A World of Their Own

Part 18

Willow shielded her eyes and looked around. It was bright and beautiful, hardly a cloud in the sky. She saw the cabin up ahead and began walking toward it; her only thoughts were of seeing Xander. When she reached the small structure, she hesitated at the door. She didn't want to just walk in, so she knocked.

After a few minutes she called out."Xander? Spike? Is anyone here?"When no one answered she pushed the door open and stepped inside. She looked around the large front room, smiling at the fur rug in front of the fireplace. Xander was a romantic, who would have figured? Or maybe it was Spike. Willow giggled at the idea of a romantic Spike. Vampires and romance just didn't mix - as far as she knew.

A look inside the bedroom made her blush as she realised that there was only one bed. That meant that whatever was going on between the two was more than just a casual thing. Xander wouldn't share his bed with Spike if he wasn't serious about him. Willow let out a frustrated sigh."Where the hell are you, Xander Harris?!"

Not wanting to stand around waiting, Willow went back outside. She walked around to the back of the house and saw a fairly large vegetable garden and some animal skins that were stretched out to dry. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of having to actually skin something and then continued around to the other side of the cabin.

She gasped as she saw the waterfall off in the distance. It was beautiful and she was drawn to it. As she walked down the hill toward it, she saw the sauna and the bathtub. She opened the door to the sauna and smiled. Xander had to have built this; he had always liked working with his hands.

At the river’s edge, Willow closed her eyes and tried to picture Xander's life here. He surely had accomplished a lot in a year. A home, a garden, sauna and bath. It looked like he had given up hope of ever going home and had settled in. Willow began to cry at that thought. He should have known that she would never give up on him.

After taking a few minutes to collect herself, Willow headed back towards the cabin. She was beginning to think that she'd never find Xander. For all she knew, a bear could have eaten them.

~!~

Spike and Xander were just heading back from a swim in the pond. They were laughing and chasing each other around. Xander was complaining that it wasn't fair that Spike didn't need to breathe and could always sneak up on him underwater and pull him beneath.

"Yeah well, doesn't bother you so much when I'm sucking you off, now does it?"At Xander's glassy-eyed look, Spike chuckled."Wait till we get home first luv; last time I took you outside, you got poison oak."

Xander grimaced at the reminder. His days of sex in the great outdoors were definitely over. It had been pure hell waiting for the rash to go away. Plus no sex for a whole week, ‘cause Spike didn't want to take any chances on catching it."Right. Home. Let's go."

Xander grabbed Spike's hand and began pulling the vampire toward the house. Spike just chuckled and allowed himself to be pulled along. He wasn't about to turn down a chance at sex.

As they rounded the top of the hill Spike grabbed Xander and pulled him into a soul-searing kiss. It was almost enough to make Xander give sex outside another go. He was just about to tumble Spike to the ground when he heard someone shout his name.

"Xander! Oh my God, I thought I'd never see you again!" Willow flew toward her friend and jumped into his arms. Spike stepped back from the pair as Xander twirled her around in a circle. When he stopped spinning he was smiling so wide, Spike thought his face might split.

"It's Willow! Spike, look. It's Willow!"Spike smiled at his lover and then burst out laughing as Willow noticed his nudity and blushed furiously. It didn't get any better when she realised that Xander was naked, as well. Naked and still hugging the stuffing out of her.

"Eeep! Um, Xan? You're kinda naked there." Willow stumbled as Xander pushed her away and immediately hid behind Spike. Of course that was when he realised that Spike was naked as well. He tried to cover Spike and only succeeded in embarrassing Willow further when she saw where his hands were now.

"Er, maybe you should close your eyes and let us run away now. We'll put something on and then we'll talk, okay?"Willow giggled and nodded her head. Xander grabbed Spike again and they took off for the cabin. Willow couldn't help but peek at them as they took off down the hill."How the hell did I miss that?"She muttered at herself. Two gorgeous naked men and she hadn't even noticed."Man, I really am gay."

~!~

Once inside the cabin, Spike pushed Xander up against the wall and kissed him desperately. He knew as soon as he had heard Red scream his lover's name that they had been rescued. Only thing was, he didn't want to be rescued. He liked it here. But if Xander wanted to leave, he would follow. Even if it meant a life in the dark again, skulking around cemeteries and drinking stale blood from a bag.

Xander gently disengaged himself from Spike's lips and asked him what was wrong. He knew that kiss wasn't about passion; Spike wasn't hard. And if Spike wasn't hard, he was worried. Then it struck him. Willow was here and that meant that they could go home now. Back to Sunnydale and the scoobies and demons and the hellmouth. Xander grimaced at the notion; he really didn't like that idea.

"Spike, hey, relax. We're not going anywhere. This is home, you and I - here. Okay?"Xander smiled when he felt his lover sag in relief. He pushed him away gently and then took his hand."Come on, let’s get something on before we give Wills another free show."Spike chuckled and followed Xander into their room.

Willow waited on the bench outside for the two to come out. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, especially about them being together. They had been kissing when she saw them; really kissing like she and Tara did when they were seconds away from tearing each other’s clothes off. She wanted to know how that had happened.

Spike walked out first and Willow finally noticed how different he looked. Gone was the fishbelly white pallor; his hair was longer and sun-bleached a beautiful shade of blonde. He was smiling - not sneering or smirking - at something Xander whispered in his ear and he looked happy, like he was in love.

Xander did too. Willow knew what 'happy Xander' looked like, and this was definitely a happy Xander. She felt bad about what she was going to have to tell them. About Buffy, about Anya, it wasn't going to be easy.

Xander stopped a few feet in front of Willow. He squeezed Spike's hand and then took a deep breath."Willow, I'm not going back. I'm sorry you spent all this time trying to locate us only to find out it was wasted effort, but I am home. I'm happy here, and I don't want to leave."

Willow's eyes filled with tears."You're staying? Why? Xander, we miss you! So much has happened, I... I tried so hard to find you."Willow broke down in tears and Xander moved in to hold her. He hated seeing her cry, especially since it was his fault; but he had to tell her the truth. He wouldn't leave his home and Spike. Not to go back to a place he wasn't really needed and where his lover would be stuck in the dark again.

"Shh, hey, calm down and tell me what's happened. How is the gang? The Buffster still kicking demon ass? Is Anya okay?"Xander looked imploringly at Spike as Willow began to sob harder. He didn't know what he said wrong, or how to fix it.

"Oh Xander, I'm so sorry. Anya went back to D'Hoffryn. She left her share of the shop to Tara and me. She was so broken after you disappeared."Xander nodded and kissed her forehead. He was kind of relieved that she was a demon again. At least she would be safe now.

Willow struggled to sit up and then took Xander's hand. She turned sad eyes to Spike before speaking in a low pain-filled voice."Buffy's dead. She threw herself into the portal to save Dawn."A shudder ran through her body as she described how she had looked up to see Buffy suspended in the portal’s centre before it collapsed, sending her body hurtling to the ground.

Spike and Xander listened as Willow told them everything that had happened since they'd been gone. How Dawn was in L.A. with her Dad and seemed to be happy there. She told them about Trisha, and that Faith and Wesley were now training her to be a good slayer. She talked about her and Tara taking over his apartment and how they had Clem crypt-sitting for Spike. That brought a smile to Spike's face. Willow returned the smile."He's really sweet, you know? How does a guy that sweet survive in Sunnydale?"

Spike chuckled."He made be 'sweet' as you say, but he can defend himself - don't you worry yourself about that."Now that he knew Xander had no intention of leaving, he was more relaxed about Willow being there. One thing had been bothering him since she had begun her tale."Red, how long have we been gone?"

Willow looked at Spike strangely before answering."Just over a year, why?"She saw the look that passed between Spike and Xander and knew something was up."What's going on, guys? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xander stroked a hand down her back and Spike cupped her cheek in his hand and looked her in the eye."It's been about ten years for us, luv."

~!~

"Now do you understand?"Xander and Spike had spent the last hour answering questions about their life here. He was hoping that Willow would see why they didn't want to leave now that she knew how happy they were."Do you see why I can't go back?"

Willow sniffed and wiped her eyes. She did understand. Why go back to Sunnydale when you had all this? Xander could live forever here; no demons to fight, no parents to avoid, no worries about impending apocalypses. She would miss her best friend, but she understood."Yeah, I do. I'm going to miss you so much!"Willow threw her arms around Xander and wept. Xander held her close and tried to ignore the wetness on his own cheeks.

Spike watched the pair of humans crying all over each other and grimaced. He just knew that it would take weeks to get his mate out of a funk after she left. Of course, there was always another option. One that would solve both their problems."Er, Willow, luv? This spell, can you do it again?"

Willow nodded and turned her bloodshot puffy eyes toward him."Of course, why?"

"Well, I was thinking. You could bring that lovely girl of yours with you sometime and come back to visit. Hell, you wouldn't lose much time back home seeing as things move faster here."Spike shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

Xander smiled at his lover."Spike! That's a great idea! And she can bring chocolate!"He jumped up and pulled the vampire into his arms and kissed him. Spike melted into the kiss and almost forgot they had an audience. Xander must have too, seeing as how his hands began to wander…

Willow cleared her throat and the two men broke apart. "Do you guys need to be alone?" Xander blushed and Spike laughed. Willow bounced as she thought about Spike's idea. She could visit, often. This was great!