resting on one elbow and occasionally brushing his lips to Xander’s. An hour had passed.

Willow's voice turned particularly demony and Tara quickly signalled to Spike with her arms in a catching gesture. A miniature crack of lightning bolted across Xander’s stomach and formed a reflective puddle of light and Spike suddenly stood and plunged his hands into it, pulling out the first baby. He bit his tongue and resisted the urge to shout, ‘It’s a boy!’ and mess up the rest of ritual. Instead, he passed the baby to a waiting Dawn and got ready to catch the next one.

Sure enough, within five minutes another crack of lightning shot through the air and Spike [sunk] sank his hands inside and pulled out the other baby. Another boy.

Willow tried to end the ritual. She lowered her arms and tried to force her voice back to normal. It wasn’t working. She felt the higher power take her body and, as her eyes glowed red and her arms raised back up, she felt her mouth moving to repeat the ritual.

Confusion rippled through the room and Spike quickly passed the second baby back to Buffy and frantically gestured for her to move Dawn and the babies out of harm’s way. At the same time he grasped Xander and started to pull him from the couch. Willow had clearly lost control and they were all in great danger.

The demonic voice bellowed through the air and Buffy and Dawn turned away from the sound to try to protect the babies from the evil that must surely be seeping into the room.

Only Spike understood what Demon-Willow was saying and he looked shocked for a moment and then relieved. His expression finally turned to joyous and he settled Xander back onto the couch and waited. One final bolt of magical energy formed over Xander’s body and Spike quickly plunged his hands into it and pulled out a third baby.

An almost blinding flash of pink and blue light burst across the ceiling and, with a large pop and a small amount of crackle, Xander’s stomach returned to normal.

Willow breathed deeply and relaxed until she’d collapsed to her knees. The lightning disappeared and the candles all blew themselves out.

There was silence for approximately point five of a second.

The girls squealed and jumped up and down. Giles squealed and jumped up and down, which was weird, and Spike and Xander sat smiling and gently cradling their children.

“Um, so, what’s with the three muskababies?” Buffy finally asked. “I thought you guys said there would be two?”

“Good point,” Xander observed. “Spike, you said you could only hear two heartbeats?”

“That’s because there were only two.”

“Can I say, huh?”

Spike ran a finger down the cheeks of the two boy babies that Xander held. “Human. Mostly. Strong little tickers, the both of them. This one?” he said, holding up the baby girl and kissing the tiny ridges that ran across her forehead. “This little lady is mostly vampire. Ain’t got no heartbeat, have you, precious?”

“Vampire?” Giles asked.

“Mostly,” Spike confirmed. “And you can keep your stakes to yourself, Slayer,” he suddenly snapped. “Come near my baby girl and I’ll rip out your still-beating heart!”

“I wouldn’t! She so cuuuute. Can I?” Buffy asked, holding out her arms to take the baby.

Spike looked unsure. His vampire instincts had suddenly kicked into overdrive and the idea of handing over his child to Buffy had his demon side screaming in protest.

“Go on,” Xander urged. “She won’t hurt her.” He was one hundred percent sure of this, but at the same time he half hoped that Spike would refuse and cuddle the baby back into his chest. Spike holding her was almost as good as holding her himself. And as soon as he was done marvelling over the other two bundles in his arms he was going to speak right up and get his turn.

“She’s gorgeous,” Buffy breathed.

“Ain’t she just?”

“Yeah.” Buffy studied the baby and she couldn’t help but think that she was the most beautiful creation she had ever seen. Mousy brown hair, vivid green eyes and….fangs. “Ow!” Buffy handed her back. “She’s…sharp.”

Spike laughed and wrapped the baby in a soft yellow blanket that Dawn had handed him.

“Well, let's see the other two, then,” Dawn asked, holding up another blanket. Her face was sparkling with curiosity and glee.

Xander handed her one of the boys and he watched with a slight urge to snatch him back as Dawn folded the white blanket around him.

Everybody gathered closer and stared at the little baby. His head was a mop of wavy dark brown hair and his closed eyes were framed by dark little eyebrows and impossibly long eyelashes. He was fast asleep, yet his mouth was naturally turned up in a cupid’s bow smile that matched Xander’s exactly.

Dawn passed him to Willow and took the other baby from Xander to wrap him up. White-blond hair stuck up in wild spikes and cautious eyes of piercing blue flicked quickly around the room.

“Auw, he’s looking around.”

“That’s so cute.”

“Adorable.”

The baby realised that he wasn’t where he wanted to be. “WAAAAAHHHH!!!!”

The eardrum-shattering cry continued until Xander took him back into his arms. The baby smiled up at him and then at Spike. He aimed an almost demonic glare at the room’s other occupants and then he closed his eyes and started to fall asleep.

“Where did the shocking blond come from?” Xander asked. “We all know your hair is really brown.”

“Oi! It ain’t brown! It’s dark blond! Bloody cheek. Brown, indeed.”

“They’re all so gorgeous!”

“That they are, Dawnie, just like me and Spike.”

Spike grinned in response. “Swap,” he said.

Several babies changed hands and Spike was left with both boys while Xander had the girl.

“Names?” Giles asked.

Xander pointed to the other people in the room. “Buffy, Tara, Willow…”

“We’ve heard that joke, pet,” Spike laughed.

“Oh, yeah. Okay, names. Actually, I have thought of a few.”

“Yeah? Me an’ all. Go on, luv, tell me.”

“Okay, for a girl I was thinking about Nyssa, Selina or Claire. And for a boy, I like James, Cole, Quinn, Brendan, Luke and Adric.”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Do I detect a hint of Sci-Fi/comic book influence there?”

Xander smiled. “Maybe. How about you? What did you think of?”

“For a girl, Katherine, Tyana, Tatianna and Charlotte. And for a boy, Jamie, Ultria and Xavier.”

“I like Jamie,” Xander said. “For our little blondie, here. Jamie Brendan?”

Everybody agreed.

Willow sat down beside Xander and stroked the baby girl’s hair. “Katherine is pretty.”

Xander looked over at Spike. “You like Katherine too, huh?”

“Yeah. Good solid English name, that.”

“Well, if you both like it, and also considering that we couldn’t have done this without Willow, I think we’ll go with it. You like that name, Katherine?” Xander said down to the baby. Green eyes flashed with delight. “Katherine Lorraine.”

“Lorraine?” Spike asked.

“After my Gran.” Xander sighed. “I miss her.”

“She die, pet?” Spike asked, gently.

“No. She just lives really far away…and she’s a little crazy. Apparently it runs in the family.”

“I don’t doubt that, luv.”

“So that’s one to go,” Dawn said. “I like Luke.”

“How about Vader?” Xander suddenly asked with a laugh.

“Bloody hell! No way!”

“How about Adric, then?”

“That a science fiction thing again?”

“Yeah, he was one of Doctor Who’s companions. Wore a lot of yellow?”

“Oh yeah! Hung about with that Peter Davidson fellow? Got stuck in the Master's web?”

Xander nodded.

“Adric. Hm, I like it. He was a great little firecracker. Just like you, pet. Alright, then. Adric Jesse James?”

“Adric Jesse James I love that song! Cher rocks!” Xander started to sing. “Gonna shoot you down, Jesse…”

“Bloody hell! I meant Jesse James the outlaw, not the bleedin’ song! Christ.”

“Oh, yeah. I remember him. He was cool. I like it. I like the name Jesse…”

Spike gave Xander a smile that said he understood.

Xander had a sudden thought. “Oh, no! We’ve only got two bears!”

“Shit. You got any more at home, pet.”

“No. That’s my only one. You?”

“Nahh. None of the others survived. I did have quite a collection of…”

Everybody stared at Spike.

Spike coughed and made his voice deeper and manlier. “Erm…a collection of deadly weapons. No teddies, though. Nope. None at all.”

“What are we gonna do?” Xander asked.

“Guys, we bought lots of toys, cuddly ones and everything.”

“It’s not the same,” Xander and Spike whined together.

Giles scratched at his chin as he tried to think of a solution. “I think I may just have the answer.”

Everybody waited while Giles made a mad dash upstairs and then back down again. “Here, it’s a bit tatty and goodness knows how old, but…here you are.”

Giles held out a grey, vaguely rabbit shaped, floppy eared…thing. “I’ll be sorry to see the old girl go, but it would make me very happy if you would both take this for your children.”

“Giles, are you sure?!”

“Quite sure, Xander, yes. Every child must have something that is passed down.”

“Cheers, Watcher,” Spike said as took the toy and showed it to the sleeping babies.

“Tiddlyflop,” Giles said. “That’s her name. You will make sure that she keeps it?”

Spike nearly smirked, but then remembered what he’d named his bear. “You can count on it.”

“Oh my god!” Buffy said, suddenly.

“What?! What is it?!” Xander asked.

“Shopping! We have to go shopping. We only got two of everything! We need more!”

Willow panicked. “Oh, goddess, Buffy, you’re right! Oh, no, the shops are closed. What will we do?!”

“Blinkin’ heck. Calm down. Do the shopping in the morning. We got plenty. Besides, got another problem. Where the bloody hell are we gonna go? Can’t see your parents much liking us bringing up three nippers in their basement.”

“I hadn’t even thought about that. I mean, they’re away for a couple of weeks, but what do we do after that?”

Giles paced about the room. “This is a quandary. Well, obviously you are both most welcome to stay here…” Jamie started to cry, “…for a while. But after that…”

Spike suddenly grinned. “Hold up. I think…yeah. I think I got a plan.”

Everybody was very scared.

Part Seventeen

Spike and Xander trudged wearily back from the Skuki’s underground lair. When the naughty blue demon had unleashed it’s mojo and impregnated Xander with Spike’s child, it had specified that they were both to return with the children for a spot of show and tell.

Spike had envisioned this meeting going one of several ways. And each one of those ways had involved some sort of gut spillage or organ shuffling. He hadn’t expected to be thanking the demon. He also hadn’t expected that he would have bought it a gift.

“Okay, that was exceptionally weird.”

“Was a bit, eh?”

“Kinda creepy.”

“Yup. But look on the bright side, pet. At least the Skuki didn’t cast any more spells on us.”

“That’s because it was too busy laughing at us. Apparently, a pregnant man is something to make fun of.”

“I think that was the whole point to this strange story; a couple of cheap laughs and the satisfaction of pulling someone’s strings.”

“I guess we got something good…something great out of it,” Xander said, as he reached down and stroked Jamie's and Adric’s hair.

Spike grinned down at the tiny girl in his carrier and he was rewarded with an enormous cheesy grin in return.

“Exactly. That’s the spirit. Now come on, luv. Push that stroller faster. We’ve got more people to see. Ain’t that right, little Kathy? You guys are gonna meet your Great Grandad.”

“WAAAAHHHHH!!!!”


**


It had been a week since the babies had been born and Spike and Xander were still living in the basement of doom. But with only another week until Xander’s parents came back and questioned the presence of three screaming children, they needed to find somewhere else to live. There was one big problem with that. Money. Xander was on minimum wage and apartments were costly.

Hence The Master Plan.


The phone call to Angel has consisted of Spike ‘politely’ asking his Grandsire to come and visit. Of course, Angel had been in the middle of some pesky apocalypse at the time and he had pencilled Spike into his diary for a week later. Apparently this particular apocalypse had a start and finish date. So either Angel would be arriving on that very date or planet Earth would be blown into smithereens.

Spike rested against the headboard of the bed that he now shared with his lover. Xander was deeply asleep, as were the triplets. It had been a tiring night. For all concerned.

Still, it may have been tiring but it had it had also been wonderful. They had finally shagged. Yup, nearly a week after their first kiss and the birth of their children, they’d had sex for the first time. And wasn’t that weird, when you really thought about it?

And the lack of carnal pleasure in the days before really wasn’t for the lack of trying.

On the first night, Xander had worried that the babies might see them. Spike had suggested shutting them in the bathroom and had received a slap for his trouble.

On the second night, after Xander had erected a screen to partition off the room, Spike had gotten over excited and had ended up getting tangled in the light fitting. He’d needed twenty four hours to recover from his injury.

On the third night, passion and need had built up to an explosive point, hands frantically searching and exploring. Tongues duelling and bodies rubbing and…

“WAAAAHHHHHH!”

On the fourth night, passion and need had built up to an explosive point, hands frantically searching and exploring. Tongues…

“WAAAAHHHHHH!”

On the fifth night, passion and need had built up to an…

“WAAAAHHHHHH!”

On the sixth night, last night, the babies had been as quiet as mice. Passion and need had built up to an explosive point, hands frantically searching and exploring. Tongues duelling and bodies rubbing and…

Xander had wondered why the babies were being so quiet. He woke them up.

“WAAAAHHHHHH!”

Surprisingly, after some feeding, rocking, a small amount of cursing and some tender loving care, they had gone right back to sleep. For the entire night.

Well, what were a vampire and his new human lover to do?

Fuck. Like rabbits. And not the dead depressed kind.

Spike snuggled up to Xander and remembered fondly. What a night. Xander was quite a keen lover, and experienced if those blow jobs had been anything to go by. Spike had been quite taken aback. Xander was more than happy to top or bottom, although not at the same time. Obviously.

In short, a good time was had and Spike wondered why he hadn’t tried the sex thing with Xander before.

Because I hated him?

Truth, please.

Because I fancied him like crazy and was too much of a bloody wimp to admit it?

That’s a little more like it.

Xander’s own revelation that he'd been wanting to ravish and devour Spike for near enough a year had filled Spike with a nice warm glow that one only usually got from drinking scalding coffee. Of course, that usually came with a burnt tongue, too.

So, they had both secretly liked each other, more than liked each other and then they had three children together. Then they had the sex. And why would a Hellmouth relationship be any different?

All in all it seemed that, one way or another, this was a relationship that would be lasting quite a while, if only for the sake of the children. But Spike wanted, needed more than that. So did Xander. And wasn’t it lucky that Xander had a gabber mouth the size of meteor crater?

So it was all out in the open. They wanted the same thing. They wanted their children. They wanted each other. They wanted the fairy story.

Spike closed his eyes and felt the exact moment that the sun set.

“Wakey, wakey, luv. Time to rise and shine.”

“Don’t wanna. Sore.”

“I’m not bloody surprised. Go on. Get that lovely backside in the shower. I’ll get you some breakfast.”

“Noooooooooo…”

“Peaches called. He’ll be here in an hour.”

“I’m up. I’m up. The Xan-man is up and raring to go.” Xander heaved himself up in one colossal motion that looked as though he’d been hooked by a giant fishing rod and reeled out of the bed.

He was fully aware and fully supportive of The Master Plan, but he was still nervous. Not because he was in anyway intimidated by Angel, but more because Angel was Spike’s family. It was like meeting the in-laws.

Okay, so the only reason that Angel had been invited down to visit them was so that Spike could squeeze a few thousand dollars from him, enough to secure a deposit on an apartment. But Xander still couldn’t help but worry about what Angel would think. Would he approve of him and Spike? In any shape or form? Would he like the babies? Could he in any way accept what had happened without trying to nag, criticise or just generally disapprove?

But was screwing his Grandsire out of a relatively small amount of money really the only reason that Spike had invited him? Xander suspected it wasn’t. Not that Spike was willing to admit that. Apart from being a bloodsucking, violent, creature of the night, Spike was really quite a softy. He craved the company of others and family seemed to be of utmost importance. Xander was already absolutely positive that Spike would lay down his life without a second thought if it meant protecting his children.

And him? Would Spike protect him, too? Xander had asked his Magic 8-Ball. Yes.

So, family. Spike loved being in a family. Deadboy was family. Now that was a crazy and kinda scary thought.

Xander hurried through his shower and inhaled his breakfast. Time was a'wasting. Together he and Spike dressed their children in their best outfits. Three bottles of milk, two vomiting incidents and a confrontation with a random can of baked beans later, and the babies were dressed in their second best outfits.

The awaited knock came at the door just a moment later and Xander and Spike kissed quickly before Spike opened the door.

“Peaches. Nice night for it. Come on in. Pull up a beanbag.”

Angel stepped through the door and stopped dead. Which was probably because he was dead, if we’re going to get technical about it. Of course, being a vampire, he wasn’t dead, dead. Just slightly dead. In a deadish kind of way. Just like Spike! If you needed an example.

Angel sniffed the air and gave Xander and the three babies the evil eye. “Spike,” he said, wearily. “What have you done?”

“Want the long story or the short?”

“Either. Just make sure it’s the true one.”

So Spike told the story, truthfully. It was quite an experience for him, telling the truth. And honestly? He felt quite exhausted afterwards.

Angel felt a little lost. Over the years, Spike had become infamous for getting himself into all sorts of strife. From the time that he’d accidentally sold himself to an all demon brothel in Amsterdam to the time that he’d unwittingly started a chain of events that had threatened to destroy an entire population of Ami’gysuto demons, it had been all Angel could do to untangle each mess as it presented itself. And now this?

“You and Xander?” Angel tried to confirm.

“Yeah.”

“You and Spike?” he asked Xander.

Xander shrugged. “Why not.”

“And this is a willing arrangement?” Angel asked, directing the question to Xander.

Spike was about to protest, but Xander put up his hand to stop him. “Yes. It is a willing relationship. We both want this. And we would have gotten together even without the spell. It just would have just taken an extra decade or so. So there is no problem. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“I see.” Angel avoided looking at the three babies all wiggling around on the bed. They were quite cute and he was getting the urge to tickle them and make cooing noises. Although, the one in pink looked a little bit vicious. He’d probably lose a finger. “And why is it that you asked me all the way here? Let me guess, money.”

“Gets right to the point, doesn’t he?” Spike said, turning to Xander only briefly. He was annoyed. Yes, he did want money. But he also wanted to Angel to meet his children. But the pompous, tight-arsed git wasn’t even going to look at them. “Alright, yeah. I want money.”

Angel stood and pulled out his chequebook. So he was right. Spike only wanted money. It wasn’t that he wanted him to meet his children. “How much?”

Spike was surprised that Angel had asked that, knowing that Spike would probably ask for an arm and leg. And lots of money, too. And it also surprised him that he wasn’t going to have to put The Master Plan into action. But blackmail was so much fun. Damn it. “Couple of grand should do it.”

Angel was surprised. Spike only wanted a couple a grand? He hesitated and pulled out his pen. “Fine!”

“Fine!”

“WAAAAHHHH!”

“WAAAAHHHH!”

“WAAAAHHHH!”

“Oh, geez. You two need your heads banging together,” Xander said with a sigh of frustration. “Here, you take this one.” Xander handed Adric to Spike. “And you take this one.” Xander handed Jamie to Angel and then picked up Katherine for himself and started to rock her until her tears disappeared. He leaned back against the headboard and watched with part amusement and part fondness as the two vampires set to work at calming their charges.

Spike cooed and shushed and blew a raspberry and eventually Adric’s tears quietened to teeny tiny hiccups and a snotty nose.

Angel observed Spike’s antics and attempted to copy him. Jamie stopped crying, but looked up at his Great Granddad with an expression that said, ‘What the bloody hell are you on?’

“You don’t have to do what Spike does,” Xander explained. “Do what feels right.”

“What feels right,” Angel repeated. “Do you like being tickled?” he asked little Jamie. “Let’s see.” And so he tickled.

One hour later and all three babies were thoroughly tickled and worn out to the point of deep sleep.

“Someone’s popular,” Spike noted.

“I like children.”

“Yeah, for breakfast.”

“No. I really do like children.”

“Yeah, for dinner.”

“No. I really do love children.”

“Yeah, for…”

“Okay, okay, enough with the crazy-but-dull vampire banter. Can we just get the awkward but necessary stuff out the way?” Xander didn’t wait for a response. “Good. Angel, yes, we need money. And yes, we did ask you here for that reason. But, before you get all grumpy and growly, yes, Spike and I really would like you to be a part our lives and our children’s lives.”

Spike growled.

“Shut up, Spike. Angel, despite Spike’s unwillingness to admit what is painfully obvious, we do want you involved and we want your help. But saying that, if you don’t help us we will resort to blackmail, as was the original plan. So, unless you want everybody to find out about your secret Elvis impersonation gig, you’ll cough up the cash. Now.” Satisfied that he’d made his point, Xander folded his arms and waited.

Angel growled and wrote a cheque, all the while mumbling under his breath about pain-in-the-ass Grandchilder and their pain-in-the-ass boyfriends.

Spike mumbled under his breath as Angel wrote the cheque. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be mumbling about, seeing as he was getting his way, but the moment felt like a mumble was needed. So he mumbled about weather conditions and the price of fish.

“And I suppose you’ll want me to baby-sit?” Angel suddenly said. “That’s right, Angel the convenient is here for all your babysitting needs. And I suppose you’ll want me to take them for whole weekends, too? You don’t even care how much it would disrupt my life, oh no. You just want to use me. Well, I guess if I absolutely have to and there is no-one else, I could come down and look after them, or you’ll just have to bring them to me. But only in an emergency. Yes, in an emergency. Or if everybody else is busy, or sick. Now you don’t want sick people looking after them. Babies are more robust than you think but they can still get sick, you know. So I suppose I’d take them if it looked like someone was going to be sick. Or, of course, if either of you are ill. You can’t take care of them properly if you’re unwell. Or if you’re tired. If you need a break and I’m not doing anything else, then I suppose I could take them. Or if you all needed a change in scenery, I wouldn’t want to think that the babies would get bored, because that only leads to tantrums and then they’ll make themselves ill. And if there is any trouble on the Hellmouth you’d better bring them to me, too. And I will only consider…”

While Angel was talking himself into a lifetime's worth of free babysitting, Spike took the opportunity to grab Xander for a quick kiss and a grope. “I reckon someone’s in love,” he whispered.

“Uh-huh. I think there’s at least one other person, apart from Angel, in this room who’s also in love…Was that too sappy? Or too quick? Did I just totally put you off?”

Spike laughed and groped some more. “Yup. Completely sappy, bloody quick, but no, I ain’t put off. I-I…I, err…thingy you.”

“You thingy me?”

“Yeah, you know. I, erm, err, thingy you. Have done for a while.”

Xander smiled. “Well, in that case, I thingy you, too.”

A loud knock sounded at the door and Spike waved his hand in the general direction. “Get that, would you, Peaches?”

Angel nodded and carried on talking as he went to open the door. “…but only on a weekend, or a weekday if the weekend is no good. And if you really must, I would be willing to let you all stay for Christmas and maybe Thanksgiving.…hello? Who are you?”

Angel opened the door to a large blue demon with a very mischievous grin.

“Spello! Spi’m sback!”

The End