An explosion of knocking on the bedroom door startled both Wes and Alex awake. Bleary eyed and half-conscious Alex said, "Come in."
"Mornin Pop, Mornin Dad." Wil said with disgusting cheer for so early in the morning.
"What's got you so happy?" Alexander asked his son.
"I growed some more." Wil said happily.
"You did? How can you tell?" Alexander asked, while trying to get his eyes to focus.
"My pants are too short and won't close." Wil said happily as he modeled the obviously too-small item.
"Go put on your sweatpants. We need a minute to wake up. Okay?" Alex asked quietly.
"Okay, I'll be right back." Wil said with cheer.
"I don't think I was ever that young." Alexander said to Wesley who was falling asleep again.
"Grmmph." Wesley said into his pillow.
"Good idea." Alexander said and laid back down.
* * * * *
A few hours later Alexander awoke to find Wil asleep between Wesley and himself. He looked at the sight and smiled. Alexander began to think of the night before. Although Wesley hadn't said so, it appeared that he had never had a lover give him pleasure before. What a tragedy to be ridiculed for a wonderful gift and to have selfish lovers who took what they wanted and left him feeling inadequate. Everything they shared last night was new and wonderful to Wesley. Alexander had never known such a treasure. He just hoped he was worthy of the trust that Wesley had placed in him.
Wesley sensed that Alexander was awake. The things they had done... Wesley knew the mechanics of what was going to happen but had no idea of the pleasure that could be achieved. He felt the slight ache and smiled at the memory of Alexander tenderly preparing him for penetration. He had been nervous, but Alexander made sure at every step to reassure him and to check to see if he was comfortable. When Alexander had finally entered him, the physical sensation was equal to the emotional sensation of fullness, completeness... unity.
He felt a slight sense of loss. That was what he had been missing all these years. The possibility of more than one climax a night just hadn't occurred to him. How had he managed to find lovers who didn't know what they were doing? Alex obviously had experience and had shown him so many things in one night... and promised to show him more. Regardless where the relationship between them went, there was definitely no problem with the physical side of things.
Wil opened his eyes and looked at his Poppa who was awake and watching him, then he turned and looked at his Daddy who was awake and staring out into space. "Who's ready for some breakfast?" Wil asked, causing both men to jump.
"I think I'd like to take my bath first." Alexander said slowly.
"Yes, quite." Wesley answered.
"You gonna bathe with us Daddy?" Wil asked excitedly.
Wesley and Alexander shared a look and Alexander finally said, "Your Daddy is welcomed to join us if he wants, but if he isn't comfortable, we won't force him."
Wesley thought a moment and said with a tender smile, "I would be honored to share in a family bath."
Wil ran to the bathroom leaving a trail of clothes along the way.
Alexander and Wesley got up and followed, a little more slowly.
When Wesley entered the bathroom and carefully removed his clothes, Wil saw his ample endowments and his eyes got large. Alexander noticed, and before Wil could say a word Alexander squatted down to his level and said softly, "Wesley has been teased by people and made to feel ashamed. So please be kind."
Wil looked at the seriousness in his Poppa's eyes then looked at his Daddy turned away from him. Finally Wil said, "That was wrong of them."
"Yes it was." Alexander said and gave Wil a big hug.
The water was run and the family got into the tub and relaxed. Wesley was concerned when Wil went under the water and didn't come back up for a while, but Alexander explained that Wil needed to get thoroughly soaked to get through the day and that was the best way.
* * * * *
Eventually the family got dried and dressed and went down to have breakfast. Wesley volunteered to cook pancakes for everyone and Wil even said he would try to eat them without any blood on them at all.
As the pancakes were cooking, a familiar voice said, "Xander?"
"Dawnie?" Alexander said as he whirled around to see Dawn and Giles standing in the doorway with Angel behind them.
Dawn ran across the room and met Alexander as he stood. "Dawn, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Ohio?"
"Giles got a call from Wesley. He said that we were needed here. So here we are... Your eye? What happened to your eye? I mean, it was gone." Dawn asked from Alexander's arms.
"Long story, I'll tell you later, but first... Dawn, G-man, this is my son, Wil." Alexander said with pride in his voice.
"My word!" Giles said in shock. Dawn just stared at Wil and finally said, "He looks like a little Spike."
"M'not little." Wil mumbled.
"Yeah, he does." Alexander said with a smile to Dawn, then turned to Wil and asked, "Do you remember Dawn and the G-man?"
"Lil bit! You're growin up real good." Wil said to Dawn as he ran to give her a hug.
"He talks? And that accent... What is the meaning of this?" Giles asked with worry.
"He has some of Spike's memories. I'm actually glad, otherwise I'd have a seven-year old who doesn't know how to talk or feed himself." Alexander said calmly.
"Xander, no one told me he was... I understood that he was just born four weeks ago." Giles said mystified.
"Yeah, G-man, he's growing up quick. I didn't think the Sunnydale crew needed to know about that yet." Alexander said with a smile.
Giles noticed Wesley standing by the stove, watching the events quietly. "Wesley, how are you?" Giles asked formally.
"Very well, Mr. Giles. And you?" Wesley responded equally formally.
"I'll be better when we decide what to do about this doorway that Drucilla told you about. It has me very concerned." Giles said in watcher mode.
"How so? I mean, I sent you what information I could from my interview with Drucilla, but I couldn't decipher the meanings of what she was saying." Wesley said, achieving his own watcher mode.
"That's quite understandable. I had to consult various resources, including the watchers journals to determine any meaning from what she said." Giles said seriously.
"What are you talking about?" Alexander asked.
"Drucilla said some things that concerned Angel, so he asked me to look into them. They didn't make sense to me, so I sent my notes to Mr. Giles to see if he could make sense of it. Apparently he did." Wesley said, a bit flustered.
"Your pancakes are burning." Wil said as the adults began to notice the burning smell.
Wesley quickly dealt with the burnt food and started another batch, then asked, "Mr. Giles, Miss Summers, would you like to join us for breakfast?"
"Sure!" Dawn answered while still looking at Wil.
"Yes, thank you Wesley." Giles responded properly.
Everyone took their seats as Wesley prepared pancakes enough for everyone. Soon he said, "Alexander, the food is nearly ready, would you like to prepare William's blood?"
Giles and Dawn had questioning looks but Alexander didn't notice. "Angel, I'm heating blood for Wil, would you like a mug?" Alexander asked as he went to the refrigerator.
Angel nodded and Alexander went to work like the blood heating professional that he was.
When all the food was placed on the table, Wesley, Angel, Alexander and Wil began to eat as Dawn and Giles stared at Wil. Alexander couldn't understand what they were looking at until he realized that they hadn't seen his demon form before.
"Isn't he something? Wil, show them your hands." Alexander said, not wanting Wil to feel freakish under their stares.
Wil promptly showed his webbed fingers and even lifted the back of his shirt and showed off his dorsal fin.
"Most extraordinary. I had assumed that he was progeny of Spike... But how?" Giles asked in shock.
"Remember the swimteam thing? It changed me a little more than we knew. I passed it on to Wil. And that's how I grew my eye back too, I think." Alexander said before taking another large bite of pancakes. "Great pancakes Wesley." He mumbled through his mouthful.
"Yes, very good." Giles said absently before taking his second bite. "Why is he so..."
"...big." Dawn finished.
"We think its because of the steam too, it doesn't really matter. It's the way he is and I wouldn't want him to be any other way." Alexander said with certainty.
Sensing Alexander was about to become offended on his son's behalf, Wesley jumped in and asked, "So what are you and Miss Summers doing here?"
"If I understood what you sent me, there is an opened doorway that is ready to flood the earth with demons from another realm if we don't close it. Dawn is a dimensional key. If I understand the process correctly, she should be instrumental in closing the door." Giles said succinctly.
"Any idea where the open doorway is?" Alexander asked while scraping the last of his pancake into a final bite.
"I believe it would have opened in Sunnydale, as it was the greatest dimensional vortex in the area. However, since it has been neutralized, the next closest dimensional instability is the most likely to be opened." Giles said with concern.
"So we're all heading to Cleveland?" Alexander asked with worry in his voice.
"No, a hellmouth isn't required for this type of dimensional crossing, just instability enough to allow emergence into our reality. The nearest instability is outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. If that one wasn't unstable enough to open, the next instability is in Marfa, Texas." Giles said carefully.
"Oh, so we're just going to fly on over there and look around for a door?" Alexander asked, knowing it was never that easy.
"I was thinking of driving. Either Dawn or your son will feel the dimensional forces building gradually and guide us where we need to go. If we were to fly into the area, the sudden concentration of the forces would blind them to the proper direction for hours, possibly days before they became accustomed enough to sense directionality." Giles said in full-on watcher mode.
"Why would Wil be able to feel anything to do with the portal, don't tell me he's a key like Dawn." Alexander asked, disbelieving.
"No, no. It is possible that your son's birth is somehow connected to the dimensional opening. I'm going on what Drucilla said, so I can't be entirely sure about that point. Dawn and I will bring him along with us to give us the best chance of closing the door." Giles said with authority.
"It won't hurt him, will it?" Alexander asked with concern.
"No, he should feel drawn to it, that's all." Giles said comfortingly.
"When do we go?" Wesley asked calmly.
"Only the three of us are needed to take care of this." Giles said, making it clear that Wesley wasn't invited.
"Alexander and I will be coming along to protect the best interests of William." Wesley said with finality.
Giles looked at Alexander to back him up and was surprised when Alexander said, "We trust you G-man, but there is nothing on this earth that will take Wil away from me. If we have to take two cars, then we will."
"Actually, two cars is a good idea. There is always a chance of mechanical difficulties on a trip such as this. That along with the supplies we will no doubt need to carry would make two cars a necessity." Wesley rambled.
Alexander just nodded.
"So when do we leave?" Alexander asked.
"Do you have any plans right now?" Giles asked flatly.
"I had planned to buy a few things today..." Alexander said looking at Wesley, then continued, "But I suppose it can wait, what with the fate of the world hanging in the balance."
"Alexander, if you'll clear up the kitchen, I'll attend to packing our things for the trip." Wesley said properly.
Giles caught what Wesley had said about 'our things' and decided that it was none of his business.
Dawn and Giles followed Wesley out of the kitchen and waited in the lobby for them to be ready to leave.
* * * * *
"Xander, I think you should take Wil up to say goodbye to his grandma Dru, she won't be here when he gets back." Angel said quietly.
"Oh, yeah, we did say that she would be leaving when she got better." Alexander said sadly.
"She can't live with us, she needs to be free. I've seen how she becomes when she's been kept somewhere too long. It has to be this way." Angel said with certainty.
"We'll go up as soon as the dishes are done. Would you mind staying with Giles and Dawn?" Alexander asked.
"No, I don't mind." Angel said and walked into the lobby where Giles and Dawn were standing.
"Grandma Dru is gonna leave?" Wil asked sadly.
"Yes, she has to. Angel is right, she can't be happy in a place like this. She needs to be free to hunt and dance and listen to the stars sing. There are too many people here that might hurt her if she stayed." Alexander said as sadly as Wil.
"You don't want her to go either?"
"I guess I don't, she's our family, she should be with us, but we want what's best for her, right?" Alexander said to Wil.
Wil nodded bravely.
"We're done here, let's go talk to your Grandma Dru." Alexander said with false enthusiasm.