Part Twenty

"Shoulda let me carry the whelp, Watcher," Spike smirks.

Giles just glares at the vampire as he removes his shoes and socks then puts his glasses on the night table.

"Rupes?"

"I am laying down with Xander, Spike. He does tend to have some rather nasty dreams after a visit with Daniel. You are free to do so as well," he says and closes his eyes.

Spike snorts but he lies down on the other side of his Mate. The Watcher’s right; Xander has nightmares after his doctor visits. He hopes his Mate feels safe with the two of them and has a peaceful nap. Spike’s had a long day already and is asleep rather quickly.

The vampire is sleeping soundly when a noise wakes him. He keeps hearing tiny whimpering sounds and peels his eyelids open. Giles is lying with one arm off the bed, one arm flung across Xander and both legs akimbo. His snoring is loud enough to wake the dead but that’s not what woke this dead person. Xander is curled up in a little ball against Spike’s side with one hand clutching the vampire’s shirt so tightly his knuckles are white. The whimpering is coming from him. Spike peels the youth’s fingers apart, rubbing them to restore circulation. With the other hand he starts rubbing his back gently and purrs. The soothing vibrations calm Xander and he opens his eyes sleepily.

"Spike?"

"Here, luv."

"G-Man?"

"Don’t call me that, Alexander," Giles says absently in his sleep.

"Safe?"

"Never safer, Pet," Spike says as he gathers Xander to his chest.

"Kay," Xander says, not really awake.

"No more sleeping, need to get yer bath. Don’t want doc yellin’ again," Spike says as he shakes the teen carefully.

"Sleep good, bath bad," Xander says with a yawn. He tries to curl back up around Spike.

"Right then, nap till the water’s ready. Be back," Spike rolls Xander into Giles’ side and he heads into the bathroom.

Xander sighs and falls back asleep with Giles.

Spike goes into the bathroom and starts filling the tub with warm water and the medicated powder. A few swishes of his hand and the water is a soft green. The vampire is blinking sleepily just from the pleasant scent of the mixture. He can’t believe this stuff stings his Mate. He growls at the thought of Xander lying to him. Grrrrrrr, maybe the whelp isn’t too big to spank. The vampire gives one last curious look at the inviting appearance of the medicated water. He nips the end of his finger lightly, just enough to break the skin, then cautiously dips it in the water.

Xander and Giles nearly leaped out of their skins at the yelp from the bathroom. Xander clings to Giles, wondering if something is eating his vampire. Giles cautiously tucks the boy securely under the covers and grabs a cross and stake as he creeps over to the bathroom doorway. He carefully peers around the corner and nearly drops his weapons in amusement as he catches sight of Spike scowling as he sucks on his finger.

"Problem, Spike?" Giles chuckles.

"Powder doc gave me Mate? S’not medication, stuff’s powdered battery acid!" Spike snarled.

"Don’t be ridiculous, William. Do you wish to alarm Xander? If he knew what you are carrying on about in here we would never get him in here without resorting to force or trickery," Giles shushed sternly.

"Not stickin’ me Mate in the water, Watcher," Spike retorted stubbornly.

"Oh that’s just bloody wonderful. Now see here, you must be exaggerating. I do have a paper cut, let me try out this horrid water," Giles says sarcastically.

Spike smirks as the Watcher plunges the finger in to the bath water. He clearly doesn’t believe the vampire.

Xander shoots out of bed and races into the bathroom.

"Oh bloody sodding Hell! Spike, drain that water immediately and hand me the box. I cannot understand how you can mess up something so simple," Giles says in disgust.

"Oi Rupes, can read the soddin’ box!"

"Um, guys, we aren’t - we aren’t being attacked?" Xander asks timidly. He’s standing in the doorway shaking.

"S’okay, luv, Watcher here mixed your bath stuff wrong and I was just lettin’ him know. Nothin’ wrong," Spike soothes his Mate.

"I do beg your pardon," Giles starts angrily.

"S’okay, Rupes, we understand. Toddle off now and ask the doc for large print directions wouldya?" the vampire smirks. He wills the Watcher to read between the lines.

Giles looks hard at Spike and his eyes narrow but just before the vampire becomes dust he realizes Spike is distracting Xander and asking him to double-check with Daniel.

"Very well, Spike, I shall call Daniel and find out what you are doing wrong," Giles grits out. They need information about this medication before they end up scaring Xander.

"Not doin’ anything wrong," Spike yells then drags Xander back to the bedroom and tucks him in bed. Maybe this is why the whelp is fighting the baths so much. Solve this problem and things might get a little easier. He cuddled Xander to his chest and hummed the boy’s favorite song. Somehow it was less humiliating this time.

Giles called the office number but Sandy told him the brothers were both busy. She asked him if she could help.

#"Yes, if you could give me the dosage for the Feelood (okay, so I can’t make up prescription names well, sorry!) powder? William has been using two cups for every gallon of bathwater. A recent experiment here has shown us this may be a bit inaccurate," Giles says.

"Well, I have his chart right here. It says -oh my- you’ve been using two cups?! I’ll say its inaccurate, Mr. Giles. It’s supposed to be two tablespoons to an entire bathtub. The amount you have been using would irritate so much it would do more harm than good. Ouch. It sure explains the problem you’ve been having with that sweet kid. I’ll let Daddy know. Please call us immediately if you have any more problem," Sandy said sympathetically.

#"Oh dear, thank you, Sandy. I shall convey the message," Giles thanks her as he hangs up.

He walks back up the stairs to the bedroom and sighs when he sees a vampire curled around his ‘son’. He will never feel totally relaxed about this!

"Spike, watch Xander please while I make his bath. It appears even vampires can need glasses," Giles comments dryly.

Spike just glares at the Watcher; he doesn’t really want to delay the bath.

"B-Bath? Oh no… I don’t need a bath. I’m clean, really I am. I am so fine. Bath bad," Xander babbled.

"Now, Pet, we talked about this. No more fighting with Master Vamps, can’t win. Up we go," and Spike pries Xander’s hands off the headboard so he can pick him up.

Giles adjusts the water temperature until it is more hot than cold and very carefully measures out two teaspoons of powder. He reluctantly sticks his cut hand under the water to mix the solution and is highly relieved when the cut merely burns for less than five seconds. He feels guilty when he realizes the mix-up is probably responsible for Xander’s improper healing.

"But Spike, I can get a bath any old time really!" Xander pleads as Spike pries his fingers off the doorjamb to the bathroom.

"Calm down, Pet, Watcher an I know about the bath now. Shoulda told us. It’ll be better. Trust me, luv," Spike bends Xander’s foot so it detaches from the towel bar.

"I trust you, Spike, I do. Don’t you trust me when I say I am clean?" Xander asks with a well-timed tear and the dreaded puppy eyes.

Spike stops trying to pry his Mate away from the wall and freezes. Soddin’ Hell, he said the whelp wasn’t gonna win again.

Giles hears the exchange and sees the ultimate weapon disable the Master Vampire. He turns the water off and calmly walks over to the pair.

"Give him to me, William, before you drop him," Giles says with amusement.

Spike snaps out of it and finishes prying the teen’s other foot off the toilet paper holder.

"Said he wasn’t winnin’, Rupes," Spike snarls as he dumps a fully clothed Xander in the bathtub before he can grab anything else.

"Quite. If I am needed I shall be in the bedroom," Giles says primly and waits for the two on the bed. He’ll be there if Xander tries that trick again.

"Glurble," is Xander’s coherent response to being dumped in the bathtub. He thrashes around as Spike hurries things along by tearing his clothes off.

"Hold still, whelp," Spike scowls.

"Gonna have to take me clothes shopping if you don’t quit tearing my clothes, Spike!"

Xander grabs the snarling vampire and pulls him into the bathtub with him.

Giles runs in when he hears the tremendous splash and covers his mouth to hide the smile as the two in the water wrestle around, trying to dunk each other.

"Intriguing way of giving Xander a bath, William," Giles comments with amusement.

"Not," Dunk, "Lettin’," Splash, "Him," Pour cup of water over the boy’s head, "Win!" and Spike succeeds in grabbing the slippery teen.

"Let go! Let me go!" Xander is frantic at being trapped.

"Pet, relax, not going ta hurt you. Stop larking about and feel the water you nutter!" Spike is game faced and snarling in frustration. He’s also soaked.

Xander finally calms a bit and realizes the water feel nice. It’s not burning. He sighs in relief and sinks contentedly into the water.

Spike scoots down behind him and wraps his arms around his Mate’s waist, resting his chin on a broad shoulder. He chuckles when Xander sits back against his vampire with obvious enjoyment. Spike picks up the washcloth, soaking it in the medicated bathwater.

"Do call if he manages to overpower you again, Spike," Giles comments with a smirk.

Spike scowls as the Watcher leaves the bathroom then softly runs the cloth over Xander’s chest and arms. The idea here is not cleaning, its soothing and letting the herbs in the water soak into his Mate’s skin.

"Close yer eyes, luv," Spike says then he wipes the boy’s face gently when Xander complies.

"S-Spike?" Xander begins hesitantly.

"Need something, Pet?"

"Well you are already all wet... And I don’t want to do anything with you yet. But could you take your shirt off so I can feel your skin on my back? I so don’t want any um, private contact but Spike-with-shirt-off contact would be of the good. Just the shirt, please? And you can still hold me but not other touching. I guess that’s not really," and Xander is cut off.

The kiss is so soft and gentle that he almost wonders if he really felt it. This is not a kiss of foreplay. This kiss speaks of feelings shared, caring and compassion. It’s a kiss of love, not sex. And more importantly it’s a kiss that quiets the babble.

Before Xander can decide if he should be scared or feel giddy, Spike puts a finger on his Mate’s lips for silence. Xander pouts but then blushes as the vampire peels his soggy shirt off and gathers the teen to his chest. Held like a small child, cherished, Xander lays a hand on his vampire’s chest and strokes the smooth skin. Spike rubs his Mate’s back but never gets near danger zones. Both Mates sit in the water, wrapped securely around each other for another fifteen minutes.

Giles enters the bathroom with a towel for both of them. He, uh, doesn’t want Spike dripping all over his carpet. Yeah, that’s it! He stops abruptly at the sight in front of him. Both sets of eyes are closed and if it weren’t for the petting still going on he would believe they were asleep. He creeps back out of the bathroom, grab his camera off the dresser, and sidles up to the bathtub-camera ready. He would take the picture and scram but the ominous growling is putting him off.

"All new couples appreciate pictures, William," Giles smirks as he gets a two fingered salute.

"Don’t need a soddin’ piccie of me acting like a ponce, Watcher."

Xander is comfy on his vampire and tired of all the bickering.

"Please, Spike? I want a picture just for me. Shows that someone cares," Xander begs and cuddles closer to the vampire.

Giles counts the seconds mentally-10, 9, 8, 7...

"Bloody Hell! Fine, Rupes, take the picture," Spike snarls.

"Smile please, William, this won’t be a pleasant picture with you scowling," Giles says and waits until the vampire stops scowling to snap the camera. He walks to the doorway

"After all, Spike, you are Xander’s first boyfriend. I am sure the girls will be thrilled. Oh and of course I am certain Angel would be interested to know his Childe’s current paramour," Giles chuckles as he waits in the bedroom for the vampire to catch up.

Spike continues to snarl and growl until Xander reaches up and pets his hair. Spike calms down and starts purring.

"Peaches?!" Spike screeches as he scrambles out of the tub, dumping poor Xander.

Giles hears the vampire and starts running as soon as the soaking wet vampire charges after him. Xander shrugs on his bathrobe and runs downstairs to watch the show. Giles heads out the front door with Spike following him. Xander loses sight of them until Giles races in the front door and yells an incantation. Spike hears the Watcher but he’s going too fast to stop and is knocked down by the door barrier. Xander watches them both wide-eyed. Isn’t he supposed to be the kid here? Maybe they should get time outs! He watches Ripper taunt the vampire with the Polaroid as Spike continues to growl and snarl.

"Invite me in, luv, not going to hurt Ripper, just want the piccie."

"I think not, Spike, I still have to make copies," Ripper smirks.

"Luv, Pet, Xander, please. Want the Poof seeing the Big Bad cuddling a human? Can already hear ‘im laughin’ in LA," Spike is actually begging.

Ripper just chuckles. Giles hasn’t been letting him out to play and he’s interested in tormen-er playing with Spike.

Xander grabs the picture from Ripper, yanks a glass of water off the coffee table and flings it at the Watcher who appears to be losing it.

Giles wipes the water off his face and looks a little startled to see the vampire snarling outside still.

"What on Earth are you doing out there, Spike, do come in! Xander hasn’t even had his cream yet and you are messing about out of doors skulking," Giles glares and stomps back up the stairs. The picture is safely in his pocket after Xander dropped it. Now where to make copies...

Xander and Spike both stare after the Watcher, totally confused.