Fine Tuned: Learning to Live
Chapter Listing
Learning to Live
Rating for this part: PG
Author's Note: This piece written by RSK.
It was gone.
Spike had searched the entire house. Quinn shifted uncomfortably in his arms and grunted at him. Glancing down, he loosened his grip, bouncing her lightly as he flopped down on the couch.
Quinn cooed at him and Spike smiled. He had hoped that this would happen, that Xander would trust him enough to leave his daughter with him. It was their routine now. In the two months since he moved in with the pair, he had fallen more and more in love with Quinn… and her father.
But the beautiful Washburn was gone. Nowhere to be found.
Xander walked in to a familiar scene. Spike was on the couch, purring lightly in his sleep with Quinn lying on his chest, snoring in that sweet baby way that she had.
He quietly dropped down to the floor next to the pair, contemplating everything that had happened in the last three months.
Anya left. Leaving him and their baby girl. Their baby. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of his Quinn having to go through life without a mother. Quinn began to shift, wriggling around on Spike’s chest. Spike purred louder and patted her tiny rump. Xander’s hand, which had automatically reached out when she began to fuss, dropped to his side.
Xander smiled, closing his eyes and laying back on the floor, enjoying the sounds of the happy baby and her vampire.
Spike puttered around the house, trying to ignore the cries that were filtering through the walls of the house.
That level of pain was something he didn’t know how to deal with, didn’t know how to fix. Too many years spent causing pain prevented him from being able to help with this.
“Bababa!” Quinn called to Spike and he moved over to her bouncing saucer and smiled down at her.
“It’s Spike, love, not Bababa.” He touched a finger to her cheek and received a gummy smile in return.
Another cry of pain, and Spike closed his eyes against it. He couldn’t let it touch him, couldn’t let it get near. When Xander was ready, Spike would tell him how falling in love again was the only way Dru’s betrayal had faded from agony to misery in his heart. He would tell him how kind brown eyes and dark, warm skin had replaced her insane ramblings in his heart.
Someday. When it didn’t hurt so badly.
Xander closed his eyes, his head resting against the hard wood of the door. He was so tired. Tired of work, tired of home, tired of Spike, tired of Qui… No. He stood up and shook his head roughly. No. He wasn’t going to do this, wasn’t going to let it in again.
Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door. “I’m…”
He could hear Spike and Quinn in the bathroom, water splashing, Quinn laughing. Spike’s voice was low, teasing as he spoke to the nine month old. “Now stop, love. Want to be gorgeous for Daddy.”
Quinn’s voice was too sweet to be described and Xander smiled as he heard her slightly accented words. “Sing, Baba.”
“It’s Spike, Quinnie, not Baba.”
Xander smiled. It was an ongoing battle between the vampire and the child.
“Sing, Baba.”
Spike began to sing and Xander’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t heard those words, that tune in almost a year. His fingers began to twitch as he thought of caressing his guitar, drawing out the music that hid deep within. His mind’s eye moved to his beautiful guitar, locked up where no one else could ever find it, but where he could see it every day.
His heart filled with music and he moved away from the door, walking to the kitchen, wondering if he remembered how to make pancakes.
Spike shrugged his shoulders, guiding the leather into place, its heavy weight comforting. He walked through the living room after blowing a kiss to a sleeping Quinn.
“Later, Xan.”
Xander looked up from the notepad on his lap, a guilty expression fleetingly crossing his face. “Where are you going?”
Spike bounced on his toes and grinned. “Gonna go kill something.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “Well, have fun!”
Spike grinned and stalked out the door. Xander laughed at the persona that clung to Spike like a cloud. He grinned and turned back to his notepad, tapping his pencil on his lips before jotting down a few more notes, humming quietly under his breath.
Quinn’s party was finally over. She was asleep on Spike’s shoulder, her sticky fingers having left a trail of blue from his ear all the way down to his collar.
Xander smiled at Spike and attempted to pry the stick of candy from his daughter’s hand. “She’s filthy, Spike.”
Spike chuckled and knelt down on the floor, laying Quinn down and unbuttoning her dress. “That she is, Xan. A lot like her Da, she is.”
Xander snorted as Spike finished stripping the girl and tossed her diaper towards the overfull trashcan. He leaned down and accepted a waking Quinn. “Time for a bath, sweetie.”
Quinn rubbed her eyes and peered around the room. “Where Baba?”
“Right here, love.” Spike waved at her from the floor. Quinn waved back, smiling over Xander’s shoulder as he took her in to bathe.
Spike had looked all over and he couldn’t find it. Xander was too good at hiding things. A growl escaped his lips and the little girl toddling along behind him began to giggle. “Monster face, Baba! Monster face!”
Spike spun, vamped and pounced. Quinn shrieked with laughter as Spike rubbed his face into her stomach, growling and nipping. They spun around, laughing. Quinn’s fingers lightly traced the demon’s lines, smiling sweetly. “Pretty Baba. So pretty.”
Spike’s eyes began to water slightly and he sniffed, forgetting that he was looking for an intriguing but closely guarded notepad. Forgetting everything but the precious bundle in his arms. His face dropped into his human planes and Quinn leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips. Her chunky baby fingers patted his face. “Love my Baba.”
Movement at the door and Quinn wriggled down, racing toward the front of the house. “Daddy!”
Late night and two men sat on the couch, exhausted after a day of play. “She like that everyday?” Xander turned his head to the side to look at Spike.
“Yeah. All the time.”
“Don’t know how you do it, Spike.” Xander turned back to staring at the ceiling.
“Can’t not do it. Love her.” Spike’s eyes dropped closed and he smiled.
Xander looked at the vampire again. Spike was beautiful in repose. Xander reached out, touching one sharp cheekbone. The connection that he had felt so long ago, the feeling of rightness that had prompted him to invite the vampire into his home was still there.
Spike turned into the touch and purred lightly, almost asleep. Xander grinned and settled back into the couch, his own eyes shutting.
The rain poured down.
Xander sat on the porch, tipping back his beer, watching as Quinn rocked along beside him in the chair that he built for her.
She cocked her head to the side, and looked at her father. “Daddy?”
Xander turned and smiled, his daughter’s faint British accent once again capturing his attention. “Yes, baby?”
“You love Baba?”
Xander turned back to watching the storm, wondering at the observation skills Quinn had developed. “Yes, Quinn, I love Spike.” As he spoke, Xander realized that it was true.
Quinn, happy with his answer, turned back to the storm, rocking solidly back and forth.
Xander was nervous.
He double checked the door, making sure that the deadbolt was open, wondering when the vampire would get back. Xander had sent Quinn home with Willow, Tara and Benjamin; the eighteen month old eager to go help take care of the new baby.
Xander had set the mood; the lights were off, only candlelight shone throughout the house. He drank down the rest of his coke and waited for his vampire to return.
As the last candle began to flicker and die out, Xander fell asleep.
The End
Kissing
Learning to Live
Rating for this part: PG
Author's Note: This piece written by RSK.
It was gone.
Spike had searched the entire house. Quinn shifted uncomfortably in his arms and grunted at him. Glancing down, he loosened his grip, bouncing her lightly as he flopped down on the couch.
Quinn cooed at him and Spike smiled. He had hoped that this would happen, that Xander would trust him enough to leave his daughter with him. It was their routine now. In the two months since he moved in with the pair, he had fallen more and more in love with Quinn… and her father.
But the beautiful Washburn was gone. Nowhere to be found.
Xander walked in to a familiar scene. Spike was on the couch, purring lightly in his sleep with Quinn lying on his chest, snoring in that sweet baby way that she had.
He quietly dropped down to the floor next to the pair, contemplating everything that had happened in the last three months.
Anya left. Leaving him and their baby girl. Their baby. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of his Quinn having to go through life without a mother. Quinn began to shift, wriggling around on Spike’s chest. Spike purred louder and patted her tiny rump. Xander’s hand, which had automatically reached out when she began to fuss, dropped to his side.
Xander smiled, closing his eyes and laying back on the floor, enjoying the sounds of the happy baby and her vampire.
Spike puttered around the house, trying to ignore the cries that were filtering through the walls of the house.
That level of pain was something he didn’t know how to deal with, didn’t know how to fix. Too many years spent causing pain prevented him from being able to help with this.
“Bababa!” Quinn called to Spike and he moved over to her bouncing saucer and smiled down at her.
“It’s Spike, love, not Bababa.” He touched a finger to her cheek and received a gummy smile in return.
Another cry of pain, and Spike closed his eyes against it. He couldn’t let it touch him, couldn’t let it get near. When Xander was ready, Spike would tell him how falling in love again was the only way Dru’s betrayal had faded from agony to misery in his heart. He would tell him how kind brown eyes and dark, warm skin had replaced her insane ramblings in his heart.
Someday. When it didn’t hurt so badly.
Xander closed his eyes, his head resting against the hard wood of the door. He was so tired. Tired of work, tired of home, tired of Spike, tired of Qui… No. He stood up and shook his head roughly. No. He wasn’t going to do this, wasn’t going to let it in again.
Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door. “I’m…”
He could hear Spike and Quinn in the bathroom, water splashing, Quinn laughing. Spike’s voice was low, teasing as he spoke to the nine month old. “Now stop, love. Want to be gorgeous for Daddy.”
Quinn’s voice was too sweet to be described and Xander smiled as he heard her slightly accented words. “Sing, Baba.”
“It’s Spike, Quinnie, not Baba.”
Xander smiled. It was an ongoing battle between the vampire and the child.
“Sing, Baba.”
Spike began to sing and Xander’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t heard those words, that tune in almost a year. His fingers began to twitch as he thought of caressing his guitar, drawing out the music that hid deep within. His mind’s eye moved to his beautiful guitar, locked up where no one else could ever find it, but where he could see it every day.
His heart filled with music and he moved away from the door, walking to the kitchen, wondering if he remembered how to make pancakes.
Spike shrugged his shoulders, guiding the leather into place, its heavy weight comforting. He walked through the living room after blowing a kiss to a sleeping Quinn.
“Later, Xan.”
Xander looked up from the notepad on his lap, a guilty expression fleetingly crossing his face. “Where are you going?”
Spike bounced on his toes and grinned. “Gonna go kill something.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “Well, have fun!”
Spike grinned and stalked out the door. Xander laughed at the persona that clung to Spike like a cloud. He grinned and turned back to his notepad, tapping his pencil on his lips before jotting down a few more notes, humming quietly under his breath.
Quinn’s party was finally over. She was asleep on Spike’s shoulder, her sticky fingers having left a trail of blue from his ear all the way down to his collar.
Xander smiled at Spike and attempted to pry the stick of candy from his daughter’s hand. “She’s filthy, Spike.”
Spike chuckled and knelt down on the floor, laying Quinn down and unbuttoning her dress. “That she is, Xan. A lot like her Da, she is.”
Xander snorted as Spike finished stripping the girl and tossed her diaper towards the overfull trashcan. He leaned down and accepted a waking Quinn. “Time for a bath, sweetie.”
Quinn rubbed her eyes and peered around the room. “Where Baba?”
“Right here, love.” Spike waved at her from the floor. Quinn waved back, smiling over Xander’s shoulder as he took her in to bathe.
Spike had looked all over and he couldn’t find it. Xander was too good at hiding things. A growl escaped his lips and the little girl toddling along behind him began to giggle. “Monster face, Baba! Monster face!”
Spike spun, vamped and pounced. Quinn shrieked with laughter as Spike rubbed his face into her stomach, growling and nipping. They spun around, laughing. Quinn’s fingers lightly traced the demon’s lines, smiling sweetly. “Pretty Baba. So pretty.”
Spike’s eyes began to water slightly and he sniffed, forgetting that he was looking for an intriguing but closely guarded notepad. Forgetting everything but the precious bundle in his arms. His face dropped into his human planes and Quinn leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips. Her chunky baby fingers patted his face. “Love my Baba.”
Movement at the door and Quinn wriggled down, racing toward the front of the house. “Daddy!”
Late night and two men sat on the couch, exhausted after a day of play. “She like that everyday?” Xander turned his head to the side to look at Spike.
“Yeah. All the time.”
“Don’t know how you do it, Spike.” Xander turned back to staring at the ceiling.
“Can’t not do it. Love her.” Spike’s eyes dropped closed and he smiled.
Xander looked at the vampire again. Spike was beautiful in repose. Xander reached out, touching one sharp cheekbone. The connection that he had felt so long ago, the feeling of rightness that had prompted him to invite the vampire into his home was still there.
Spike turned into the touch and purred lightly, almost asleep. Xander grinned and settled back into the couch, his own eyes shutting.
The rain poured down.
Xander sat on the porch, tipping back his beer, watching as Quinn rocked along beside him in the chair that he built for her.
She cocked her head to the side, and looked at her father. “Daddy?”
Xander turned and smiled, his daughter’s faint British accent once again capturing his attention. “Yes, baby?”
“You love Baba?”
Xander turned back to watching the storm, wondering at the observation skills Quinn had developed. “Yes, Quinn, I love Spike.” As he spoke, Xander realized that it was true.
Quinn, happy with his answer, turned back to the storm, rocking solidly back and forth.
Xander was nervous.
He double checked the door, making sure that the deadbolt was open, wondering when the vampire would get back. Xander had sent Quinn home with Willow, Tara and Benjamin; the eighteen month old eager to go help take care of the new baby.
Xander had set the mood; the lights were off, only candlelight shone throughout the house. He drank down the rest of his coke and waited for his vampire to return.
As the last candle began to flicker and die out, Xander fell asleep.
The End
Kissing