"I'm glad we're staying in New Orleans," Willow said softly.

Xander glanced down at his best friend. He, Willow, and Spike were taking a leisurely stroll down Bourbon Street, enjoying the drunken people. "We have to kill Tara first, then we will travel the world."

Spike growled softly. "We have to fix this chip first. I really want to be able to help hurt her."

Willow giggled. "Oh, don't worry about the chip, Spike. She's part demon. I bet you will be able to hurt her."

Spike's grin was feral. "Good," he purred.

Xander wrapped his arm around Spike's waist. "I'm really glad we aren't going back to Sunnydale."

"I'll miss Buffy," Willow said.

Spike scoffed. "I won't. She's a bitch."

"Well, yea, she is, but she was my best friend." Willow smiled at Xander, squeezing his arm. "At least, she was my best girlfriend. Even so, I can't get over the fact that she didn't come look for me."

"Just accepted you were dead, pet. I knew that the witch was lying, because I could smell it on her. And Xander here. . ."

"I felt it in my heart," Xander smiled at the redhead.

Willow hugged Xander tightly. "Thank you again, guys," she said softly. She stopped, looking at the bar she'd paused in front of. "Come on, this looks like a good bar to dance in."

Xander chuckled, grabbing Spike's hand and pulling him into the loud bar after Willow.

*-*-*-*

Tara looked up at the dark haired human who sold witch slaves. "Ronnie, what do you mean she was purchased by an English vampire?"

Ronnie shrugged. "Your little redhead, she was bought by an English vampire. He seemed to want her. His companion, however, was more excited than the vampire was when Jon said that she belonged to them. She wasn't vicious to them at all. As a matter of fact, she seemed quite. . .eager to see them."

"Do you have a picture of the man with the vampire?"

Ronnie slid a picture of a smiling Xander Harris over to Tara. "It was him. Do you know him?"

Tara gritted her teeth. "Yea," she hissed.

Ronnie grabbed her hand, knowing the blonde witch was up to something, and would probably get herself killed in the process. He knew that she herself was a strong witch, but he also knew that you didn't go up against vampires - not when you weren't stronger. Tara wouldn't survive if the vampire decided she needed to be eliminated. "Tara, they bought her fair and square. Let it go. If they go back to Sunnydale, so what? You aren't ever going back there, are you?"

"No," she hissed, "but I didn't want them to have her. I didn't want anyone to have her. I wanted her to suffer."

"What do you have against the witch, Tara?"

"She's too. . .good. It's a lot of things that you wouldn't understand, and I can't really explain." Tara sighed, pulling her arm away from him. "Will you just get the papers to the girl, so I can track her down?"

"If that's what you really want to do. . ."

"I do," she smiled. There was a tint of evil in her gaze.

*-*-*-*

Willow threw her hands in the air, dancing with herself. The music surrounded her, making her body move in such a way she never moved back in Sunnydale. It was almost as if the oppressing blanket of who Willow Rosenberg should be had been lifted. She knew that Spike didn't care either way who she was. And Xander would always accept Willow, no matter what she did.

Xander pulled his eyes away from his best friend and turned to Spike. He smiled. "Sure you don't mind, you know, tagging along with me and Wills while we're just basically being bums and living off your money?" There was a twinkle to the human's brown eyes.

Spike smiled at his lover. The two were drinking at the bar, watching the people dance. "I thought it was the other way around, that Red was tagging along with us while we're being bums and living off my money."

"Yea, ok," Xander said, sipping his beer. "I can go that way too. Are you sure you don't mind?"

Spike laughed. "Xander. If I minded, do you think I would be here?"

"So. . ." Xander said softly. "Are we going to tell Peaches where we are? He does know Willow is alive. . ."

Spike chuckled. "I like the way you've picked up on the Peaches nickname, Xander."

Xander smiled at Spike, reaching out to run his hand along the vampire's arm. "So are we?"

"Probably," Spike said. "Angelus likes to know where I am. He can sense if something is wrong much easier if he has a general idea where I am in the world."

Feelings of doubt started to blossom in Xander's chest. "Spike," he said, leaning towards the vampire. "Do I have a reason to be jealous?"

"Jealous?" Spike questioned. "Jealous of what?"

"You and Angel."

Spike stared at Xander blankly for a full minute before he understood what the human was asking. The vampire started to chuckle softly. Within moments, the chuckle was all out laughter. He put his forehead down on the cool bar, trying to contain his laughter.

Xander stared at his lover, arms crossed. His face looked stern and not amused, but the sides of Xander's lips were twitching to grow to a full grin. Eventually, Spike looked up at Xander, red tear tracks streaked down his face. "God, Xander, you made me cry that was so bloody funny. Me? And Peaches? After everything he's done to me?" He sat up, grabbing a napkin to wipe his face. "If this were 1890, I'd say, 'You might as well move on, human.' But now, after him leaving, and me being without him for a hundred years; plus the fuck up that was Angelus' return a couple of years ago. . .I don't want my sire like that anymore. Plus, I don't think his soul would let him. He still feels too Poofy ballerina upset for everything he's done to me."

Xander gave Spike a serious stare. "I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to stake him."

Spike's laughter quieted. He may not have wanted his sire anymore, but he didn't want him dead. "Are you. . .serious?"

Xander's eyes danced, but his face remained stoic. "You never know, now do you, Spikey?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't want my sire dead."

Xander smiled, running his fingers over his cheek. "Then when we go home to see daddy, I won't kill him."

Spike's face broke into a grin. "Bloody hell! That's going to be fun, when we go see Peaches! You'll walk in calling him daddy. . ." Spike erupted into laughter again. Xander joined him.

A few moments after the laughter died, Spike perked up. "Shit! There's a Slayer here!"

Xander's head snapped up, looking around. Both men scanned the bar for the familiar bottled blonde.

*-*-*-*

Willow didn't see the person she danced into until she hit her. "Oh, goddess, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, turning around.

"Yea, whatever," the female rumbled. "I should kick your ass, but. . .Red?"

Willow blinked at the woman. "Faith?"

"Oh my god, Red."

"Faith," Willow said, her heart dropping. She wasn't sure if her heart was dropping because she was excited that this beautiful woman was here, or if she was scared that same woman was here. She stepped back apprehensively.

"Red," Faith whistled. "Nice outfit. Not your usual fluffy bunny little girl outfit."

Willow looked down at her outfit. It consisted a pair of black leather pants and a silk blue shirt. She glanced back up, tears filling her eyes. :::Damn her for bringing up all those insecurities!:::

"Yea, well," Willow sniffed, "I didn't have my normal little girl clothes here."

"Sorta happens when you get kidnapped from your home."

Willow stopped in shock. "What? How did you know about that?"

"Fang," Faith replied. "When Junior called and told him that he and the moron were coming to New Orleans to save you, he sent me here to help in any way I can. All subtly of course, because he didn't want Junior to get upset that I was trying to assist. Been a nice trip actually. Junior and Moron did well for themselves. I didn't have to do anything, just sit back and drink. Love New Orleans."

"Well, I'm fine," Willow spat, "you can go home now."

"Woah, who shoved a stake up your ass, Red?"

"Let's see. You've tried to kill all of us, you are a psycho bitch, you switched bodies with my former best friend, you tried to kill Angel, and you. . .you. . ." Willow's eyes filled with tears, "you called my clothes little girl clothes."

Faith's face fell. She realized then what she had done to hurt the redhead. The Slayer had been watching them for a day or so, and Willow seemed happier, more confident. It was apparent that Spike and Xander didn't expect her to fit into any particular mold.

However, when Faith mentioned her little girl clothes, it completely shot Willow's fragile self-esteem out of the water.

"Damn, Red, I didn't mean. . .I meant. . .I really - I really like this outfit on you. It looks *really* good. Better than what you wore in Sunnydale. . .when everyone expected you to be meek little Willow."

Willow looked up at Faith, tears falling on her cheeks. "What do you mean?"

"Back in hell, you know, Bitchy didn't want you dressing like this," Faith waved her hand over Willow, indicating her clothes, "because she didn't want the men of the world to see that you were prettier than she was."

"I. . .I'm prettier than Buffy?"

Faith laughed. "God, Red, you have no clue, do you? You are dazzling. Your eyes and your hair. . ." Faith reached out, running her fingers through the red hair. "If both you and Bitchy came to me and said you both wanted me, but I had to choose. . ." Faith laughed. "Let's just say that I wouldn't even give Bitchy a second glance before throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you off to make you scream underneath me."

Willow blushed, looking down. She felt a heat from Faith's words, and wondered if the girl was just making a statement, or was speaking the truth.

"Pet, come on," an urgent voice said, "we gotta go!"

Xander grabbed Willow's arm. "Yea, Spike felt the Slayer. . .the Bitch is in town, and we gotta get out of. . ." He stopped, staring at Faith. "Faith?"

Spike turned, seeing the Slayer he felt. "Bloody hell. You aren't Slutty. I wasted half a glass of beer because I thought Slutty was here." He turned to Xander. "I'll be back at the bar." He leaned forward, kissing Xander on the lips. He walked away.

Xander turned to Faith. "What are you doing here?"

Faith's eyebrow rose. "So we enjoying the company of men now, or just Spike in particular?"

"Whom I may or may not like is none of your business, Faith," Xander snapped. "What are you doing here?"

"Fang sent me here to make sure that you two got Red back and didn't need any help. You two did a fine job. Fang's proud. I just made the mistake of getting into my dancing too much and dancing into Red here."

"Well, as you can see, Willow is fine. You can run along, and tell Daddy that we are fine."

"Daddy?" Faith asked, raising an eyebrow.

Xander turned, smiling at Spike. He nodded his head at the vampire, who returned the nod.

"Oh!" Faith said. "Of course."

"Go home, Faith," Xander growled.

Willow took a deep breath. :::Might as well try,::: she thought. She slipped her arm around Faith's waist. "No, she just asked me to dance with her," Willow said softly.

"And you want to?" Xander asked.

"Yes, very much so."

Xander glanced back at Spike. "Well. . .just yell if you need anything. I trust your judgment, Wills." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He pulled away, glaring at Faith. His face said, *Hurt her, you die.* He walked back to Spike.

Faith glanced down at the redhead who was clutching to her, expecting rejection. Willow seemed to be frozen in place, waiting for the tirade to start. The Slayer dipped her head and whispered in Willow's ear, "So, Red, how 'bout that dance I asked you for." She laughed seductively.

*-*-*-*
TBC