Fragments of Family

By: WithDemonWings

Giles finds an injured Xander in the basement of his new shop. Xander's
injuries aren't the only problem, and he's not the only on affected. OOC.
AU.

Status: complete

Published: 2010-09-19

Words: 3951

Rated: Fiction T - Language: English - Genre: Family/Drama - Characters:

R. Giles, Xander H. - Reviews: 12 - Favs: 76 - Follows: 21

Original source: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6337052/1/Fragments-of-

Family

Exported with the assistance of FicHub.net

Fragments of Family
Introduction
Fragments of Family
Fragments of Family
It had taken Rupert Giles almost ten minutes to drive from his semi-
detached to his recently purchased shop on the other side of town.

The alarm company had called him, alerting that the alarm had gone
off in his store that didn't have any anything in it but a working
bathroom.

He had told them that he could handle it but there was a police car
waiting outside for him anyway.

They entered the shop and a quick look around proved that there
was no one around. Then there was a crash from the basement.

The officer and Giles exchanged wary looks before the officer pulled
his weapon and headed to the basement.

They were surprised to find that the basement looked as though

someone had set up a living space.

A whimper from behind them caused them to spin around.

'Freeze!'

'Xander!'

The figure huddled into the boxes.

'It's okay,' Giles stated as he stood in front of the officer, 'he's a

friend.'

The officer gave him a doubtful look but holstered his weapon and
headed out without a word.

'Xander?' Giles said softly as he crouched down next to the shivering

figure.
'No! Don't touch!' Xander half shouted half pleaded as he scrambled
away from the older man.

Giles realized that his clothing was in an even worse state than it
normally was. Torn and bloody, it looked as though he had been in a
fight.

'Xander, what happened?' he asked, not moving from his crouch.

'Giles, need Giles,' the young man replied.

The older man blinked in confusion, 'I'm here, child,' he said softly,
though the young man he was trying to help was no longer a child.

Xander's head shot up and he stared at Giles for a moment before

launching himself at the startled older man.

They tumbled back and landed in a heap, Xander's face buried in

Giles' neck. It took a moment for Giles to register the tears that
dampened his flesh. He shifted himself and the boy and got them to
lean against the wall, and he just let the boy cry himself out.

Even as the sobs quieted Giles continued to rub Xander's back, and
it took a pained whimper from Xander for Giles to realize that the
boys muscles were shifting, changing.

'Oh dear lord, what have they done to you?' he asked softly, even
though he had no idea who "they" were.

Xander shuddered and then gave a howl of pain before shrinking.

Through it all Giles never let go of the frightened young man.

Giles breathed a sigh of relief as the trembling slowed and the

sobbing tapered off to hitched breathing.

The young man in his arms started to struggle.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' he whispered as he tried to pull away
from the man that was holding him.
'Hush, child,' Giles said softly as he kept a hold of the boy, because
that's what Xander was now, just a boy and going by feel and size,
Giles guessed to be about 4.

After holding the boy for a few minutes to reassure the boy that he
meant no harm he pulled the child away from him, just enough to
take a look at this new Xander, so he could see Giles. To know that
he didn't have to fear him.

Giles ran a hand through those tussled locks and cupped the boy's
cheek, causing him to lean into Giles' touch.

'You have nothing to apologize for child,' he offered with what he

hoped was a friendly smile.

Xander gazed a Giles with huge brown eyes, 'Giles?' he asked in

wonder and embarrassment.

Giles couldn't help the small smile of amusement to hide his

confusion. Not two seconds ago he had been a scared 4 year old,
now he remembered Giles? Something definitely wasn't right.

'What happened? Why are you here? How did you find me? This
stores been boarded up for ages and the girls don't know about it?
Why do I sound like I inhaled helium again? Why are you so big, and
why do I have to pee so badly? Daddy please I gots to go,' he
pleaded, holding himself and doing a mighty fine pee dance.

Giles stared at the boy in surprise, this was going to be interesting.

He hoisted the boy into his arms and carried him upstairs to the
bathroom.

'Do you need help?' he asked setting the boy on the floor.

'I practically potty trained myself, G, I can pee on my own,' Xander

replied as he went to do his business, trying his best to hide his
blush, he hadn't meant to tell the older man that. Giles turned at
listened for the toilet to flush and then the water to turn on.
'I can't reached the water, Daddy?' a small voice came from behind
him. Giles was going to get whiplash or something with the way that
Xander went from adult to child so often and so quickly. He hoisted
the boy up by his arm pits and let him wash his hands. He set the
child on the counter and dried his hands for him.

Xander blushed but thanked him.

'When was the last time you ate?' Giles asked and remembered the
look of the basement. There had been a bed roll, a cooler, a large
bag of clothing and a box.

Xander blushed and looked down, 'I had something this morning.'

It was almost 7, Giles sighed, he hadn't eaten anything yet either,

'we should get you something to eat, then to bed, I think.'

'But I'm not tired,' Xander insisted, punctuating it with a giant yawn.

'I believe that,' Giles offered as he lifted the boy into his arms.

'You don't have to carry me, or feed me,' Xander insisted as he

struggled against Giles, wanting to put down, he was a big boy now.

'Xander, you are all of four, let me take care of you,' Giles insisted.

'I'm five,' Xander pouted, sticking a hand with all finger extended in
Giles' face.

'Okay, you're all of five, let me take care of you,' he replied.

'Why? They didn't.' He stated before he clamped a hand over his

mouth his eyes wide in horror. 'I didn't mean that, I just…' Xander's
eyes began to tear up in frustration.

Giles ran a soothing hand over Xander's back and the boy settled
into the older man, 'I am not them and I will do whatever I can to
keep you safe,' he swore to the little boy/young man in his arms.
'Daddy?' Xander asked softly. Giles had no idea if this pleading,
scared, hopeful little boy was the adult version of himself or the child
version.

He placed a soft kiss to Xander's forehead, 'yes, child, I'm your

father.'

'Love you,' the boy replied, sleepily as he nestled into Giles' warmth.

Giles blinked back his own tears, he had long ago thought himself a
father to his children, but to have it returned, it was something he
hadn't ever expected. 'Let's go home,' he said, his voice a little
husky, as he headed for the door.

'Wait!' Suddenly the boy began to struggle in his arms again, 'lemme
go,' he squirmed in Giles' arms until he was forced to set the boy
down. Xander darted for the stairs.

'Xander, wait,' he called as he rushed after the surprisingly quick and

agile child. He was surprised to find Xander hurrying down the stairs
one at a time as he clung to the banister.

He met Xander half way down and scooped him up. 'What are you
doing child?' he asked turning back up the stairs.

'No,' Xander wailed, 'want Kirk!'

'Who or what is Kirk?' Giles asked bewildered.

'Box!' Xander pointed.

Giles gave a sigh and headed for the box, as soon as he'd pulled it
open, Xander practically dove in. It only took a moment but he gave
a triumphant cry and came out clutching a black and purple bear.

Xander gave a deep yawn and with a firm grip on Kirk, he settled
against Giles and was asleep before the older man was out of the
shop.
On his way home he stopped at restaurant and carefully lifted the
boy from the car, making a mental note to go shopping tomorrow for
clothing and toys and a car seat.

'Not hungry,' Xander stated. It seemed that the more relaxed Xander
was the more childlike he was.

'I know sweet child, but you should eat something. You've had a long
day and you really need to, please, for me, you can have anything
you want,' Giles crooned softly.

The girl behind the counter watched them with a look of doe-eyed
fondness.

The little boy nodded, and turned his head to look at the pictures, he
simply pointed to one of the boards. Giles followed the finger.

'The nuggets?' he asked, trying to get his boy to say something, it

wasn't like Xander to ever be this quiet and it unsettled Giles a little.

He felt the head nod against his shoulder, 'I'll take one of those, with
a small three,' he didn't want to spoil the surprise, 'and I'll have the
chicken burger with a salad,' he finished.

She punched up their order and someone in the back began to make
it.

Ten minutes later Xander was happily munching on his nuggets from
Giles' lap as the older man ate his own late dinner. It seemed
actually having the food perked Xander up much more than the
prospect of food.

The pair finished up, Xander had eaten with surprising neatness, and
Giles headed back to the counter, he had asked them to hold dessert
until they had finished with their food. She presented the pair,
namely the little boy, with the frozen treat and Xander's eyes widen
in surprise as they turned to Giles.
'It's okay, I ordered it for you,' Giles replied, helping Xander lean
forward to accept it.

It was a simple ice cream with chocolate sauce but Xander was
rarely given treats, hell, he had rarely gone out with his parents for
dinner.

Giles helped Xander eat his ice cream, and settled him in the back
seat.

In the five minutes it took for Giles to get back to his place, Xander
had fallen asleep.

Giles carried the sleeping boy into the house and carefully
undressed him, before dressing him in the smallest t-shirt he owned.
After settling the boy in bed he went to take a quick shower before
settling next to the boy with a book.

Giles was jerked from his sleep by a horrified shriek.

It took him a moment to orient himself. He'd fallen asleep reading,

the book had fallen to the floor and his glasses were askew.

He was kicked in the ribs by a small foot and he found Xander

thrashing around, whimpering.

'Xander,' he said gently, shaking him. 'Child,' he tried a little louder.

Xander woke with a scream, lashing out at Giles. The older man
grabbed Xander and held him tightly, talking calmly to him. It only
took a minute for Xander to calm.

'G?' he asked, softly.

'I'm here, child,' Giles replied.

'Daddy,' the boy whimpered before sobbing into Giles. He held the
boy as he cried into the older man and eventually the boy fell asleep
in his arms.
Giles sighed and held his boy, wondering what he had been
dreaming about, because lord new the boy had seen enough to give
grown men nightmares.

It took almost an hour to convince Xander that taking a bath was a

good thing, but he was either embarrassed that he need help to
bathe or he was just being a petulant 5 year old who thought that
baths were evil.

Finally he was clean and dressed in clean clothes. Giles had no idea
how Xander had been "de-aged" and he really didn't want to think
about how his clothing had shrunk.

'Time to go child,' Giles hoisted the boy into his arms and headed
out.

'Where are we going?' Xander asked, looking around.

'We are going to do some shopping,' he replied, settling Xander into

the back seat. He knew he needed a child safety seat and that was
first on his list, he just needed to get to the mall.

'Why?' Xander asked.

'Because you need some clothing,' Giles replied, settling Kirk next to
the boy.

'No, I can wait, Jesse's mom is getting some stuff from one of his
cousin's, he said that I can have some of those,' he stated hastily.

Giles stopped the car, 'You only have a few things, my child,' he
replied as he looked at the boy.

Xander blushed and looked away, 'sorry G, I just… I don't… no one's

ever…' he stuttered.

Giles unbuckled his belt and turned to face the boy, 'Xander,' he said
softly but sternly, 'I will buy you whatever you need, within reason of
course, and you will not be paying me back when and if we figure
this out.'

Xander's expressive eyes teared up, 'Giles, please,' neither one of

them knew what he was asking for, but Giles cupped his cheek.

'I'm here child,' he said softly.

'Daddy,' he whimpered, as he struggled with the belt and wanting to

get to Giles.

'Hush, child,' he said as he undid his boy's belt and pulled him into
his lap.

'I'm sorry,' Xander said softly.

'Don't apologize,' Giles soothed.

'So shopping?' the boy asked giving Giles a grin.

Giles laughed softly, 'in the back with you,' Giles said helping the boy
scramble back and buckle up.

Xander chattered all the way to the mall and let Giles carry him, and
Giles wondered just how much affection the boy had been shown in
his younger years.

Giles let Xander pick out some clothing and he picked up a few more
things that a five year old wouldn't get and then let the five year old
loose in the toy department.

'I'm ready Daddy,' Xander announced as he returned with a fantasy

kit with dragons, knights and castles.

'Is that all you want?' Giles asked, he knew that Xander had looked
at about a dozen things, but he'd only come back with the one.

'Giles?' he spun around to find Tara and Willow staring at him.

'Ladies,' he greeted them, allowing them to hug him.

'Daddy?' Xander asked pulling on Giles' pant leg.

'Giles, I didn't know you had a -?' Tara started only to be interrupted
by Willow.

'Xander!' the redhead exclaimed.

'Mum?' a small voice came from behind Tara.

'Billy,' Tara scooped the young blond into his arms.

'Good lord, is that Spike?' he whispered the name, though the boy
heard him anyway but didn't say anything.

The bleached hair looked odd on the five year old.

'I know,' Willow grinned.

'Does Buffy know?' Giles asked, absently picking up Xander.

Willow shook her head, 'No, we found him on the way home from
group last night and haven't called her, or told her,' she replied.

'Look what my Daddy's buying me,' Xander said holding out the kit to
Spike.

'You like dragons?' he asked shyly,

'Yes!' the boy blurted as he squirmed to get down, 'there's a giant

stuffed toy that you have to see!' he shoved the kit into Giles' hands
and tugged on Spike's foot.

The blond began to squirm and Tara set him down, 'Spike?' Xander
asked in surprise.

The blonde shook his head, 'I'm Billy,' he insisted.

Xander shook his head, 'I'm Xander,' he replied, almost as though he
hadn't just become a twenty year old in the body of a five year old.
The two boys ran off after they got the okay from their respective
parent.

'Does Billy have moments where he's like he was before he was a
five year old?' Giles blurted out.

Willow and Tara glanced at each other, 'no, we found him, it was like
he was having a seizure and he shrank in front of us.'

Giles nodded, 'That's what happened to Xander,' he sighed, 'he has

moments, nightmares and such. I didn't realize it was so bad.'

'What was bad?' Willow asked, keeping an eye on the two boys.

Giles stared at Willow for a moment, 'his home life,' he replied

carefully.

'What about it, his parents weren't very attentive, there wasn't much
else,' Willow offered.

'Not very attentive?' Giles began, about to go on an indignant rant on

Xander's behalf.

'When they weren't ignoring him they were belittling him and when
they weren't doing that they were fighting with each other or blaming
him. If he wasn't bruised from patrolling he was bruised because his
father is an asshole,' Tara blurted.

Willow turned to Tara in shock, 'how do you know? You weren't there
for any of it, besides he's my friend, not yours,' Willow hissed.

Giles didn't miss the look of hurt that clouded Tara's features for a
brief moment but Willow did.

'Billy, pick out a toy and let's go, Willow has something else to do,'
Tara said moving to the boys.
Billy and Xander looked up from the puzzles in confusion.

'You're coming to my place, you can have a sleep over,' Giles

offered, knowing that Tara wouldn't want to go back with Willow
tonight.

'Tara?' Spike/Billy asked softly, almost as if he was afraid to ask.

'What is it honey?' Tara asked as she crouched down in front of the

boy.

'I just… I was wondering… can I have…?' his question trailed off as
he mumbled the last of it.

'I'm sorry, I didn't quiet catch that little man,' she teased softly.

'Can I get these?' he asked pointing to the pile of two things on the
floor. One was a similar kit to the one Xander had picked out and the
other was a bear that was just like Xander's only where the other
boys was purple, this one was green.

Tara tried not to smile, 'tell you what, why don't you and Xander pick
out one more thing for your sleepover tonight,' she offered.

Both boy's eyes lit up, 'really?' they chorused.

Giles offered a friendly smile, 'no, not really, you can each pick out
one,' he teased.

Xander rushed over with a craft kit, something to make bracelets and
jewellery with.

Billy looked around but he didn't seem to know what to take, 'what
about this?' Xander asked, offering Billy a colourful box. 'You can
make pictures with sand,' Xander offered.

The blonde grinned, 'yeah, I'd like that,' he said, the pair turned to
Tara, who was trying to heard them away from Willow and Giles who
had begun to argue.
'I don't what you're so worked up about, Xander's parents didn't do
anything to him,' Willow stated irritated and angry.

'And that's the problem!' Xander blurted, as he rushed to Willow, 'you

can't tell me you didn't notice that I was bruised and almost broken.
A kid can only fall down the stairs so many times before someone
starts to ask questions.'

'You were just clumsy!' she blurted out, yelling it at the young man
that looked like a little boy.

Tears welled in Xander's eyes and it was Billy that pulled Xander into
a hug first, 'hush pet,' he whispered softly.

'I think you should go,' Giles said to Willow as Tara hugged both
boys to her.

Willow gaped, 'Billy, Tara, let's go,' she said, commanding them
rather than asking them.

'No,' Billy replied, defiantly.

Willow wanted to say something, but Giles grabbed her arm and
steered her away from the three others.

Giles came back a few minutes later, 'I don't know about anyone
else, but I could really use something to eat,' he said with a grin.

The boys gave a chorused cheer and Tara picked up what they
wanted. The boys walked close together, and Giles noticed that they
were holding hands.

'There's something you should know,' Tara said softly to Giles.

Giles handed the cashier his credit card, 'what is it?' he asked,
almost absently.

'It's about Billy, he's alive,' she offered.

'He's what!' he blurted, the pen veering off the paper. Billy and
Xander giggled as they glanced up at Giles and Tara.

'He's alive, Giles, he's got a pulse and working lungs and everything,'
she said as she worked herself up.

Giles crouched suddenly, letting Tara collect his receipts, 'Billy,' he

called softly.

'Yes, Mr. Giles,' he said turning shyly to the other man, his hand held
tightly in Xander's. Giles gently cupped Billy's cheek, and sure
enough it was warm, his fingers ghosted down and gently felt for a
pulse. He looked at Billy in shock.

'Daddy?' Xander asked softly. Giles looked at Xander; he cupped his

son's cheek affectionately before standing.

'Who's hungry?' he asked.

Tara, Xander and Billy held up their hands, grinning madly.

The quartet made their way to the food court, Xander holding onto
Giles' hand and Billy holding Tara's as the two boys held each other's
hand and the adults carried their bags.

Giles watched Tara with the two boys. He would deal with Willow
tomorrow and then they would try to figure out what had happened to
the boys.

And as Xander and Billy, as Spike had been newly christened,

giggled with Tara, he wondered if, after what they both had been
through, if this was such a bad thing.

He had already decided to formally adopt Xander and wondered if he

should adopt Billy too, he would speak to Tara and Willow about it.

On the way home, the pair was awfully quiet in the back, and at a
red light he glanced back, they were as close as they could be
considering they were both in child safety seats and both were
clutching their bears.

'They're so sweet,' Tara commented.

'Yeah until bath time,' Giles retorted.

'No,' came a murmured protest from the back, and Tara and Giles
chuckled, well Giles chuckled and Tara giggled.

'Willow is just angry at herself,' Giles offered after a moment.

Tara gave a small smile, 'I know but she didn't have to say what she
did.'

'Let's just take this one day at a time, if we figure this out great if we
don't even better, we can give the boys a childhood together, one
that Xander, at least, didn't have.'

She nodded, 'but what about Spike?'

Giles sighed, 'I have no idea, but I say we just wait and see,' he
offered.

Tara looked saddened but nodded. If Spike became, well Spike

again so be it, but they both hoped that he didn't.

And neither one would be surprised if the two boys started dating
when they grew up, whenever that happened.

So I have no idea where this came from, but I'd like to know what
you thought. I think I wrote it because I needed to get away from
Harry Potter for a little while.

Thanks!