On Being Ignored.

Oz sat up as the Xander muse walked up to him and flopped down beside him on the couch. "What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out to touch the little eight-inch body's back.

"She doesn't want us anymore," he pouted, rubbing his face against Oz's tiny shoulder. "She hates us."

"No, she doesn't hate us," he said quietly, rolling to hold his fellow muse. "She's just bothered by our intensity."

"You mean she's scared of us?" Xander asked quietly.

"Yup. We can be very intense when we want to be."

"And Vo's spoiled us," Methos said as he climbed up next to them. "She's always willing to coddle us and entertain our wishes." He smiled at Oz. "Is he going to be all right?"

"Yup." He handed over the muse Xander so they could both hug him. "See, Xander, she'll want us again soon enough. After all Spike's down there with her all the time."

Xander gave them a weak grin. "Yeah, and he'll get bored or drive her nuts."

"Very true," Methos said wisely. He patted Xander down, holding the chocolate bar he had found. "Why haven't you eaten it yet?"

"Because I was saving it for a special time," he said, taking it back. He looked around the newly opened room. "Where's the cats?"

"Downstairs. Where they usually are." Oz sat up and looked at Xander. "Are you feeling better about Kaiya's rejection now?"

"Yeah, I guess," he sighed, leaning into Oz's body. "But Vo's been really busy."

"Yup. And now we're in an update period, so it's all good."

"Yeah, updates are of the good," Xander agreed, looking over at Methos. "Are you going to be feeding her more stories soon?"

"Not this week, little one. I think Assistance 10 is enough." He pointed down to where the little kid muse was sitting and talking to a new part of itself. "That's Aislin."

"Coool," Xander breathed, leaning down to get a better look. "Hey, I'm a daddy," he said happily.

"Yup," Oz agreed. "We are." He tugged on Xander's jeans. "What are you feeding her next?"

"I'm not sure, especially since Kaiya said she didn't want to beta some things." He frowned. "That's not fair."

"True, but that's her right as a beta. I'm sure we'll find another one soon enough for those few stories. We've been offered service by a few people." Oz looked from Xander to Methos and back, then pounced Methos.

"What are you doing?" Methos sighed.

"I haven't jumped you in a while," Oz explained and he ripped Methos' t-shirt off him. "It's time."

"Isn't that an upcoming GHS part?" Xander asked.

"Nope." Oz licked over the taut nipples, making the muse under him shudder. "No GHS foursomes this week." He bit Methos hard on the stomach.

"Hey!" Methos complained, arching up into the touch. "Xander, would you please pull him off me?" The other muse complied and soon they were cuddled around the Oz, nibbling and sucking on him.

"I want to do a post-story to Secret Lives," Xander whispered in Oz's ear, making him shiver. "Or start off on a new series that's closer to that."

"Xander," Oz moaned, arching back into him.

"Hey, I know you like balance," Xander purred, rubbing his little cock against Oz's butt. "You need some dark and you need some happies. That's why you like Kaiya so much."

"I'd leave her alone if she started to write happy fic," Oz breathed, pulling Methos closer to rub against.

The Xanderkitten jumped up on the couch and licked all three. "Yes, we love you too," Methos said, scratching just the right spot behind her ear, making her flop down on top of them to get more loves. "Are you bored," he purred.

"Apparently," Xander said, reaching over to give her belly scratches, but keeping his rhythm up on Oz's body. "Yeah, furries," he groaned, speeding up.

Oz came with that one word, rolling to hug Xander. "I love you," he said, kissing him on the nose.

"Are you still in your dark mood?" Methos asked.

"Kinda, but I'll be okay," Oz said with a shrug. "Maybe some light angst will take the rest of the edge off." He pulled the Xanderkitten's head down to kiss her. "Thank you, dear one. I love you too." He snuggled down into her soft fur, taking a nap with her.

Xander smirked at Methos and jumped. "Hey! This is not attack Methos day," Methos complained.

"Yes it is," Xander said with a smirk, grinding their bodies together.

Methos rolled Xander under him, frowning down at him. "Apparently you need your lessons again, young one."

"Nope, I was taught very well," Xander said with his most impish grin, pulling Methos' body down to help them both along. It only took a few minutes, then Methos got off with a moan. "See, I'm *very* well trained," Xander purred, rolling so Methos was under him and beginning to rub against the tight cheeks. "Yeah," he sighed, getting off all over him. "Much better now." He looked around, trying to figure out where he wanted to sleep. He stripped down and jumped off the couch, heading for the little platform in front of the nice window. He curled up against one of the cool walls, lying in the sun. He mumbled something as another kitten joined him, curling up against the rough fur.

Methos smiled at his little hedonist, curling up behind Oz to sleep with him.

The little kid muse rolled her eyes. "Big people," she complained in a voice that sounded a lot like Precious'. "They're always too noisy for our sleepies." She looked down at the little boy, smiling at him. "You have to learn to ignore the big muses when they get noisy like that." She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "Come on, we should go introduce you to Auntie Kaiya. She doesn't play with us, but we do get to crawl inside her head sometimes and make funny faces at her." She dragged her new self down the stairs and into the apartment below, going to find them a new playmate.

Aislin grinned as he caught sight of the big cats. "Rides!" he called, lunging for the growling one. She reminded him of one of his daddies, but she hissed at him. "She no like us?" he asked in confusion. "All other kitties like us. Me get bath from Chocolate kitten."

"That's just fussy. She's having a bad week, she has those every few weeks. It's better if we go play with the Lowell or the Arwynn." She led him farther into the bedroom and introduced him to the cats gathered on the bed. "Guys, this is Aislin, he's from Assistance." She looked up at Arwynn as she looked over the edge of the bed.

"Hi, you," he said happily, waving at her. "Are you a nice kitty or like that other one?"

She reached down and lightly batted at him, a playful shove. Then she went back to her nap with her napping buddy.

Aislin looked up at the little girl. "Did she like me?"

"Yup. She tried to chew up a muse she didn't like the other day. It was from somewhere else," she said quietly. She jumped as an adult muse hit the floor next to her. "Spike!" she complained. "Not do that!" He grinned. "This is Aislin," she said, pulling him into her side. "He's in Assistance."

"Better there than in Family," Spike noted. He looked the little boy over, giving him a wicked smile. "You're gonna grow up to be like Strife, aren'tcha?"

Aislin grinned. "I don't know," he said, giggling. "We'll see." He hugged the Spike. "I like you. You're nice," he said, letting go so he could go run after the two cats that were chasing each other in the living room.

"I'm sure he didn't mean *nice* nice," the little girl said quietly.

Spike snorted. "He'll find out soon enough," he told her, reaching down to tug on one of her curls. "Where's the other brats?"

"Mostly upstairs. She's doing an update thing again." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know why she has to stop writing to do that."

"So that the stories get out to other people," Spike explained. "Otherwise, they're just going to sit on the computer and no one will ever see you again."

She shuddered. "Okay. Can I climb through the computer and go play with D'Nalia and her kids?" she asked pitifully. "Aislin won't play with me."

"Sure, if you can do that, then go ahead. Leave a note upstairs this time and be back when it's dark." He watched her walk away, then looked up as one red, bleary eye stared down at him. "What? She'll be good," he said as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Gonna go back now." He climbed up onto the bed and walked over to the ear of the other person.

"I'm seeing muses," the owner of the eye grumbled, grabbing Arwynn to hold tightly. "It's a bad dream. I don't need muses. I have faeries." She slowly fell back asleep to the sound of muse laughter.

"Sure she doesn't need us," a female voice said from a dark corner. "Because we can't corrupt her, we need a better key into her mind." She smirked at her mate. "We'll get her yet."

"We probably already have if she could see Spike," the other female said, pulling out a dagger to clean her nails with. "Come on, we'll never get our next part finished if we don't join him in there." They ran for the bed and climbed up on it, making their way around a cat and tangled feet to the open ear. "Race ya?" she said with a grin, jumping inside.

"Hey!" she protested, running in after her mate. "No fair, I get to cheat, not you."

Oz shook his head as he walked in and climbed up there too. "Both of you cheat," he called down her ear. "Get over it." He climbed in and was caught by the vampiress and immortal. "Hey. She's got to finish mine too," he reminded them when they frowned at him.

"Point. The sooner she finishes his, the faster she gets back to letting us play," the vampiress pointed out, leaning over to give her girlfriend a kiss.

"Hmm, point," she agreed, pushing Oz out of the way to pin her mate to the wall of the ear canal. "Get her started on yours," she growled at Oz, who nodded and jogged off. "Very good idea, Shadow," she said, licking her lips. "But what shall we do while we wait on him?"

Sun laughed. "Gee, I don't know," she teased. "Card games?"

Her vampire lover tossed her down onto the fleshy floor and stood over top of her. "Surely you have something better than *card* games in mind."

Sun nodded. "Probably," she agreed, getting up to run away. She always liked a good chase through Kaiya's head.

Oz walked out of a side tunnel and shook his head. "Women. This is why I only date a few of them and they're all either innocent or butch." He walked into the writing area and logged in, starting on the next chapter of his story.

The End.

Kaiya reads with an agonizing howl. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (I am currently trying to purge myself of the muses, hence this bit of torture. And Spike is already torturing me. Do you know I actually used the word 'shag' while talking to my girlfriend this morning? HELP!)