A World of Their Own

Part 20

The rest of the visit had gone well. After the first night, they all just decided to let go of all things Sunnydale and have fun. They swam, they played hide and seek - Spike winning, of course; they helped Xander in the garden and went for long walks. Spike and Xander gave the girls their room and slept in front of the fireplace every night.

It had been fun, and they were all saddened when they had to leave, but Willow had promised to come visit again in a few weeks’ time - Sunnydale time. Xander kissed both girls goodbye and then leaned into Spike's embrace as they walked back through the portal.

Spike kissed him gently on the neck and then turned him around so they were face-to-face. "You ever think about going back, luv?" Ever since the first visit, Spike had been worried about that very thing. Here they had each other, but there, Xander had friends and family, food he didn't have to catch and kill, and all the conveniences of modern technology.

"Nope. Got everything I need right here. I'm happy here with you, Spike. I love you." Xander kissed his mate softly and held him in his arms. He felt Spike relax into the embrace and smiled. "But maybe Wills and Tara might decide to stay here next time. Do you think they would?"

Spike chuckled. He had already come to that conclusion himself. He was pretty sure that they would end up with neighbours eventually; the girls really seemed to like it here. "It's possible, pet." He saw Xander smile and knew he was up to something. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Well, I could use a new project, and the girls would probably appreciate some privacy next time they visit." Xander laughed as Spike groaned. "Oh come on, you know you like to watch me work, getting all sweaty and dirty."

"That I do, luv, so where you planning on building their house? Not too close I hope. I still want the option of shagging you in the sunlight without Red and Glinda watching." Xander blushed and Spike laughed. "Come on, plenty of time for that later. I want to sleep in our bed tonight, and I want to be holding you while I'm doing it."

~!~

Things in Sunnydale were going along well. Trisha had begun to take her calling very seriously, especially after Faith told her about everything she had been through. She didn't leave anything out, so the younger Slayer knew how hard Faith had worked to get to where she was now. It made her see how selfish she had been.

A day trip to L.A. with her watcher, the older slayer and the two witches also helped. They had met up with Dawn for lunch, and after meeting the girl that Buffy had died to protect, she understood. She might have been a key, but now she was just a girl. A girl who deserved to have a life as much as anyone else.

Dawn had been thrilled to learn that Spike and Xander were not only okay but that they were together. She smiled all through Willow and Tara's tale of their vacation with the boys. The idea of Spike in the sunlight made Dawn happy. She had always liked the vampire; he had been a friend to her when no one understood what she was going through, and Xander had been her secret crush as long as she could remember. "So tell me more about Xander being naked."

Wesley choked on his tea, Faith smirked, Trisha smiled, and Tara and Willow burst out laughing. It was no secret to them that Xander had been the feature of Dawn's adolescent fantasies. "What do you want to hear about first? How he spun me around in circles the first time I saw him? Or how about how he and Spike were... never mind. That's an R rated tale. Oh! I know. I'll tell you about skinny dipping in the pond."

Dawn’s eyes lit up and she leaned closer to Willow; she didn't want to miss a single detail. Willow smiled at her lover and then began the tale. "We were watching the stars when Xander suggested it; of course we both thought he was joking at the time. Turns out he wasn't. See, their clothes had long since deteriorated beyond the wearable point - which would explain why they were naked both times when I got there."

The whole table had fallen silent as Willow continued her tale. "Anyway, they were wearing these... skins. You remember the unit you studied on Native Americans? Like that. Turns out they only wore them for hunting or building and stuff. So when we got to the pond, they both stripped off and dove in. Tara and I just sort of stared for a minute - shock will do that to a person, you know. Then we jumped in too - we were wearing our suits. Xander built this long dock, it stretched out to almost the middle of the pond so it was really deep."

"But did you guys get naked with them?" Dawn was beginning to get impatient. She wanted to hear the good stuff; the stuff that Spike would have told her and Buffy would have staked him for if she ever found out.

Willow giggled as Tara blushed. "Not that first night. We stayed fully clothed in our swimsuits. The next night though, after Spike shared some of his present with all of us, we all got naked. It was fun."

Dawn laughed as Tara continued to blush. Faith gave the girls both an approving look and waggled her eyebrows at Wesley. "Maybe next time they go we should tag along."

Willow covered a laugh at Wesley’s stunned expression and squeezed Tara's hand under the table. She really did miss Xander, and they had such a great time while they were there. It was nice to just relax without the pressure of the hellmouth on them. They could just enjoy being outside at night without constantly looking over their shoulders for danger. She missed it, and totally understood why Xander wouldn't come back to Sunnydale. If she had spent the last ten years in a paradise like that with her lover, she wouldn't want to leave either.

~!~

The next couple of weeks went by and Willow became more and more depressed. She wasn't happy at school anymore, her grades were slipping and she'd fallen behind in her duties at the shop as well. Tara finally confronted her about it. "Willow, we need to talk. You haven't been acting like yourself lately. I'm worried."

Willow sighed and slumped down in her seat. She knew it was only a matter of time before Tara brought this up. She had tried really hard not to let her depression show but it wasn't working. "I'm sorry. I just... What are we doing here, sweetie?" At Tara's confused look Willow continued.
"We run the shop and go to school. We aren't needed to help patrol - there are two slayers here; Wes does all the research and Giles-y things, plus he knows magic. So, what do we do here?"

Willow got up and started to pace. "With Buffy, I always knew what my place was, I was her friend and I was the magic user of the group. Giles did the book thing, Buffy slayed, Xander kept us all going - always ready to cheer us up or throw himself in the line of fire. People came and went, but the three of us were steady. She's gone, Xander's gone, there's a new group of world-savers, and I don't feel like I belong anymore."

"You want to go back, don't you? To Xander and Spike, to a simpler way of life? I understand." Tara really did understand; she had never felt like she belonged with these people. The only person she truly felt that she belonged with was Willow. Xander had always tried to make her feel welcome as well, and Spike, well Spike scared her. But not anymore. It's kinda hard to be scared of someone when you've seen them reduced to helpless giggles by a man in a fur bikini bottom.

"I do. We won't go if you don't want to, but don't you want to? I mean, do you remember how beautiful it is there, how bright and sunny the days were, how clear the night sky looked… We could have forever, you and me. I want that, I want forever with you." Willow turned pleading eyes on her lover. "I learned something from watching Xander with Spike. He's not my best friend anymore, too much has changed and it's for the better. You are my best friend, Tara. You have been there for me through the worst year of my life, you've never once complained when I spent every spare minute looking for a way to bring Xander home. You had every right to, but you didn't. I don't think I could have done it without your support. Thank you."

Tara was overwhelmed. She had hoped, prayed that someday Willow would feel this way. She felt the tears run freely down her cheeks and smiled happily at her girlfriend. "I'll follow you anywhere. If this is what you want, then it's what I want too." The two kissed softly and then Willow pulled away with a smile. "We have a lot of packing to do. We have to pack up all Xander's clothes - Spike's too; we'll need blankets and cookware, utensils and tools, books... How are we going to carry everything?"

~!~

It had taken longer than they had hoped but eventually they had everything in line. The shop and the apartment had been turned over to Wesley; their belongings as well as Spike and Xander's had been packed up. They packed several books on horticulture and some volumes on frontier survival. Wesley had suggested they purchase handheld woodworking tools, and Faith reminded them to pack more whiskey and chocolate.

Finally they were ready to go. They hugged and kissed everyone and then stepped through the doorway; their belongings followed behind them by way of a binding spell. They were really leaving Sunnydale and the hellmouth behind.

~!~

Xander and Spike stood back and surveyed their work. The cabin was good, the same basic design as their own. The garden wasn't quite as big as Xander's but it would be eventually, plus he had supplemented theirs with a few wild herb plants that he didn't have in his own. "Do you think they'll like it, Spike?"

"I'm sure they'll love it pet. And if they don't, we'll just call this my place for the day you eventually get sick o' me and throw my arse out." Spike had meant it as a joke, but apparently Xander didn't find it very funny.

"Not gonna happen. I love you; that doesn't stop. And if Willow and Tara don't want to stay, if they never come back, this place comes down. I'm not giving you any options to leave." Xander kissed Spike soundly and then threw him over his shoulder and headed home.

"Oi, pet! I can walk, you know." Spike wasn't really complaining but he needed to make a token protest about being thrown around like a sack of potatoes.

"I know, but this way is more fun. Besides, you need to save your strength for when we get back; I want to be fucked through the mattress." Xander chuckled as Spike began to growl.

It didn't long to get back to their cabin and as soon as they were inside, Spike struggled free of Xander and dragged him into their bedroom and pounced on him. "Gonna fuck you through the mattress now Xan, as requested." Xander moaned in approval and let Spike position him on the bed. Foreplay was a waste of time as they were both more than ready.

Spike gave Xander a cursory preparation before entering him in one smooth stroke. He pulled his mate's legs off his shoulders and encouraged him to wrap them around his waist instead. After giving him enough time to relax into the stretch, Spike began to move.

Xander moaned and thrashed beneath him and Spike watched with unblinking eyes; he took in every flash of emotion that crossed his lover's face. Xander's words still echoed in his head - 'I love you, that doesn't stop'. He believed him. For the first time in his life, Spike believed that he was loved forever. That he would not lose this love to another, or to the passage of time. He had forever with Xander, no matter whether the girls came to stay or not. Xander was his, forever.

As his climax approached, Spike bit into his wrist and offered his blood to Xander. Without hesitation, Xander accepted and Spike sunk his fangs into his mark on his mate's neck. As they exploded into orgasm, Xander heard Willow calling his name.

Spike chuckled and rolled off of his mate. "Chit's got a lousy sense of timing, luv. Come on, let's get presentable and go out to meet them." Spike reached out for his 'butt-flap' as Xander liked to called it and put it on. Xander did the same after cleaning himself up.

They were both surprised to see the amount of stuff the girls had brought with them. They didn't figure this was just a visit; it looked like they were here to stay. Xander smiled hopefully at his childhood friend. "Planning on staying awhile?"

Willow smiled back a bit sheepishly. "Would forever be too long?" She felt Tara slip her hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. She watched as Spike and Xander exchanged an amused look. "Did I miss something? What's so amusing?"

Xander chuckled and slung his arm over Willow's shoulders. "Come and let me show you lovely ladies what Blondie and I have been up to since you left." The foursome walked off toward the girls’ new home. Spike and Tara shared a smile at their lover's happy chatter. Things were going to be just fine.

THE END