Spander ~ The Joy of Giving

Thoughts Of Loss And Giving
by CaliaDragon
Notes


 

 

When Xander Harris faced the First Slayer during the funky dreams after ADAM she told him he was the last of his line that there would be no more Harris’s after him.  He thought that meant he would never have children or a mate, especially after Anya died during Sunnydale.  He hadn’t expected that to mean he would change his last name or that his mate was actually a vampire, a male vampire.  He hadn’t expected it to mean that he would adopt children. Nor did he think there would be a whole lot of them, all of whom would have interesting and diverse backgrounds.  Yet, that is what happened in his life.

 

When Sunnydale collapsed in a blaze of pain and glory the Scoobies made their way around the world saving slayers and fighting demons as they had in Sunnydale, only now it was on a wider scale and the girl, the slayer, was more than just Buffy or Faith.

 

The girls that they saved and fought for were as diverse as the Scoobies themselves, but they all had one thing in common.  They were warriors that no one would have believed dangerous.  They were young, old, broken, saved, battered, and insane; they turned to the Scoobies out of instinct and a prayer that the group could save them.

 

When Xander went to Africa, there was a call he felt deep in his soul.  He knew that he was where he needed to be at that moment.  He found girls struggling through the horrors of a country at war with itself.  A country that had debilitating disease, poverty, and horrors that hid and many that didn’t.

 

The demons in Africa were some of the worst that Xander had ever seen; they were also some of the most dangerous.  Therefore, it did not surprise him that the African Slayers were more in tune to their demon sensing aspects.  There were only two slayers in Africa that dreamed and Xander sent them to the WWC immediately upon finding them.  Dreamers usually had more prophecies associated with them than the other Slayers.  Buffy had proved that. 

 

In the eight months Xander was in Africa he found 124 slayers, when he left Africa he took 17 with him and had a safe place built for the rest.  He hired ex-commandos and asked Alan Quatermaine and the League stationed in Africa to take over the training and protecting the girls.  Alan agreed as he was bound to Africa anyway.

 

When Xander returned to Scotland and the WWC, he ran into a battle with a group of Wizards and Witches.  The teenager warriors in the group tried to protect him, but the battle came to a halt when every spell flung at him bounced back onto the caster.  To the shock of the adults that joined the battle the Big Bad, fried himself when he cast a spell at Xander that should have killed him, a spell that had Willow teleporting in and destroying the spirit that the spell left behind. 

 

Willow had frozen everyone in the field, except for Xander and the teenagers, and demanded to know what was going on.  Xander could only blink at her.

 

~Flashback~

 

“I was just taking Kora and Kona through the woods and then wham! I was being attacked by the freaky guy you fried the Spirit of.  These kids were trying to protect me, but the bad guys magick was bouncing off of me.  That’s what turned the Snake guy into a spirit.  Hey are you kids okay?”  Xander babbled as he bounced over to check on the teens that had tried to defend him.  He looked worried at Willow when one of them collapsed into his arms. 

 

Willow transported all of the teenagers, Xander, and his twin slayers back to the WWC main house.  Giles and Faith were the ones to meet them; he sent the twins on to their rooms and promised that they would be able to find Xander after dinner.  Giles was flabbergasted and enraged as the teens explained whom they were who the Spirit was and what was happening in the Wizarding World. 

 

The teens turned out to be four of the Weasley family, Ron, Ginny, George, and Fred.  Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan,  Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Lee Jordan, Millicent Bulstrode, Marcus Flint, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and Oliver Wood.  Xander had grabbed onto Willow when she snarled and surged to her feet, intent on going and doing damage to the people who had kidnapped the teens from their jobs and from school.  The fact that only Fred, George, Oliver, and Marcus were out of school had Faith muttering that their school sounded as dangerous as one on the hellmouth.  To which Xander had asked if that meant he could blow it up.  The kids had all gaped at him and Harry had haltingly explained that the school was semi-sentient and asked nicely for them not to blow it up.

 

Giles had then added that the School was also founded by four ex-watchers who were found to have magick and joined the Wizarding World, one of whom had been a Giles ancestor, so no Xander could not blow it up thank you very much.  The teens had looked at Giles then in shock.  Giles explained that by Wizarding standards, he was a squib, but in the Muggle world, he could access magick. 

 

Giles had then told the teens that he was going to go and see to the ones that were left behind in the glade frozen by Willow.  Willow and the other Scoobies had demanded that he wasn’t going alone and decided to go with him.  The teens were told to stay where they were, Dawn and Connor, who Xander had custody of, came in and promised to keep the teens company. 

 

When they arrived in the glade, Willow unfroze everyone not wearing a mask.  When she did an older Wizard fired a spell at Willow, causing Xander to step in front of her and smile in satisfaction as the spell rebound, knocking the old guy on his ass. 

 

An older woman with red hair stomped forward, “Who in Merlin are you people and where are the children?” She demanded, scowling at them. 

 

Xander stepped forward and smiled sweetly at her, causing the woman to come to a stop and smile in return.  Faith and Willow turned away to keep from laughing, while Giles rolled his eyes upwards.  Xander’s drawing power on women was strange and often amusing.  If they weren’t evil they wanted to be his mother, sister, or wife.  If they were evil they wanted to spawn with him and then kill him.  That wasn’t even covering what happened with men. 

 

“Madam, I am Rupert Giles, the young man in front of you is my son Xander Giles, these are my daughters Willow Rosenburg and Faith LeHane.  The children my daughter and my son saved are back at the WWC headquarters here in Scotland.  I can assure you we mean none of you any harm, though I would recommend that you put your wands away as none of my children do well when threatened.”  Rupert said coolly, looking at the woman and then around at the people pointing wands at them. 

 

Another Wizard stepped forward and nodded to the group that had gathered behind the red haired woman, who looked like she wanted to mother Xander and the two girls.  “I am Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, this is Molly Weasley, four of the children are hers.  If you will allow us to we will go with you to gather the children.” 

 

Rupert narrowed his eyes.  “I will not, Mr. Dumbledore, I know a great deal about children in a battle, but from what those children have told me you have done nothing to protect them and for that I will not be returning them to you.  Mrs. Weasley and her husband are more than welcome to come to the WWC to see them, but you sir will be getting nowhere near those children.” 

 

“Now see here.”  The man who had fallen over at his own spell snarled. 

 

“Watch it Peg-man, you already used up any good will that we woulda had.”  Faith said with a curled lip and a snarl. 

 

“Just who do you people think you are?” Remus asked stepping forward. 

 

Xander walked over to Remus and poked him in the chest; he then looked back at Giles.  “He’s Harry’s werewolf, we’ll bring him with us, since these idiots don’t trust werewolves,” Xander announced cheerfully.  Remus stared at him in absolute confusion; Faith grinned as she walked over to him, picked him up and threw Remus over her shoulder.  Remus made a sound of protest, but a laughing Willow transported the pair away.  A few minutes later Faith returned with Dawn, who was grinning widely. 

 

She bounced over to Xander and threw an arm around him.  “I think Remus is going to bust something from the blushing, do you think we could keep him?” She asked cheerfully.  Xander burst into laughter.

 

Willow turned her attention to the evil wizards and witches and made their masks disappear.  Dawn was pushed over to Faith and Giles as Xander joined Willow and began to walk among them.  Only one of the masked people was released, Xander grabbed the man by the arm and looked down at the mark on his arm.  Severus Snape stared at the strange boy and watched in shock as his arm rejected the mark where the boy touched him.  Xander nodded to Willow and Dawn came over disappearing with the dark man. 

 

“That man is a felon, return him immediately for trial.”  Peg-leg, Alistair Moody, snapped and grabbed Xander.  Seconds later, he was dangling from Faith’s fist and then flying through the air as she threw him across the glade.

 

“No one touches Xander,” Faith snarled.

 

Bill Weasley stepped to the front of the group and stared at Xander, who grinned in response.  “Giles, I thought your last name was Harris?” Bill asked as he walked to Xander who hugged him and then stepped backwards bouncing on his heels.

 

“Rupert adopted me, so I’m a Giles now.”  Xander said happily. 

 

Bill laughed and looked back at his parents and brothers.  “These are the Slayer’s Council, or World Wide Council, or Warrior Women’s Council depending on who you talk to.” 

 

Albus swallowed, he knew now that when they said no one could take the children they meant it.  The Council was a power to be reckoned with and could not be stopped by anyone in the glade.  The fact that this group was likely some of the top members of the WWC meant that the people from the Wizarding World were in a great deal of danger for having attacked Xander Giles nee Harris.  Everyone knew that going after that particular gentleman was usually a bad idea.

 

Molly made a sound and bundled Xander up into a hug, making him look over at Bill and Bill’s wife, who both grinned at him in response.  Molly pulled away and kissed him on the cheek, causing Xander to blush and looked at the ground.  Dawn giggled and Willow shared a grin with Rupert.  “Thank you for saving my Bill from that evil werewolf.”  Molly said gently as she stepped back.  Her husband moved forward and shook Xander’s hand enthusiastically, while his brother Charlie came up. 

 

“Xander! I had no idea you knew Bill. It’s good to see you mate, been chased into any dragon zones by crazed women wanting to mate with you?” Charlie asked, patting Xander on the bottom and grinning wickedly.

 

Dawn hooted with laughter and Willow cackled.  “Dear Lord!” Giles muttered.  Xander turned and looked at Giles sheepishly. 

 

“You got bored on your search for Dracula so you could kick his ass aye?” Spike asked as he, Kit, and Buffy stepped around Giles.

 

“I did get bored looking for Dracula, the wives were awesome though.  For vampires they make awesome chocolate cake.  By the way, they are coming to spend Halloween with me, so we need to make sure no one stakes them.  Plus the ladies would love to see you again G-Man.”  Xander said grinning wickedly, his eyes dancing with humor.

 

Spike let out a snort of laughter and walked over, dragging Xander away from the two good-looking redheads.  Xander looked at him in confusion, but said nothing.

 

~End of Flashback~

 

Xander should have realized then that his life was going to change, that and that Spike was beginning his courting.  That night after all of the new members of the Council was given rooms, the Weasley’s, Remus, and Severus ended up staying, Spike began ‘Operation get Nummy’.  Xander had no idea how many people helped the vampire in those first days, but he did know that by the time Christmas rolled around, everyone at the headquarters were helping.

 

It also started a tradition where Spike gave him a variety of presents up to Christmas day.  The gifts were always something new and different.  Everything from tools to sex toys, the best thing about his gifts were that each gift was followed by cuddling and time spent with just the two of them. 

 

Xander wasn’t sure why or even how it happened, but from December first to January first there was never any major evil since he and Spike had started dating.  Xander had no idea which god was responsible, but he thanked all of them every day for it happening.  Christmas had gone from being a time of year to hide from, to being a time of year to look forward to with anticipation.

 

This year Spike had enlisted their kids to help him with Xander’s presents.  His Wizarding kids transfigured snowmen into a walking interacting Frosty the Snowman village, much to Xander’s delight.  They had also done the same with the Charlie Brown figurines in the main room. 

 

His slayers and mages had transported to different parts of the world and gathered him rare samples of woods for him to work with.  Xander already had plans for several pieces of furniture.

 

His Wiccan’s had gathered crystals and blessed them so that he could use them as he wished.  Xander planned to make protective amulets out of the crystals for his children and his girls.

 

Spike had gotten Willow and Buffy to agree to watch the youngest slayers while they went to an island that Harry owned for three weeks.  Xander was certain that before a week was up they would have the kids with them as Spike was as delighted with having the kids as Xander and the other Scoobies were.

 

There were times when he would wake up in a sweat still afraid that he would be caught in the loneliness and emptiness that followed the loss of Sunnydale.  However, there was Spike to hold him through the fear and to remind him that he was loved and at home. 

 

Xander knew he was blessed by the love of Spike, his kids, Giles, and his friends.  What was once a foretelling of loneliness became a realization of hope, home, and love.  Xander couldn’t ask for a better life, demons and chaos included.

 

 

 

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