* * * * * * * * * * * *

Holiday of a lifetime   Parts eight to fourteen

Willow looked at the bruise in the mirror. It was a mixture of purple and black and was the same size as the tennis ball that had hit her yesterday. She winced as her fingers gently pressed the edge of the bruise. She had really enjoyed their game yesterday, at least until the accident. She smiled at the memory.

They had decided earlier that morning to spend the day on the beach. Willow wanted to wear her new two piece bathing suit, but she wasn’t quite so sure now. Her bruise could easily be seen between the two garments and Xander would notice the result of yesterday’s game. She didn’t want to hurt him again, so she decided to compromise and kept her bathing suit on and wore a baggy tee shirt over the top. If she kept the tee shirt on Xander would never see the bruise.

While they had been looking for the tennis rackets yesterday, Willow had discovered a bucket and spade. She had remembered the sand pit at kindergarten and how much fun it had been to build sandcastles. Today she was going to build a fantastic sandcastle, one where the knight and his princess could live happily ever after.

She found Xander waiting patiently, picnic basket, books and towels balanced precariously in his hands. Willow picked up her bucket and spade and took the books and towels from him. Then they left the cool confines of the house and went out into the glorious sunshine.

As they walked, the leaves gently rustled and the birds sang their songs to one another. Willow enjoyed the sound of nature, because in L.A the sounds of nature consisted of horns, engines and voices. You would never hear the cry of an animal in the heart of that city. At times it seemed as though you weren’t an individual, just part of a crowd which continually moved throughout the streets.

Willow could now hear the peaceful rumbling of the ocean as its waves carefully caressed the beach, renewing their eternal friendship.

They chose a place beneath an old large palm tree. Its trunk had been twisted and turned by the wind and its huge leaves acted as an umbrella, shading them from the strong rays of sunlight.

Xander lay back on his towel preparing to read from one of the many text books he’d brought with him. Willow decided to build her sandcastle.

After surveying the beach for the best spot for her sandcastle, she finally found a place not too close to the ocean but not too far away.

She carefully mapped out her plan in the sand and began to work. As she worked, she completely lost track of the time. She carefully dug, balanced and sculpted her castle, spending a long time ensuring that each new tower was perfect. She carefully dug a moat around her finished structure and stood back to admire her fairytale castle.

She smiled at her work, pleased with the effort and the result. It had been almost as much fun as when she had been a child. Although then she’d built sandcastles with Xander, but today he’d had better things to do.

She glanced at her watch and was shocked to find that she’d spent over two hours working on her masterpiece. She glanced over her shoulder at Xander. He appeared to be asleep, probably tired from all of his reading. As she watched him an idea popped into her mind and sent ripples of a plan through her, just like a penny dropping into a pool.

She picked up her bucket and spade and walked cautiously towards his sleeping form. As she got closer she could hear him snoring slowly. He had a smile on his face and his arms cradled his text book. She smiled as she carefully began to work one spadeful of sand at a time.

At one point she thought she’d been caught, when he’d stirred in his sleep, mumbling "Mom, I don’t need a blanket I’m a big boy now."

Willow pulled her hands back quickly and smiled as realisation dawned. When Xander had been about six he had refused to have a blanket on his bed. He wanted a Scooby Doo duvet cover just like Willow’s. His Mom had insisted that he kept the rabbit blanket he’d had as a toddler. He had sulked for days until his mother had finally relented and allowed him to have the duvet cover he had so desperately wanted.

She waited until he’d settled, then she continued her work cautiously and carefully. After about half an hour, she stood back and admired her masterpiece.

Her second castle was more impressive than her first, she thought, because her knight in shining armour well... in sunglasses, was now a permanent resident.

She wished she had a camera to immortalise this moment. Buffy would have loved to have seen Xander at the base of a sandcastle. The only parts of his body now exposed were his toes, shoulders and head.

She sat down to admire her work and wait. She desperately wanted to see his reaction when he woke.

She didn’t have to wait long.

"Willow!" he exclaimed.

She looked at him with a huge grin. "What?" she teased.

"I seem to have grown a sandcastle during my sleep!" he stated as he began to try and wiggle free from his prison of sand. "You know how much I hate getting sand between my toes!"

"Well I didn’t cover your toes," she smiled, knowing that she’d probably pushed it as far as she dared.

"When I get out of here, I’ll . . . .I’ll . . ."

"What?"

"I’ll think of that when I catch you!" He began to fidget with more force, sending the walls of the sandcastle crumbling and falling.

Willow decided that it was time to put a little distance between Xander and herself. She would need the extra ground when Xander broke free.

She turned and began to run, knowing that he wouldn’t be far behind her. Her mind quickly processing the best route of escape. She headed towards the sea, zig zagging and constantly changing direction in the hope of confusing him.

She glanced quickly over her shoulder and saw him closing the distance between them. She tried to run faster, but she was running out of breath. She made a last desperate attempt to escape and plunged into the surf, hoping he wouldn’t follow.

She knew her plan had failed when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She slowed, knowing that he was about to exact revenge. His other hand firmly grasped her other shoulder, and he turned her to face him. His chocolately brown eyes bored into her own. She quickly glanced away from his eyes, taking in his appearance. His once white tee shirt was covered in sand and so were his shorts. She couldn’t help herself, she broke out into a fit of giggles.

"You dare to laugh at me?" He asked with false anger in his voice.

"I couldn’t resist," she smiled, hoping the smile would help him to forget about revenge

"You’re going to pay!" Xander vowed as his fingers prepared to do their worst.

He began to tickle her ruthlessly. Her knees eventually gave way, and she found herself sitting in the sea, the waves lapping at her shoulders.

Xander towered over her, his eyes shining and a broad smile on his face. "I think we’re even. I’m covered in sand and you’re wet!"

"Hhmm, I’m not sure we’re quite even yet!" As a puzzled look crossed his face, Willow quickly moved her arms and sent a torrent of water straight towards his torso. His tee shirt and shorts were now wet and the sand changed to soggy clumps hanging from the wet material.

After the initial shock of her actions, Xander retaliated. They both launched water at the other until they were soaked to the skin.

"You look like a bedraggled puppy!" Willow exclaimed trying to suppress a giggle.

"Well at least that’s better than looking like you forgot to take your clothes off before having a shower.

She slapped his arm.

"Ouch! I see you haven’t lost your touch."

She grinned back, "Some things you never forget."

They called a truce as they walked back towards their towels. Xander stopped and admired her castle.

"You should have been an architect Will, you could have made a fortune," he stated seriously.

"I don’t think there’s much call for luxurious palaces today. There aren’t many knights and princesses around."

"I don’t know," Xander smiled, "You’ve always been my fairytale princess, and you deserve to live in a beautiful castle with your prince. But you don’t seem to have found him yet."

"Hopefully he’s just around the corner." Really he’s standing next to me, she thought ruefully.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow sat on the couch reading a novel Buffy had recommended. It was unusual for Willow to read novels, she had become accustomed to reading spell books, ancient texts and computer literature. It was a change to be reading a work of fiction rather than living one.

Xander was in the kitchen rummaging for anything that had a high sugar content. The ice-cream, Twinkies and popcorn had long been devoured and Xander was growing more and more impatient about the weekend trip into town.

Buffy had promised to call this afternoon, so they had decided to play a waiting game.

The afternoon passed peacefully with Xander revising and Willow reading.

The peace was shattered by the shrill tone of the telephone. Willow and Xander instantly jumped to their feet, both desperate to be the first one to talk to Buffy. They rushed toward the table, Xander just beating Willow. He placed his body between Willow and the phone and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello," he spoke triumphantly into the receiver.

"Hhmph." Willow allowed the sound loud enough for Xander to hear.

"Buffy!" he exclaimed as if surprised to hear his friend on the end of the phone.

Willow pulled a face behind his back and retreated to the sofa, waiting for her time on the phone. She waited patiently and tried to elicit any information from the conversation, but it sounded just like two old friends catching up.

Finally Xander relinquished the phone.

Willow took it from him and glared at him, still annoyed that he’d beaten her to it.

"Hi Buffy," she said sweetly.

"Hi Will. Before you say anything I’m sorry, it was the only way I could think of getting you guys together."

"Well, I’ll give you its original, but it still doesn’t mean I’m not angry."

Xander smiled at Willow’s tone of voice. She was certainly trying to make Buffy feel guilty about her idea. He knew he hadn’t helped by beating Willow to the phone. He decided to go outside and leave Willow and Buffy to talk. He got up and smiled at Willow and went out to the pool.

Willow watched him go, relieved that she could talk to Buffy without Xander overhearing.

"Is Xander there?" Buffy asked intrigued with how they were getting on.

"No, he’s gone outside to the pool."

"Well?"

"Well what?" Willow asked innocently.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Willow Rosenberg."

Willow decided to give her the bare minimum of details. "Well, Xander and I are talking now. It’s was a good thing you weren’t within reach when we arrived, because I might have been tempted to strangle you!"

Buffy giggled into the other end of the phone. "I really wish I could have seen your face, Will. I bet it was a picture when you realised you were deserted on a desert island in the middle of nowhere. Well, has anything happened?"

"Yes I told you, we’re talking and rebuilding our friendship."

"Nothing more?" Buffy asked dejectedly.

"No, what more did you expect? We hadn’t seen each other in five years. I think talking is a good starting point."

"I was hoping for more. I know that you both still love each other, I was hoping that being together might rekindle those feelings."

"Those feelings disappeared a long time ago. We can never be more than friends," she said, her heart sinking at the thought.

"Willow!" Buffy said sternly "When will you be honest with yourself about what you feel for him? You’ve been in love with him forever, you haven’t been able to move on. You’ve told me before how you compare every man you meet to him. If you don’t admit your feelings, you are never going to be happy."

"I might like not being happy." she said weakly in her defence.

"Willow!" Buffy felt like screaming down the phone. She knew how much Willow had avoided her feelings before; and if she continued both she and Xander would be in rest homes before they could be happy. Buffy didn’t think she could handle that.

"I still love him Buffy, being here made me realise it all the more. But I can’t tell him, because I know he doesn’t feel the same, he never did." Willow was on the verge of tears at the hopelessness of the situation.

"Willow, tell him. He needs to hear it. If you’re honest with him, then he’ll be honest with you."

"I don’t know if I can ,Buffy. I don’t know if I want to. If I tell him and he doesn’t feel the same, I don’t think I can go on. It would be the final straw. At the moment there is hope... well fantasy mixed with extreme hope, but I’ve still got that to hold on to. Without it, I don’t know ..."

"Will, you’ve got nothing to lose. You’ve pined for him the past five years and hated every minute of it. Take the chance, you’ve got to."

"I’ll see," Willow allowed quietly.

"Ok. I want a full report on your return, is that clear? By the way, I’m expecting both of you to come to Sunnydale for the wedding when you return from Hope island."

"I wouldn’t miss it for the world, and neither would Xander. Buffy . . ."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Will. Now go and enjoy the last week of your vacation. I’ll speak to when you get home."

"Bye Buffy."

The connection cut, Willow listened to the sound of the dial tone. Her head and heart conflicting with one another about what to do. She sighed.

"Everything ok?" Xander asked from the doorway.

How long had he been standing there? What had he heard? Willow’s heart began to pound.

"Fine. Have you been standing there long?" she asked.

"No. Why? Were you talking about how lucky you are to be stuck on a desert island with one of the most handsome men in the world?"

"I thought there was something different about you," she stated seriously.

He looked puzzled.

"Your head seems to have swelled several sizes since you went outside."

"Willow Rosenberg!" he exclaimed, pleased that she trusted him enough to tease him again. He’d really missed that in their friendship.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow looked herself over in the mirror. She thought her outfit of knee length shorts, pink tee shirt and white shirt looked suitable for a day in the town. She carried a large straw hat in her hand and her sunglasses were perched on her head, keeping her auburn locks out of her eyes.

Bob Fields was coming to the house this morning to drive them into town. They desperately needed to replenish their supplies. Willow wanted to explore the town, she was hoping she might be able to find some gifts for Buffy and the others. Also it gave Xander and Willow a different environment to test their friendship.

She walked into the lounge, ready for the day ahead. Xander was waiting in there looking out of the window for Bob. He turned as he heard her enter the room.

Wow, he thought, she gets more beautiful every time I see her. He was really going to miss seeing her every day when they returned home. If he had his way, he would see her every day for the rest of his life.

"Are you ready then for an exhilarating ride into town with Bob?" he asked

"Yes. I hope the road into town is better than the road from the airport."

"Well, I think it’s going to be another day of excitement and fun on the island of Hope" he dazzled her with his smile.

If only she could see that smile every day she would be happy. Only seven more days, she thought as her heart sank, then he’ll be in Washington and I’ll be in L.A

The sound of a horn blowing outside indicated the arrival of Bob Fields.

They walked out to his jeep and climbed in, Xander riding in the passenger seat and Willow in the back.

As Willow had dreaded, the road into town was even bumpier than the road from the airport. She tried to close her eyes to take her mind away from the bumping and lurching of the jeep. She didn’t realise she could miss smooth tarmac as much as she did now.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When Willow finally opened her eyes, the road seemed slightly smoother and the dense vegetation was beginning to thin, out and she thought she could see the beginning of the town. There were a few hut like buildings in the distance, it was the first sign of life they had seen outside of the house.

The town developed quickly with bigger and more impressive buildings. It wasn’t like any other town she had seen. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but she hadn’t been expecting this. The long straight road was met at either side by a mixture of one and two story buildings. Some were residential, most were shops, selling a mixture of fruit and items for tourists.

Willow thought it would be very interesting looking around the shops. It would be like exploring another world, and who better to share it with than Xander?

Bob pulled the jeep into a small side road, that was more like a mud track, and parked.

"I’ve got quite a few things to do today in town, so I’ll meet you here at about three." he said pleasantly.

"Ok" Willow and Xander spoke together, then glanced at each other and smiled.

Bob turned and walked off towards the main road.

"Alright then, we have four hours and a town to explore. Where would you like to start?" Xander asked.

"How about over there?" she pointed to a large two story building that had a variety of wooden sculptures hanging from hooks.

He nodded in agreement and they made their way to the shop.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow picked up a small carved figure. In a way it reminded her of Giles. The man was sat on a small wooden chair reading an old book. He wasn’t dressed in tweed, but Willow thought it had the essence of Giles. She held it up to admire in the light. The sun accentuated the auburn and red streaks in the dark brown varnish.

"It’s the G Man!" Xander exclaimed.

"Yes, it almost could be," Willow allowed. "I think I’ll buy it for him, something to remind him how special he is and his books."

Xander smiled. He turned to look at a strangely carved figure. As he picked it up to look closer he almost dropped it with shock. "Willow," he almost hissed.

She walked over to him, intrigued to see what had caused such a reaction. "What?" she asked, then her eyes focused on the object he held. "Its not is it?"

"Could there be two of them?" he asked incredulously.

"Well I definitely hope there’s only one Spike. Where do you think the carver got his idea for the subject?"

"Probably from a close and personal experience" Xander replied, attempting to sound sarcastic but not quite pulling it off.

"I think I’m going to ask the lady about this object." she said as she took it from Xander’s grasp and walked into the darkness of the shop.

The shop owner was an elderly lady, Willow guessed about seventy. Her once black hair was grey, and her face was wrinkled by a mixture of age and exposure to the sun. She smiled as Willow approached.

"Excuse me." Willow began "Is this a local artifact?"

"Yes, my dear. It was produced by a local wood carver, just before his death. He was renowned for being a little out of the ordinary. He swore the island had vampires, now have you ever heard of anything as ridiculous as that? Vampires are from story books."

Willow felt her face pale with the realisation that there might be vampires on this beautiful island. The thought had never crossed her mind until now. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the rest of the story, but it might be important. "Oh yes, but why would the old man choose to make such a sculpture?"

"Well local legend has he lived in the forest about half an hour from here. He was a recluse, only coming into town to sell his wood carvings. Well he would only ever come out in daylight, he never ventured out after dark. One day he came raving into town that he had seen a blonde man turn into the devil, with long teeth, and he attacked the man’s horse. Although he couldn’t get into the man’s house, it was as if there was an invisible force field stopping him from entering, he said. The stranger had a strange accent, one filled with words that sounded familiar in an English kind of way, but it wasn’t how the locals or tourists spoke. He was terrified. It wasn’t long after that, that he stopped coming into town. One of the sheriff’s went out to his house and they found his body. He’d been attacked by a wild animal they say, he had teeth marks on his neck. Sitting on the table by his body was that carving, I assume it was the creature he thought he saw. It’s a sad story really but it has become popular in these parts."

Willow felt queasy inside. Spike had even spoilt the pleasantness of this island.

"If you’re interested in the carving I’m sure we can come to some agreement, it’s been sitting out there for too many years now. I’ll be glad to see it go to a good home." the old lady smiled hopefully.

"Do you mind if I think about it for a little while?" Willow asked.

"Sure, you go and talk to your husband out there. You make such a lovely couple you know. Are you on your honeymoon?"

"No . . . . er . . . . . we’re just on vacation. . . . enjoying the scenery." Willow stopped before she sounded any more ridiculous. She turned quickly and retreated towards Xander.

She found him looking intently at a carving of local women dancing. He turned as he heard her approach.

"Are you ok, Will?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"I think Spike’s been here, the poor old man who carved this apparently died of an animal attack after telling the people in the town he saw a man change into the devil. I don’t think this island is as safe as we thought. Why is it where ever we go we always end up in trouble?" She asked quietly.

"Calm down, Will. We don’t know that Spike is here now. He’s probably in Sunnydale giving Buffy a run for her money, or causing problems for Angel in L.A. You don’t really think he would follow us out here into the middle of nowhere?" he asked, trying desperately to calm her down.

"No, and the lady did say the carving had been here several years. I’m just working myself into a fuss over nothing." She tried to slow her breathing.

"Do you want to buy the carving of Giles?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, and I’m going to buy this one too." she nodded to the carving of Spike. Xander looked at her with a puzzled expression. "It might help Giles or Buffy if Spike returns to Sunnydale."

"Ok. I’ll wait here."

She returned a few minutes later, her packages wrapped and placed carefully in a small cloth bag. She smiled at him, a little relieved that they were in the middle of a populated town.

"Where to next, my lady?" he asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Where ever you please, my lord." she returned his humour even though she didn’t really feel like it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They had looked in several shops, and had stocked up on enough supplies to see them through until their departure. Xander had even found his favourite desert of Twinkies and had bought enough to last a year, Willow thought.

As they walked along the street, Willow noticed a little jewellery store. She looked in the window stopping when something caught her eye. Xander stopped by her side. She pointed to the necklace. "That would be perfect for Buffy." she said. The necklace had a diamond shaped pendant with a tiny white cross embedded into the pale blue stone.

Xander looked at the pendant, and agreed with Willow that it was perfect. As he looked at the other jewellery in the window he saw a beautiful necklace, it had emerald green stones inset in gold. The emeralds were the same colour as Willow’s eyes. He knew that it would be perfect for her. He would have to wait for her to buy Buffy’s present, and then he would buy her it for a surprise. He’d give it to her when they left the island as a way of sealing their friendship.

They went into the store together. Willow bought the necklace. Xander appeared to become interested in a display cabinet filled with strange objects and watches.

"Are you ready?" she asked him.

"You go on, I just want to have a close look at these. One would be perfect for a friend in Washington, he collects watches."

"Oh, I’ll take a look in the next shop."

The shop keeper approached him. "Can I help you sir?"

"Yes you can. I would like to buy the emerald necklace in the window."

"Certainly sir. It will suit your wife perfectly."

"Wife. . ." Xander was a little confused, until the penny dropped. "Oh Willow, no she’s just a friend."

"Whatever you say, sir," the man smiled.

Xander paid for the necklace and slipped the velvet box into his pocket. He didn’t want Willow to see his purchase until it was time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

They waited by the jeep for Bob. He was running late, it was already a quarter past three. Willow and Xander had placed their packages and bags on the back seat of the jeep. They had spent a fortune and enjoyed every minute. Xander was now sporting a brand new hat, which Willow had insisted on buying for him. Willow had a new tee shirt with a picture of Hope Island on it that she’d bought it to remind her of the fun they’d, had on the island.

Finally Bob’s figure approached from the street. He looked a little concerned, Willow put it down to being late. "Sorry I’m late, got held up. Things never run smoothly around here," he said as way of an apology.

At that statement, Willow’s blood ran cold, her mind wandering back to the image of Spike. She really wished she’d packed her standard Slayerette pack, but she had left it in L.A, for all of the use it was to her there.

The journey back to the house seemed to take forever. The road appeared even more uneven, the jeep bouncing like a kangaroo in the outback. Willow was glad she hadn’t eaten a large lunch, because she was sure it would have revisited her on the journey.

They arrived back at the house around half past four. The glorious sunshine had been replaced with dark stormy clouds. The wind was rustling harshly through the trees and there was definitely a chill in the air that hadn’t been there before.

"It looks like we’re in for a storm. Probably won’t last long. They’re usually over before you know it." Bob Fields tried to reassure them. "If you have any problems, I’m on the end of the phone. I’ll come by and pick you up Saturday morning around nine. Have a good week." He turned and got back into his jeep without waiting for Willow or Xander to reply.

"I guess it’s just you and me then." Xander turned and smiled at Willow.

Willow couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She hadn’t felt like that in a while, not since she last lived in Sunnydale, when the unexpected usually happened. She smiled at Xander, not wanting him to be concerned. "Yes, let’s get inside before the rain starts."

As they entered the house, a large rumble of thunder shattered the stillness and the rain began to fall hard and fast, pelting and reverberating across the wooden roof. They stood for a long time at the doorway, watching the rain dance and puddle on the dry ground.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It was dark and the rain still continued to pound on the roof. It never rained this hard at home, in some ways the rain was therapeutic, but Willow still couldn’t shake that bad feeling she’d had since the carving store in town.

She got up from the couch, where she had been sitting listening to music and relaxing. Xander was laying on the other couch virtually asleep. "I’m going to bed, it’s been a long day. Good night."

He opened his eyes. "Good night Will, sleep tight and make sure the bed bugs don’t bite." he teased, using the saying they’d used as children when having a sleep over.

"I’ll try, and you too." she turned and headed for her room. There she opened the door to her room and screamed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander rushed to Willow’s side. Her scream had woken him instantly, his mind recalling the carving of Spike they had found earlier. He began to panic . . . .

Willow couldn’t believe her eyes, as she looked around her room all she could see was water. Her bed had a huge puddle in the centre, it looked deep enough for ducks to swim on. There were huge pools of water on the beautiful hard wood floor. Willow allowed her eyes to look up to the ceiling. A gaping hole in the roof met her eyes, the rain was pouring through the hole.

"Willow are you alright?" Xander asked, his voice filled with concern. Images of Spike flowing freely through his mind.

"Water . . . . everywhere . . . ." the words finally escaped from her lips.

Xander began to laugh. "Is that all?"

She turned to look at him. She couldn’t understand his reaction, her room had been virtually destroyed by the storm and he found it hysterically funny. "Xander!"

"I’m sorry Will, but it’s only water. When you screamed I thought Spike was about to attack you. Water we can fix, a new you, never."

She relented, finally understanding why he found the situation so amusing. "I’m sorry Xander, I didn’t expect this," she gestured to the mess in her room. "I sort of screamed before I could think about it. . . . . . sorry." she added sheepishly.

"You like to keep me on my toes!" The smile widened on his face at the stricken look Willow had given him during her explanation.

"What am I going to do? Everything’s soaked. There’s no way I can sleep in there," she said dejectedly.

Xander thought for a moment, as if weighing up the pros and cons of his idea, before he spoke. "Well, if you promise to behave, you can share my room."

"Behave myself! Your room!" The connotations of his statement caused her to blush involuntarily. "I’ll sleep on the couch."

"If you spend the night on the couch, you’ll wake up tomorrow all bent out of shape, literally. We’ve shared a room before. Why can’t we now? It is an emergency isn’t it?"

"The last time we shared a room we were ten, and if I remember correctly you were still in footie pyjamas!" she teased, relaxing a little from her shock.

"Well I didn’t bring my footie pyjamas with me, but I do have a large bed which has plenty of room for both of us."

"But. . . . .but . . . . ." her mind was desperately searching for an excuse, any excuse.

"But nothing. I am not taking no for an answer." He tried to emulate Willow’s resolve face to emphasise his statement.

The face he pulled almost made her giggle, he used his puppy dog look with what she interpreted as extra resolve. How could she refuse, she had never been able to refuse his puppy dog look before, and she doubted she ever could. "Ok . . . . I . .er. . think." If Willow hadn’t known better she would have thought this had been Buffy’s idea. She could imagine Buffy’s reaction when she found out they had shared a room. She rolled her eyes at the thought of the interrogation the slayer would give her.

"Look, there’s not a lot we can do in there until the rain stops," Xander indicated Willow’s room, "I’ll go and get changed in the bathroom and then I’ll see you in there." he nodded towards his bedroom, suddenly very aware of the fact that he was going to be closer to Willow tonight than he had ever expected.

"Ok," Willow mumbled on the verge of blind panic.

He turned and retreated to the bathroom. Willow sighed and began to pick her way through the puddles towards the closet, in the hope that her clothes had missed the downpour. She opened her closet and sighed with relief, her clothes had been untouched by the water. She selected an oversized tee shirt and a pair of shorts and changed quickly.

When she had changed, she cautiously made her way out of her room and across the hallway to Xander’s. His door was closed. Her heart began to pound in her chest. She slowly raised her hand to knock, then quickly brought it down. She counted to three to build her courage and raised her hand again. She was just about to knock when the door opened.

She looked at him with surprise, how had he known she was about to knock?

"I just sort of knew you were on the other side of the door," he offered as an explanation. "And if I waited for you, you would still be standing there in the morning." Again he was stunned by her beauty, her auburn hair framing her face, the hesitant look in her eyes melting straight to his heart. He had a feeling this was going to be one of the most awkward nights of his life.

She looked past him towards the bed. It bed didn’t seem quite so large as it had when they had first arrived. She wanted to turn around and sleep anywhere but here, she didn’t know if she could handle being that close to him. But she knew if she did that, it would make Xander ask questions. Questions she didn’t particularly want to answer.

"Well?" he asked, breaking her train of thought.

"Oh . . . .er . . . . yes. . . . . . sleeping." She admonished herself mentally, she couldn’t even formulate a sentence now.

She entered the room, aware that she had taken the step past the point of no return. She walked to the bed and just stood there and stared.

"Which side do you want?" Xander asked.

"Oh, I don’t mind. It’s your bed. Which side do you want?"

Realising they could still be discussing which side to sleep on two hours from now, Xander decided to take the initiative. "I’ll take this side."

"Fine, I’ll have the other side then." Willow answered. She walked to the left hand side of the bed and carefully pulled back the duvet. She turned and sat nervously on the edge. Taking a huge breath before finally allowing herself to lay down. She instantly turned on her side, facing the wall, her back towards Xander. Her body lay precariously close to the edge, she didn’t dare get too close, she didn’t know what her reactions might be.

She felt the mattress move as Xander positioned himself on his side of the bed. She tried to slow her breathing into a regular pattern. At the rate she was going, she would probably hyperventilate. Her breathing finally eased and she almost felt relaxed.

Xander had watched her precariously position herself in the bed. He had allowed himself to smile, he had never seen her so nervous before. For the life of him he couldn’t work out why sharing a bed with him would cause that reaction. They were friends after all, they had been friends longer than he could remember .

He finally allowed himself to get into bed, making sure that he left plenty of space between himself and Willow. He couldn’t allow his body to touch hers, it might cause reactions he was definitely not ready to handle. He spoke softly to her "Goodnight Will," Then repeated their childhood rhyme, hoping the familiarity of the saying would help her, not to mention himself, relax.

"Night Xander," she whispered from her side of the bed.

They closed their eyes and tried desperately not to think about how close they were to each other.

Finally they relaxed into slumber and the night faded into morning.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow awoke to the feeling of being safe and secure. Her head snuggled against . . . her mind began to process the sensation. Xander! She opened her eyes and full realisation hit her. She was no longer lying on the edge of the bed, but was in Xander’s arms, her head resting against his shoulder, his chin touching the top of her head. His arms were holding her gently towards him, their legs entwined together. She felt as if she was meant to be in his arms, everything seemed perfect. She didn’t want to move. She could spend the rest of her life in his arms, she thought. She felt his chest rising and sinking, the soft warmth of his breath on her hair. In that one moment she felt truly at peace. She allowed herself to close her eyes and cherish the moment.

Xander felt the morning light on his face. As he began to shake of the remnants of sleep, he became aware of someone in his arms. For a split second he was confused, then he recalled everything. His eyes opened to the beauty of Willow sleeping in his arms, her head nestled against his chest. He breathed in slowly, the soft scent of lemon filling his nostrils. She felt perfect in his arms, and he wished he could hold her forever. He couldn’t take his eyes away from her, it was as if she was enchanting him in her sleep. Her eyes closed and a tiny smile spread across her lips. She looked completely at peace. He gently moved a tendril of auburn hair, and she stirred at his movement, her emerald green eyes opening and greeting his own.

Neither knew how to react or what to say. In slumber they had allowed themselves to become close, closer than they had been in a long time. Now they were awake, and neither knew how to begin.

Willow couldn’t break away from Xander’s intense look, his chocolate brown eyes holding her own as if he were searching for an answer. His next action shocked her, he leant forward and kissed her forehead. A soft tingly sensation travelled up and down her spine accompanying his gentle kiss. Her heart hoped desperately ,hat he would say the three words she had waited all her life to hear, but when he lifted his head away he didn’t say what she had hoped.

"Good morning." he spoke with a hint of pain in his voice.

"Morning" she replied increasingly aware that they were still locked in each other’s embrace.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm, Yes."

"Well. . . er . . . . I suppose we ought to get ready to see what damage there is to your room."

Willow’s heart sank, he hadn’t mentioned how they’d ended up. She was brought back to reality with a thud. "Ok." she moved carefully from his arms and turned to get out of bed.

"Will?"

She turned to look at him, wondering what he wanted to ask. She waited for him to continue.

"Thank you," he said simply.

"For what?" she asked puzzled.

"For allowing me to rebuild my friendship with you. I’ve really missed you." Xander’s eyes were full of sincerity as he spoke.

"I’ve missed you too." A single tear escaped her eyes, her hand quickly darting up to her cheek to intercept it. "I’m really pleased we’ve had this time together."

"Me too," he said simply. As he pulled back the duvet and turned towards the door. "I’ll go and get breakfast while you get ready."

She smiled her answer to him.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The rain continued to pound on the roof. The dark grey clouds hugging closely together, succeeding in blocking the sun from breaking through their barrier. The air smelt fresh with the rain, and a gentle breeze curled and moved the saturated leaves on the bushes. Willow watched the rain as it bounced and pooled on the ground. The earth which yesterday had been hard and dusty, was now wet and muddy, looking like melted chocolate. The repeating rhythm of the rain relaxed her, the memories of when she had woken that morning pleasantly lingering in her mind.

She smiled as she recalled the sensation of Xander’s kiss. It had been completely innocent, but it flamed the fires of her hope. Her reverie was disturbed by the sound of Xander’s voice.

"Will, it’s really not that bad in here," he called from her room.

She made her way towards Xander’s voice, bracing herself for what she might find when she entered. She found Xander standing on the only dry patch of floor in the room. The small puddles that had been evident the night before had extended and formed larger pools. The bed was now completely covered in water. She sighed, there would be no way that she could return to her room today, or even tomorrow. Although that might not be a bad thing, she allowed the pleasant thought to pass through her mind. She could spend the next couple of mornings waking up to Xander.

"Will, I know you said when you were little you wanted a water bed, but this is ridiculous," he said indicating the saturated bed.

"Well you’re more than welcome to it, if you want it?"

"No, I think the dry, normal, run of the mill bed is more my scene," he replied, his eyes looking intensely at her.

"What are we going to do about the water still coming in?" she asked. A large droplets of rain cascaded through the hole and continued to enlarge the existing pools of water.

"I’ve tried to call Bob, but the phones are out. So I think its up to you and me to try and fix it. I think we could fit the umbrella up through the hole, open it out." Xander thought for a moment, weighing out the plausibility of his idea. "Then if we weighted the end, it should let the water flow off down the roof and not into here."

She giggled at the image of an umbrella sticking through the hole in the roof. "I suppose it will have to do, if there’s nothing else we can use." she smiled as she spoke. Only Xander would think of such a way to mend the roof, his ideas had always had elements of the unexpected.

They tried Xander’s plan, and much to Willow’s surprise it actually worked.

They spent the rest of the day mopping up puddles and trying to dry out the furniture and the bed. They hung the duvet from a make shift washing line on the porch, it reminding Willow of the tent she and Xander had shared one summer in her back garden. It had been the summer when they had desperately wanted to sleep outdoors, being grown up now that they had both turned ten. Her parents had finally relented and they had spent the best part of their summer holidays in the tent. Willow shivered at the memory, if she had known then what she knew now about vampires, she would never have slept in a tent in the garden. It was a wonder she and Xander hadn’t been vampire fodder.

"Penny for them?" he asked.

She turned to look at him, a look of surprise on her face. "Oh, I was just remembering the summer we spent in the tent."

He smiled as he remembered the fuss Willow had made to her parents about being allowed to sleep in the tent in the garden. She had used her resolve face and finally her parents had given in, as long as they had a walkie talkie to call them if there was a problem. They’d had great fun, making up ghost stories, which actually weren’t far off the mark. He remembered watching her sleep then, amazed that anyone as perfect as Willow could be his friend. If he was honest with himself, he knew then that he loved her, in fact he always had. The strength of his love for her had always scared him, he knew that she was too important to risk losing, so he had tried to push his feelings away, scared that if he shared them, their friendship would turn to dust. If he didn’t admit to them, he wasn’t going to hurt her or get hurt, but the opposite had actually happened. By not telling her, he’d pushed her away and ruined their friendship. Now they were finally rebuilding things between them, he couldn’t risk losing that again, so he knew that he had to keep the fact that he was in love with her a secret. Maybe one day it would be the right time to tell her, but for now he would just concentrate on being friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When Willow climbed into bed that night, she was more relaxed, she knew that sharing a bed with Xander wasn’t a problem. So instead of laying precariously on the edge, she allowed herself to lay more comfortably on the bed, although there was still enough room between them to fit a small army. She lay there in the dark, contemplating the past week and smiling at the memory of all the fun she’d shared with Xander.

"Will, are you asleep?" he whispered.

"No, I’m just lying here thinking."

"Do you remember when we were small we used to tell each other stories before we went to sleep?"

"Mmm, I remember my stories always had a happy ending and yours usually scared me to sleep!" she giggled.

"Shall we keep up the tradition?"

"A story?"

"Yes. Do you want me to tell you one?"

"As long as it has a happy ending."

"Ok, I think we both need a happy ending." Xander smiled sadly in the darkness.

"Mmm."

"Ok then, I’ll begin." His mind began to think of a story, it was one Willow had told him a long time ago although this time it would have a happy ending.

"Once upon a time there was a little boy, who desperately wanted a friend,"he began. "Someone to play with, to share his secrets with. The little boy lived in a small house on the edge of a wood. The little boy lived with his mother, but his mother was not a kind woman, she would send him to work in big castle. He would spend his days working in the kitchen or yard, looking after the animals.

One day he saw a beautiful girl, her long red hair shining in the golden sunlight. She was the King’s daughter, a princess. She wasn’t allowed to play with any of the children in the castle, she only had her ball and doll to play with.

The little girl was lonely. She desperately wanted a friend. The little boy spent a long time watching her and wishing that he could talk to her. He was amazed by her beauty and the way she smiled. Every time he saw her smile, his heart smiled too.

One day he was looking after the animals in the yard when he heard a scream. He rushed to where the sound had come from and found the little girl standing on a large rock by the pond, a little green frog looking up from its perch on a lily pad. The little girl had tears falling from her eyes, her little hands were shaking with fear.

"What is the matter?" he asked, desperate to make her smile again.

"It’s the frog, I’m scared of frogs," she admitted between her sobs.

"Frogs! They won’t hurt you. Look I’ll show you." He walked towards the little green frog and carefully caught it in his grasp. He turned to show the little girl, but as he moved towards her she nearly leapt from the stone she was standing on. He decided to let the frog go and placed it carefully in the pond, where it dove and disappeared from view.

He turned again to the little girl, her white face dappled with red patches where her tears had been.

"Thank you," she said

"It was nothing," he replied bowing slightly, knowing that he was speaking to the King’s daughter.

"Will you play with me?" she asked hopefully. It was the first time she had ever spoken to another child, and he had saved her after all.

"I. . . . Yes please." he replied happily. At last he had a friend to play with.

They played for the rest of the day, building a friendship that was stronger than either of the children could imagine.

They secretly played together after that, everyday their friendship growing stronger. They shared every secret, every thought with each other. The little girl comforted her friend when he was upset about his mother. He comforted her when she was scared or frightened."

Xander stopped retelling the story, scared to continue, knowing that he might reveal more than he wanted to.

Willow wiped the tears away from her eyes, he had remembered the story she had told to him when they were about seven. He had wanted her to tell him a fairytale about two children becoming best friends, and she had made the story up and he had insisted on hearing it every day for two weeks.

"Is that where the story ends?" she asked

"No," he replied, still a little afraid to continue.

"I would like to hear the end of the story, I want to know if they have a happy ending." She moved her left hand and found his. His hand moved at her touch, grasping hers in his own. She turned her head to look at him. His face illuminated by the ghostly soft light of the moon, a small smile on his lips.

"Ok. I’ll finish the story." He took a deep breath before starting, "Eventually the children grew up. The little boy grew into a handsome young man, who knew that he was never going to be good enough for his princess. So he went away and travelled the country, hoping to find someone special he could share his life with.

He spent five years travelling and met many different people, but no one could fill the hole in his heart which had been there since he had left his best friend. Every day he thought of her and missed her even more.

One day he could stand it no longer, he went home to the castle near the woods. When he arrived he heard a familiar scream. He rushed towards the sound and found his best friend standing on the same rock, a little frog looking up at her curiously.

"What is the matter?" he asked, remembering the first time he’d spoken to her. Xander paused.

"It’s the frog, I’m scared of frogs," the princess explained. Willow continued the story, and gently squeezed Xander’s hand.

Xander grinned, his eyes meeting Willow’s before he continued taking on the role of the prince. "Frogs! They won’t hurt you. Look I’ll show you." The boy picked up the frog and returned it to the pond.

"I didn’t think you were ever going to come back," she said sadly to her friend.

"I couldn’t stay away, I missed you too much," he said honestly.

"I missed you too. The castle seemed so empty without you."

He held out his hand and helped her down to the ground from her stone. He looked deeply into her green eyes and said the words that had haunted him for the past five years. "I love you."

His princess began to cry, tears of joy. "I love you too my prince."

Their lips met in the most perfect kiss and they lived happily ever after." he finished his story a small smile on his lips. If only life could be as perfect as make believe and stories, he silently thought.

He glanced over at Willow, her hand still in his, she smiled and had tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. "That was a beautiful story Xander, I liked your version so much better than mine. I bet you have the children you tell stories to enthralled."

His smile widened at the compliment. "I promised you a happy ending, Will and I really hope you get the one you want in real life too."

I hope I do too he added silently.

"It would be nice if life was like fairy stories, Xander, but we both know the harsh realities of life. Although hearing that story has given me hope that somewhere out there is my prince charming." She smiled, and moved closer to Xander, she kissed him gently on his forehead. "Sleep tight and make sure the frogs don’t bite!" she teased gently before rolling over, not letting go of his hand, but taking his arm with her as she moved.

Xander rolled towards her and snuggled up to her, both of them needing the comfort of being close to one another.

They fell asleep listening to the drum beat of the rain on the roof and the gentle beat of each other’s heart.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

She awoke to the sound of rain still pounding on the roof. Willow smiled as she felt Xander’s arm protectively draped over her, his hand still entwined in her own. She gently moved out from underneath his arm and sat on the edge of the bed watching him sleep for a moment. His face completely relaxed. She got up and left him sleeping and went to change for the day.

As she was preparing breakfast the phone began to ring. Willow put down the apple she’d been chopping and rushed to pick up the receiver.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello" she tried to recognise the voice between the static on the line. "It’s Bob Fields here, are you both ok?"

"Yes we are. Although the roof in one of the bedrooms is leaking, we’ve fixed it temporarily."

"Oh, thanks. I won’t be able to get to you today, I’ll try tomorrow. The road from the airport to where you are is flooded. As soon as the water level goes down I’ll be there to see what I can do to help. Now that the phone is working if there are any more problems give me a call." he said helpfully.

"Ok, thanks for calling, we were a little worried when we couldn’t get through. We’ll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye." Bob said before disconnecting.

Willow replaced the receiver in it’s cradle.

"Who was on the phone?" Xander asked.

Willow turned to look at him, he was yawning and running his fingers through his ruffled hair. He stretched as he moved across the room towards her, he was still wearing the pair of shorts and tee shirt he had worn to bed last night.

"It was Bob Fields just checking on us to make sure everything is ok. He’s going to stop by tomorrow if the road from the airport is passable." the image of the bumpy road which they had travelled to the house on their arrival quickly floating through her mind. "I’m sorry did the phone wake you? I tried to answer it as quickly as possible." she smiled gently.

"No, I was already awake. I woke up and realised that you had gone." he looked at her, she thought she caught a glimpse of something she hadn’t seen before in his eyes, but before she could be sure it disappeared again. "I was just about to get up when the phone rang." he added.

"I didn’t want to wake you, so I tried to leave without disturbing you. You looked so peaceful, I couldn’t resist letting you sleep."

"Thank you."

"Breakfast’s ready if you’re interested."

"Sounds great I’ll be there in a second."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They found a couple of board games in one of the cupboards. They decided to play ‘Monopoly’. It had been one of their favourites as children and it brought back pleasant memories.

Xander’s luck hadn’t changed, he still lost and Willow relished in beating her friend. Especially when he had to forfeit his last property in order to pay his debts. Willow had a ruthless streak when it came to playing ‘Monopoly’ and Xander didn’t mind in the slightest.

The afternoon passed easily, both of them enjoying spending time together. As their second game of ‘Monopoly’ ended, Willow noticed the rain had stopped.

"Xander look!"

"What?" he asked completely oblivious to the change in the weather.

"The rain it’s stopped!"

He looked carefully at the window, "Finally." he said a smile creeping across his face. "How about we go and jump in some puddles!" he suggested enthusiastically.

"Puddles?"

"Yes. We’ve been cooped up in here for three days and I really want to go and jump in some puddles."

Willow raised her eyebrow questioningly, she couldn’t believe Xander was suggesting they really go and jump in puddles. The last time she had wanted to jump in a puddle was when she was five and had desperately wanted to test out her new red wellington boots.

He looked at her carefully, "Well if you don’t want to jump in the puddles you can come and watch me jump in them." With that he turned and made his way out on to the porch.

Amazed she followed, not wanting to miss his performance.

He jumped from the porch into the nearest puddle, droplets of brown water cascading around him. He swung his arms in time to an inner tune, his feet beginning to follow the silent rhythm. He moved from puddle to puddle, his movements becoming more outlandish.

Willow watched him as he jumped from puddle to puddle, his movements refining and changing as time passed. He began to dance, the dance seemed familiar, it was like the Snoopy dance but not quite. Willow couldn’t put her finger on it. She smiled enjoying the show. It was nice to be outside without the continual thud of the rain and the sun was beginning to shine, it’s soft light glinting and dancing off the droplets resting on the leaves, like diamonds amongst a sea of greenery.

Xander watched Willow watching him. Her face bright and her eyes glistened with joy. Seeing her reaction made Xander want to dance more. Her smile encouraging him to become more outrageous until he was dancing like he’d never danced before. His movements sent droplets of water everywhere, he was getting wet, but it didn’t matter because he was making Willow happy. Plain old Xander was doing what he’d always aimed to do, making Willow happy.

He wanted, or rather needed Willow to dance with him. He rushed forwards towards the porch, scooping her gently into his arms. She felt as light as a feather, her face contorted in a look of shock as he twirled her around and around.

She couldn’t believe it when Xander rushed towards her a smile on his face. She didn’t know what he was going to do until she felt his arms scoop her up. He held her gently, his eyes looking deeply into her own. He began to twirl, the colours of the bushes and house melding together in a multicoloured blur. The world around them faded into a distant memory. . . All that was left was Willow and Xander and they were the most important person to the other. Their eyes locked together, their past, present and future sealed in that moment as they reached a new understanding.

Willow couldn’t believe what she saw in Xander’s eyes, a look of pure unconditional love. She had to be mistaken, he could never feel that way about her, she was his ‘best bud’ nothing more, nothing less.

Xander looked deeply into her eyes and for the first time he was able to see the secret she had kept hidden for a long time. Her eyes were filled with the purest unconditional love he had ever seen. She loved him. As that thought passed through his mind his heart began to swell and he allowed himself to think that there might be a real chance of them having their happy ending.

The moment passed from seconds to a minutes, both too shocked at the revelation to act upon it. Neither noticed the sun disappearing behind a grey cloud and a light gentle rain beginning to cascade from the sky.

Willow was the first to feel the light rain tickle her face and neck. She broke contact with Xander’s eyes and glanced up into the grey sky.

"It’s raining" she said sadly, upset by the thought of the most important moment in her life ending.

"Dance with me?" he asked, his voice deeper than she recalled.

"In the rain?"

He nodded.

He released her from his arms, placing her gently on her feet and they danced together in the gentle light rain of hope.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow’s head was nestled against his shoulder, her arms resting on his hips. Xander’s arms enclosed around her, meeting at the small of her back. They danced slowly, from side to side in a gentle flowing movement. Xander moved his head so it rested against her cheek. Both were so lost in the feeling of being close to each other that the rain became a distant memory.

Suddenly a resounding crack of thunder rumbled through the air, the peacefulness instantly dissipated. Willow jumped and looked disbelievingly into the sky. Why did the weather always ruin things? Just when everything seemed to be falling into place.

Xander took her hand and led her quickly to the shelter of the porch. They stood together watching the puddles bounce as they received their newest droplets. Xander’s arms draped around her waist, his head resting gently on her shoulder. He desperately wanted to tell her how he felt, but he wasn’t sure the time was right. Maybe everything would change when they returned to reality? How could he be sure that this was more than a holiday romance? For him he knew it was, but would she allow him to be more than her friend? He silently wished she would.

He felt Willow shiver, they were both soaking wet and now the wind was beginning to rush through the trees again. He gently released his arms from around her waist, and gently took her hand in his and led her into the warmth of the house.

She watched him as he led her into the house, his eyes were thoughtful, as if he was processing an important idea. She shivered again, realisation just hitting her how cold the air was, especially after being soaked by the rain. He let go of her hand as they entered, turning quickly and heading towards the bathroom. He returned a moment later with two fluffy towels.

He walked towards her holding out one of the towels, she gently took it and wrapped it around herself hoping it would warm her up. She thought the other towel was for himself, but his next action surprised her. He gently captured her hair and dried it with the other towel. Carefully caressing each strand and rubbing the back and sides of her head. The movement of the towel in her hair sending shivers up and down her spine.

After several minutes he released her hair from his grasp. She turned to look at him, his own hair plastered to his face, from the rain. His tee shirt clinging to his chest, revealing muscles Willow didn’t know he had. Willow’s heart almost skipped a beat as she took in his appearance. To her he was the most perfect man in the world, there would never be anyone who meant as much to her as him. She desperately wanted to tell him how she felt, but she wanted him to tell her how he felt first. She didn’t want to expose herself again to the possibility of rejection. If what she saw in his eyes was true, he would tell her how he felt wouldn’t he?

Involuntarily she shivered again. "I need to get out of these clothes." As soon as the words passed through her lips she felt the blood rush to her cheeks, embarrassed at the connotations of her sentence.

He smiled at her embarrassment "I know exactly what you mean," he teased gently. The redness in her cheeks deepening. "Go and have a shower and I’ll get changed into some dry clothes." he offered.

"But your wet too and a shower would warm you up." she returned the gesture.

"We could always share!" he grinned.

She gently batted his arm with her hand. "I’ll let you know when I’ve finished." she smiled as she turned and retreated quickly to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her. Her legs buckling sending her body quickly to the ground. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

She had never ever flirted with Xander before, but she couldn’t help herself. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Her resolve at keeping her feelings hidden was slowly being worn away by being close to him again. She sighed. Why was her life never simple?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

He watched her retreat swiftly to the bathroom. Her damp hair curling and clinging to the back of her neck. The towel he had given her wrapped tightly around her body. He couldn’t believe how their conversation had developed, if he wasn’t mistaken Willow was flirting with him. His Willow flirting, it was something he never thought he would experience. He sank on to the couch to think. The remaining few days of the holiday were going to be the hardest of his life. He didn’t know how long he could hold himself from revealing how he felt about her.

When his thoughts had been gathered he quickly made his way to the bedroom to change. He could hear the water of the shower as he passed the bathroom. His mind building a picture of Willow with the water cascading over her beautiful body. He sighed. He shouldn’t think about her that way. Why was his life never simple?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The evening passed awkwardly, neither wishing to admit how close they had come to telling the other how they felt.

They sat together on one of the couches watching a film they had first watched with Buffy. Willow knew when the scary parts were coming, but she couldn’t help herself, she closed her eyes, and jumped as the music accentuated the tension in the film. She opened her eyes and was greeted by Xander’s amused face watching her intently.

"When did you start becoming afraid of horror films?" he asked

"When I realised there was more to the world than meets the eye." she replied, nervous that Xander was watching her. She tried to relax, letting go slightly of the cushion that she had held firmly throughout of the film. She watched the screen, trying to block out how close she was to Xander.

Her eyes focusing carefully on the film, she couldn’t help herself when the murderer in the fisherman’s outfit, appeared from behind the manikin, she leapt towards Xander, gripping his arm with all her might.

He flinched as he felt Willow’s hands grip tightly on his arm. He turned once again to look at her. Her eyes were tightly shut, her nose wrinkled and her lips pulled together in a grimace. In that instant she looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. He felt his head moving towards her, his lips inches from hers. When he suddenly realised what he was about to do. He pulled himself back quickly. "Are you alright Will? Because if you are, my arm would quite like to have it’s blood supply back." his voice even, trying to hide the surging emotions that were flowing freely through his body.

Her eyes opened slowly. "Sorry, I just forgot that he was hiding there." a small sheepish smile decorating her face. Her hands releasing his arm slightly, although she didn’t want to break contact yet.

"That’s ok, it’s been a long time since we watched the film." he smiled as her hands loosened slightly, although they still held onto his arm gently.

She changed her position on the couch so that her head was resting against his shoulder. Her hands finally releasing his arm. As she released him, his arm moved and rested on her shoulders, allowing her body to nestle against his. She glanced quickly up at his face, their eyes meeting for an instant, a smile passing over their lips and then as quickly as they met their eyes returned to the movie.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

When the movie ended, they both decided it was time for bed. Willow, was still not comfortable sharing with Xander, but unfortunately her bed was still nowhere near dry, so it looked like she would spend the rest of the holiday sharing Xander’s.

She had changed in the bathroom and walked quickly to the bed, climbing under the covers, ensuring that there was enough space between them. She rolled over and looked at him. His eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn’t asleep. "Goodnight." she whispered.

"Goodnight Willow."

He reached out his hand and found hers. They fell asleep holding the others hand.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The sunlight shone through the kitchen window, it was as if the past four days of rain had been completely forgotten. The ground had begun to dry out in the strong rays of sunshine. Everything felt fresh and the beauty of the island returned.

After they had eaten, they went outside to survey the damage the storm had inflicted on their holiday home. As they walked around the building the looked carefully at the building, trying to notice any anomalies. Willow couldn’t help but smile when they made their way towards her room, the multicoloured umbrella poking out through the hole in the roof.

A horn sounding from the front of the house, notified them of Bob’s arrival. They hurried around to meet him. He stood by his jeep waiting, in his left hand he held a huge tool box, and the back of his jeep was filled with pieces of wood to repair the roof.

"I made it, the road’s much better now, the floods have subsided. By the look of the sky I don’t think we’re due any more rain in the near future. So you should be able to enjoy the rest of your stay without getting wet!" he smiled. It was the first time since they’d met him that he’d shown any emotion.

"Would you like a hand?" Xander asked.

"It would be useful, especially since Miss Rosenberg said the hole in the roof was rather large. I wouldn’t want to ruin your day though."

"No it’s fine, I might not be of much use, but I’d like to try."

Willow’s heart sank. She had hoped that they could spend the day together, trying to recapture the emotions of the day before. Obviously Xander wanted to forget everything. "If you don’t mind, I’d quite like to go for a walk." she tried to smile covering her disappointment.

She turned and walked away, leaving Xander and Bob to fix the house. She followed the pebble path that led past the pool, deeper and deeper into the shrubbery. She wandered from the path to look at a beautiful pink flower. It hung from a tree it’s light pink petals fluttering gently in the breeze. As she reached out to touch it, the ground beneath her feet began to give way. She tried to step back and regain her balance, but it was to no avail. A scream escaped from her lips, as she fell downwards her body rigid with terror. The impact sending shivers of pain through her. She tried to keep her eyes open, fighting against the darkness, it was a battle she couldn’t win, eventually she closed her eyes. The last thing she remembered seeing was Xander’s face smiling at her.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Bob and Xander heard the scream from the woods.

"Willow!" Xander shouted, pain shooting through his heart. He knew Willow was in danger, he had to find her.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander rushed towards the sound of Willow’s scream. He could hear Bob running behind him. Xander’s heart raced, he was beginning to panic. He knew Willow was hurt, he could feel it, just as he had felt her pain when she’d fallen and cut her head when they were eight. He’d always known when she was in pain, and she was in pain now.

He clambered through the bushes, desperately trying to avoid falling. He ran along the pebble path, deeper and deeper into the trees. He stopped suddenly as he was faced by a gaping hole in the ground.

He inhaled deeply afraid of what he might find. Leaning forward he peered cautiously over the edge. His heart constricted at the sight that greeted him. Willow was laying awkwardly at the bottom of the deep pit. She didn’t appear to be moving. Xander’s stomach churned and his heart began to pound furiously.

"Willow!" he shouted, his whole body willing Willow to respond to him.

Bob stopped by the side of him, panting heavily from trying to keep up with Xander. As he looked over the edge he spoke "Oh my," his voice filled with concern.

Xander began to look desperately from side to side, trying to find anything that could be used to rescue Willow. "I need to get her out." he said, more to himself than Bob.

"I’ll go and call for help" Bob said as he turned and hurried back towards the house.

Xander paced, his heart thundering in his chest. He could see her, but there was nothing he could do. Why had he let her go for a walk alone? He asked himself reproachfully. He should have gone with her. If he had, maybe he could have saved her from falling.

"Willow!" he said desperately hoping for any sign that she could hear him.

A noise behind him momentarily distracted him from Willow’s silent form. He turned towards the house to see Bob carrying the ladder they had been using to mend the roof. Xander looked at Bob with a puzzled expression. Why had he brought the ladder? Then the penny dropped. They could use the ladder to climb down into the hole to rescue her.

Bob and Xander carefully lowered the ladder into the hole. When it was firmly in place Xander carefully climbed down into the darkness of the hole.

His feet finally making contact with the muddy ground he released his grip from the ladder and turned towards Willow. To his relief he noticed her chest rising and falling. At least she was still alive. He thought.

He knelt at her side, gently reaching out his fingers to touch her ghostly pale cheek. Her skin felt warm but her colour scared him. He had never before seen her so pale. He quickly checked her over for any injuries, but he couldn’t see anything. He knew from the time he and Willow had played Doctor’s that the fall could have caused internal bleeding, and that petrified him.

He carefully picked her up and cautiously placed her over his shoulder, amazed at how light she was. Her head gently resting against his back, he began the slow and steady climb to the surface. As he climbed, he prayed silently that she would make it. He promised himself that if she made it through this he was going to fight for her, as he had never fought for her before. He needed her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and he hoped she felt the same way.

He finally reached the surface and Bob gently removed Willow from his grasp. He laid her carefully onto the grass, her auburn hair fanning around her beautiful face. Xander looked hopelessly at her silent and still. Buffy would have known what to do. For the first time Xander regretted being on the island so far away from help. He looked at Bob, desperate for advice.

Bob returned his gaze steadily. "The ambulance will take at least half an hour to get here. It would be quicker if we took her in my jeep. Could you manage to carry her to the jeep?" he asked, quickly glancing down at the unconscious woman.

Xander nodded in agreement and once again lifted Willow into his arms. As he made his way to the jeep, he glanced frequently at Willow’s face. She looked so peaceful.

They finally made it to the jeep. Xander laid her carefully on the back seat. Climbing in beside her and cradling her head and shoulders in his arms.

Bob drove carefully, avoiding the bumps as best as he could.

Eventually the town loomed into sight and Xander watched hopefully for the hospital. He finally breathed in relief when he saw the white building appear on the horizon. It wasn’t as big as the hospitals at home, but he somehow knew that Willow would be looked after inside.

As Bob pulled up, two porters rushed forward with a stretcher. They lifted Willow from Xander’s arms and placed her gently on to the stretcher and wheeled her into the Emergency Room.

Xander rushed in at her side, holding her hand until the last possible second. She was wheeled into a room filled with Doctors and Nurses, Xander wanted to stay, but he was unceremoniously ushered from the room. A Nurse escorting him to the admitting desk, where he mindlessly answered her questions. When he had finished the questions the Nurse nodded to a row of chairs. He walked over and sat down, he leant forward, his head grasped between his hands.

Now that she was safe he could relax. The full force of the past hours hit him and he felt the hot tears he had been fighting to stop from falling escape, and cascade down his face. As he waited images of Willow floated through his mind. Her beautiful green eyes; her smile; her resolve face. He loved everything about her, but most of all he loved her soul.

He wasn’t aware Bob had sat down next to him until he heard the man speak to him.

"I’m sure she will be fine." he said, trying desperately to relieve the other man’s pain.

"I hope so." Xander replied as he ground the tears from his eyes.

The two men sat there waiting for news, any news about Willow. Xander stared at the clock on the wall and watched the seconds turn into minutes.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander had become oblivious to his surroundings, his mind focussing on the clock, watching the time slip past. He felt that with every second Willow was moving further from him. He was helpless, her future was completely in the hands of the medical team.

The door to his right opened and a young Doctor appeared a chart in his hands. He walked to the Admitting Desk, the Nurse behind indicated towards Xander. The Doctor turned and walked directly towards him.

Xander’s calm heart again began to pound as the Doctor walked towards him. The Doctor’s gaze holding his own. Xander tried to search his eyes, desperate to glean any information about Willow.

The Doctor stopped in front of him, dropping the medical chart to his side. "Mr Harris?" he asked.

Xander nodded in response, unsure whether he had the capability to talk.

"Miss Rosenberg has suffered a serious trauma to her head. The impact from the fall has caused fluid to gather around her brain, we will have to wait and see if the fluid will drain of it’s own accord."

"If it doesn’t drain?" Xander asked, his voice quiet with fear.

"We will have to operate." the Doctor replied curtly.

"Is she awake?" Xander asked desperately.

"I’m sorry Mr Harris, Miss Rosenberg is in a coma. The longer she stays that way the less chance there is that she will recover."

As the Doctor spoke his sentence, Xander’s world crashed around his ears. Willow might never wake up. It was a thought Xander had attempted to push as far from his mind as he could since the accident, but the Doctor had just realised his worst fears.

"Can I see her?" Xander asked, his voice cracking from the strain.

"Yes we’ve moved her to a ward. You can see her there. Try and talk to her, encourage her to wake up. We’ve had a great deal of success with patients recovering from their comas with friends and relatives talking to them." The Doctor smiled, hoping to alleviate the discomfort of his patient’s friend.

"Thank you." Xander replied, completely shell shocked at the Doctor’s revelations.

The Doctor turned and walked back into the examination area.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander pushed open the heavy wooden door. As it opened he was greeted by Willow lying silently on a large hospital bed. Her head cushioned by two large pillows. The blankets were pulled up to her shoulders her arms, positioned above the blankets. There were a series of tubes and wires connecting Willow to a range of machines and medications.

The bed made Willow look so small and fragile. He had never thought he would see Willow look so vulnerable. His recalled the time she had been knocked unconscious by Drusilla and her henchmen when Angelus had tried to bring Acathla forward. She hadn’t looked as vulnerable then as she did now.

He gently picked up her hand and leant over her and kissed her forehead. His warm lips touching her cool skin. As he squeezed her hand he looked closely at her face for a reaction, but nothing.

He sat beside her and began to talk.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

He talked about their favourite times together, concentrating on the childhood memories he cherished the most. He also told her things that he had never told her before. How he had watched her sleeping the summer they had shared the tent, how much he had loved her then.

He told her about the first time he saw her at Kindergarten, how she had been sitting all alone, with a book in her hands. How he had been scared to leave his mother until he had seen her, her red hair shining like fire in the sunlight. How he knew then that she was the most important and special person he would ever meet.

As he spoke tears flowed freely from his eyes and coursed down his cheeks, his eyes focussing on her face, looking for any sign of a reaction. She reminded him of Sleeping Beauty, a story Willow had loved when they were children. He had given her a copy for her sixth birthday and she had read it to him again and again, loving the way the Prince had woken her up from her sleep.

The sun faded into night and the stars shone brightly in the dark blue sky. Xander watched the stars as he spoke, recalling the time they had sat on Willow’s balcony with a telescope looking for the different constellations for a Science project. He had been fascinated watching Willow peering through the telescope, her face contorted with concentration, desperate to locate The Plough and Orion. She had leapt into the air when she found them, her eyes glinting with joy and her cheeks flushed with happiness. "Do you remember what happened that night?" he asked, solemnly.

He glanced down at her features, her eyes closed her pale skin reflecting in the light of the moon.

"It was the night that I knew that I loved you more than I loved anyone else in the world. Watching you smile and jump with the happiness of your discovery made every part of me happy Willow. I was so scared about how much I loved you, I couldn’t tell you. Everyone I had ever loved until you had hurt me. My Mother, my Father, I couldn’t handle you hurting me too, so I did what I do best. I ran away from my feelings. . . . . . . I ran away from you. . ." he inhaled deeply relieved that he was being honest with Willow, but afraid that he would never be able to tell her when she was awake.

"I tried to lose myself in other girls, Buffy, Cordelia even Faith. It didn’t matter if they hurt me because they weren’t. . . . . .you." he almost whispered the end of the sentence. "I didn’t know you felt the same way until that night you were fighting the demon sisterhood. . . . . Your admission scared me more Willow. . . . I knew that I would hurt you if I let you love me . . . I didn’t ever want to hurt you. . . . but I did. . . . sleeping with Faith was one of my biggest mistakes. . . . .but you had chosen Oz . . . . . and I . . . . er . . . don’t know Will. . . . . I’m sorry for being me. . . .for causing you more pain than anyone has a right to. . . .please come back to me. . . . I need you. . . .Without you my life is senseless. I discovered that living in Washington, I’ve spent the last five years dreaming and thinking of you. . . . .I know I can’t live without you. . . . . I love you." He leant forward and gently brushed his lips over her’s. As he lifted his head back, several of his warm tears fell onto her pale cheek. He brushed them away tenderly with his fingers. "I love you more than life itself, I would swap with you in a moment if I knew that you would be alive and happy Will. Believe me Willow, come back to me."

Exhausted from his revelations and the events of the day he rested his head on the edge of her bed, her hand grasped in his own and resting against his cheek. He closed his eyes and dreamed of Willow, her face smiling as he danced for her in the rain.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow could hear a familiar voice, she was confused, the voice seemed to be a whisper in the distance. She didn’t know which way to turn. The voice comforted her, made her feel safe. She was so scared in the darkness and alone. She wanted to walk towards the voice but something was tugging at her, it wouldn’t let her go. She turned to the direction of the voice and smiled as she saw a familiar figure walking towards her. She squinted, trying to focus better, clearing the blurred image.

"Jenny?" she asked.

"Willow." the voice replied, barely an audible whisper. "You need to return Willow, its not your time. There are people who need you Willow." she said.

Willow could finally make out her face. "Where am I Jenny? I’m scared." The woman smiled reassuringly. Willow’s heart eased a little.

"Your between two worlds Willow, your world and mine now. I’ve been sent to guide you to where you belong. You don’t belong in my world you belong with him." As she spoke her arm waved slightly and an image of Xander sitting by Willow’s bed holding her hand and crying.

"Why is Xander crying?" she asked Jenny, shocked to see tears falling from his eyes.

"You know why child." Jenny replied a small smile glinting across her face.

"He doesn’t love me!" Willow said defiantly "He never has!"

"Willow listen. . . ."

Xander’s voice permeated the darkness and sounded like welcome music to Willow’s ears. "It was the night that I knew that I loved you more than I loved anyone else in the world. Watching you smile and jump with the happiness of your discovery made every part of me happy Willow. I was so scared about how much I loved you, I couldn’t tell you. Everyone I had ever loved until you, had hurt me. My Mother, my Father, I couldn’t handle you hurting me too, so I did what I do best. I ran away from my feelings. . . . . . . I ran away from you. ." Willow felt her heart swell and her eyes fill with tears. She had never seen Xander so vulnerable, or frightened before. She listened and opened her heart to his words.

"I tried to lose myself in other girls, Buffy, Cordelia even Faith. It didn’t matter if they hurt me because they weren’t. . . . . .you. I didn’t know you felt the same way until that night you were fighting the demon sisterhood. . . . . Your admission scared me more Willow. . . . I knew that I would hurt you if I let you love me . . . I didn’t ever want to hurt you. . . . but I did. . . . sleeping with Faith was one of my biggest mistakes. . . . .but you had chosen Oz . . . . . and I . . . . er . . . don’t know Will. . . . . I’m sorry for being me. . . .for causing you more pain than anyone has a right to. . . .please come back to me. . . . I need you. . . .Without you my life is senseless. I discovered that living in Washington, I’ve spent the last five years dreaming and thinking of you. . . . .I know I can’t live without you. . . . . I love you." She watched him lean over her unconscious form and kiss her, she felt his warmth on her lips. Her hand moved to her lips delicately, reliving the sensation in her mind. She felt the warmth of his tears on her cheeks, his touch as he tenderly brushed them away. "I love you more than life itself, I would swap with you in a moment if I knew that you would be alive and happy Will. Believe me Willow, come back to me."

Willow felt the tears that had been building up in her eyes escape and flow down her cheeks. She looked from Xander to Jenny. Jenny’s eyes glistened in the darkness.

"Willow, he loves you and you love him. You need each other, you have to return to him. I know what its like to love someone and have to leave them, I don’t want you to feel that kind of pain."

"How do I get back to him Jenny?" Willow asked desperately.

"Open your heart and follow it, you will find it leads you to him." she smiled and her voice echoed her happiness.

"Thank you Jenny." Willow whispered as she thought of Xander, feeling the love he felt for her creeping through her body. She closed her eyes and let her love reach out and touch him.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Willow opened her eyes, she was surrounded by darkness. For a moment she thought she was still in the hollowness between worlds, but the sound of a gentle snoring brought her to reality. She felt Xander’s warm breath on her hand, his hand holding her’s tightly. She smiled, she was home, back with Xander where she belonged.

She gently moved her hand, squeezing gently, her grip tightening around Xander’s. She felt him stir, his head lifting from the side of her bed.

"Willow?" he asked, his voice cracked with the sound of sleep.

"Xander." she found her throat was dry and her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

He lifted his head and leaned over her. His chocolate brown eyes glistening with tears. He smiled, his face full of relief. "I love you Willow." he stated, pleased that he had been given the chance to tell her how he felt about her.

The look in his eyes as he confessed his feelings to her was one of pure love. She smiled, she tried to lift her head, but it began to pound at the movement. She relaxed her muscles and allowed her head to relinquish into the pillow. "I love you too." she whispered.

As soon as he heard her words, he felt his heart swell with happiness. She loved him. He looked into her beautiful green eyes and saw happiness and love there. He had helped to cause that reaction. He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

He leant forward and kissed her gently, careful not to hurt her. She responded allowing the kiss to deepen. Tears of happiness escaping from both of their eyes. They had wasted so much time, but the kiss was the seal to a future neither had believed they had the right to.

The kiss ended, Willow looked up at Xander’s face, he smiled openly, his eyes glistening with happiness. She knew that her own face mirrored his.

After a long moment, where both of them looked intently at the other Xander finally spoke. "I’ll go and find a Doctor, tell them that your awake."

"Don’t be long, I don’t want to be alone." she smiled.

"You’ll never be alone again." he said seriously, and she knew he meant every word.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander spent the night by Willow’s bed, keeping his promise. He never wanted her to be alone again. He had watched her sleep for a long time, relieved that she was back with him. Overjoyed that she loved him. When he had finally relinquished to sleep he dreamt of their future together, and for the first time he knew that it might finally come true. They would have their happy ending.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Xander grasped Willow’s hand as they left the hospital and walked towards Bob’s jeep.

The man smiled as he saw the couple emerge from the building, happy that she had recovered from her fall.

The couple rode together in the back of the jeep, admiring the scenery that flowed past them. Curled together their hands and hearts entwined.

Willow was relieved to be free from the constraints of the hospital. The past two days had seemed endless, the continual prodding and poking from the Doctors and Nurses. Xander hadn’t left her side, keeping her company, laughing with her, talking and sharing feelings that she didn’t think he would ever share. In the past two days they had become closer than either of them believed they possibly could.

Bob finally turned the jeep into the drive of the house, the building and trees shining in the glorious sunshine.

Xander helped her out from the car, gently supporting her as they walked towards the house. Bob watching the couple walk, smiled to himself. The Island of Hope certainly had a way of making sure things turned out for the best. He smiled, he knew that the two of them would be happy together, he’d known since the first time he’d met them, it had just been a matter of time. "I’ll come by tomorrow at nine to take you both to the airport." he called.

"We’ll be waiting." Xander turned and called to him, before entering the house.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Their last day together on the Island of Hope was perfect. They spent the entire day together, building and developing their relationship further.

Xander made sure that Willow didn’t lift a finger, he prepared lunch and dinner, fetching anything she needed.

That evening they sat together on the large couch watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" together. Willow’s head resting comfortably against Xander’s shoulder. His hand gently playing with her hair.

"Tomorrow, we will be back to reality." Willow said hesitantly.

"Yes, we will, but it will be a better reality." he replied.

Willow turned her head to look into his eyes, she smiled. "We’ll be together." she finished for him.

"Forever." he added, knowing that it was a promise he had every intention of keeping.

"Forever." she copied, knowing that she meant it with every inch of her being.

His head moved towards hers and their lips met. The world melted around them as every emotion and feeling met and flowed together in a kiss that was so perfect that it was meant for a fairytale. The sensations they felt were exciting and perfect as the connection they had with the other deepened and moved into another level. It was more than they expected it could be, but they knew it was the perfect way to start their future together.

When the kiss ended, they continued to look deeply into the other’s eyes. Xander was the first one to speak. "I think we owe Buffy." he smiled.

"I think we owe Buffy a big surprise!" Willow’s eyes glinted with mischief as her plan was hatched.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning Willow woke in Xander’s arms, she fitted in them perfectly. For the first time they had spent the night completely at ease in the other’s arms. Not afraid to be close to the other, now that they had finally admitted their feelings.

Willow tilted her head back, watching him sleep, knowing that they would be leaving their paradise and returning to the ‘real’ world. She gently moved her hand and moved a tendril of his dark hair which had fallen into his eyes during the night. As she moved the loose strand of hair, his eyes opened, a smile crossing his lips.

"Morning." he said as he gently moved forward and kissed her.

When the kiss ended she spoke "I could wake up like this every morning."

"If I have my way you will." he smiled, his eyes glinting with happiness. "Are you sure you’re well enough to make the journey home?" concern gathering in his eyes.

"If I’m travelling with you I’m well enough to travel anywhere." She suddenly moved forward and brushed her lips against his, moving from the safety of his arms and climbing from the bed.

He watched her move towards the door, amazed that he’d finally been allowed to share her life.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Their bags packed they waited on the porch for Bob. Enjoying the last few moments of their time together in the tranquillity of the Island of Hope.

They eventually heard the sound of Bob’s jeep bumping along the drive.

Xander carried the bags towards the jeep, Willow walking at his side. They both stopped and turned to look once more at the place which had brought them together, allowing them to finally admit their true feelings. Glancing quickly at the other they got into the jeep and braced themselves for their return to reality.

The journey to the airport was just as bumpy as their original one. Willow smiled as she recalled how nervous she had felt when she had arrived. So much had happened and changed in her life in the past two weeks. It was as if she was arriving as one person and leaving as an entirely new person, someone who was happy and contented and knew that she was loved by the most perfect man in the world.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They sat together on the small plane. The Flight Attendant smiling, recalling the couple from the flight two weeks ago. They had seemed so distant then, but now they seemed so comfortable together. It must be the Island’s magic, she thought. One day she hoped, maybe it would work for her.

Xander held Willow’s hand firmly as the plane took off. Remembering how scared she had seemed on the journey to the island he was happy now that he had the opportunity to comfort her.

She smiled at him as she felt his hand grasp hers. She leant her head against his shoulder and tried her best to enjoy the journey home.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

They left the baggage claim together, knowing that Buffy would be waiting the other side desperate to find out how their holiday had been.

Willow let go of Xander’s hand just before they entered the doorway to the terminal. Xander glanced at her and smiled. Her own smile meeting his, then just as suddenly as she smiled at him, the smile disappeared and her face became serious. Xander nearly laughed, but remembered that it was all for Buffy’s benefit.

They walked out into the terminal and looked at the crowd of people, trying to locate Buffy. Eventually Xander spotted her, he glanced at Willow who had also spotted Buffy. They walked towards her.

Buffy noticed her friends walking towards her. She smiled, until she realised that neither of them looked happy. In fact they looked furious with each other. She gulped, maybe her idea hadn’t paid off. She had hoped that two weeks together without any distractions might have helped them admit their feelings. When she had spoken to Willow it had sounded promising, but looking at them now she thought that they probably weren’t speaking to one another. She inhaled deeply, unsure of how to respond. For once she was glad to be the Slayer, because she had the agility and speed to duck any resounding blows, that her friends might wish to bestow upon her. She opened her mouth cautiously preparing to speak, "Hi guys. . . .er . . .did you have a good vacation?" She glanced from Xander to Willow and nervously shifted position.

"Apart from the dreadful weather, being trapped in a hole, and the company, yes I’ve had a lovely vacation." Willow said evenly, desperately trying to suppress the laughter she could feel building.

"Yes, I agree, the weather was awful, and I can’t believe you did that to me." Xander added.

"Well. . . it. . . er . . .seemed a good idea at the time. Maybe I should have thought more carefully about it. . .I’m really sorry guys." Buffy replied guiltily. "I had good intentions." she added sheepishly.

"Well it’s a good job you had good intentions." Willow smiled, "because we have a lot to thank you for."

Buffy looked confused, she felt confused. Why were the smiling at her? They just told her they had a terrible vacation. "But. . ."

"We realised that we love each other." Xander beamed as he spoke.

"Well that was always obvious to me, it just took both of you a little longer." Buffy smiled, relief engulfing her.

Willow embraced her friend and Xander followed suit. Buffy relaxed in their embrace, happy that their friends had finally realised how they felt about each other.

When she was released from their embrace, she smiled "I guess we really should celebrate. I knew I would make the perfect matchmaker. I’ve achieved in two weeks what you guys hadn’t in twenty." she teased gently.

"Yes, but I think that had a lot to do with the location." Willow said honestly and smiled at Xander.

"But it’s nice to be home." Xander added returning Willow’s smile.

They turned and walked towards the exit, leaving the peace and tranquillity of the Island of Hope far behind them and embracing their future together.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Epilogue

Two years later.

The sun shone brightly through the luscious green leaves. The beach was white and the deep blue waves lapped gently against the shore. The sound complementing the gentle wind rustling through the palm leaves.

Xander waited patiently, Oz at his side, looking back towards the trees, where he hoped Willow would emerge at any moment. His heart pounded in his chest and his hands shook with nerves. He hadn’t felt this nervous since the night he had slept with Willow in his arms, the night the storm had destroyed the roof to her room.

The past two years had flown by, Xander gaining his teaching certificate and moving back to Sunnydale with Willow. Building a solid relationship, which hopefully could withstand the trials of time. It was good to be back in Sunnydale, helping Buffy, Giles and Oz with the surprises the Hellmouth threw at them.

He inhaled deeply as he saw Willow emerge from the trees, her white dress blowing gently in the breeze as she walked towards him. Her auburn hair gently dancing around her face. He smiled as she got closer to him, Giles walking proudly at her side holding her arm in his. Buffy walking behind them, her pale blue dress gently caressing the bump that would be Oz’s and her child in few months.

Willow finally stood beside him, Giles relinquishing his grasp. She turned and looked at Xander, their eyes locking and smiles of happiness crossing their faces. He reached out and took her hand in his, finally he had his Princess.

They turned together to face the Justice of the Peace who would conduct the ceremony. The words they would utter in a few moments would seal their love and faith in the other forever.

Willow smiled as she said her vows, at last she was having the happy ending she had always dreamed about. She had her Knight in shining armour.

Buffy smiled as she watched her friends say their vows, she silently thanked the Island for helping her friends to finally be together as they should be.

The End

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please let me know if you liked this story.

Willow and Xander fanfiction