April 25, 2001

Willow Rosenberg was sprawled on her living room couch, soft classical music playing in the background as she read a book for her sophomore Lit class. Buffy Summers, her roommate, was training with Rupert Giles at his place, and she had the whole apartment to herself. The warm April sunshine filtered through the window, softly lighting the small, but comfortable, room. Her red hair, grown long again, was pulled back in a braid, and she twirled a loose lock as she concentrated on what she was reading. The phone rang, and she absently reached for it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Will."

At these words, she dropped the book and sat up straight, grasping the phone tightly. "Xander?" she breathed. "Oh, my. Where are you? Why haven't you called me? Or written? I've been worried about you! Ten months. . .you better have a very good excuse, Alexander Harris," she told him, only half joking.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Wills," he apologized. "Oh, man, you don't know how good it is to hear your voice again," he sighed.

"It's good to hear from you, too," she admitted with a smile. "So, where are you now?"

He hesitated. "I'm in Chicago. I have been since just after we last talked. So, um, how are you? And Buffy and Giles?" he asked, trying to change the subject. This conversation was even harder than he had imagined, and he hadn't even told her anything yet.

"I'm doing good. Evan and I started dating, and then we broke up a few weeks back, but we're still kind of friends," she told him. Willow and Oz had broken up during freshman year when he went on tour with the Dingoes. She hadn't dated anyone for a long time after that, until she met Evan Simmons during a summer course. By Christmas, they were going out, and by St. Patrick's Day, they were over. "Just didn't work out for us. Giles is good. His bookstore is doing fairly well, and he's happy. Buffy and. . .oooh! This is new for you," she grinned.

"What's new?" he asked, playfully suspicious.

"Well, you know how Spike came back to Sunnydale last year after Drusilla was killed?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Oh, no," he groaned, realization dawning.

"Oh, yes," Willow said with a giggle. Buffy and Spike are now involved. Giles really wasn't thrilled at first, but Spike has been really helpful with Slaying and stuff. He's head over heels for her, and behaves a lot better now, so it's all good. They take care of each other. How have you been?"

And here it was. He took a deep breath. "Well, you know, I'm good. Really. . .I'm going to be a father."

"Oh!" Willow squeaked, stunned. There was a momentary pause as it sank in. "Oh. Well, congratulations. Who's the mother? I didn't know you had a girlfriend. Or a wife. You'd tell me if you had a wife, wouldn't you?" she asked quickly, her tone turning urgent.

"Oh, no, of course I would have told you that, Will," he hastened to reassure her. "Her name's Megan. I met her in Chicago, obviously, and we started dating. We've broken up now. We had before she found out she was pregnant," he explained.

"Oh," Willow said again. "When's the baby due?"

"Um, May 17," he said nervously.

Willow was silent, and he closed his eyes, praying that she didn't hate him. "Of this year? Sorry, of course of this year. But it's April. April 25. Today is. And you're telling me this now?" She sounded so hurt, and Xander felt even worse.

"I'm sorry, Will. I am. I just. . .," he sighed. "I didn't know how to tell you. I knew you would be all disappointed in me, and I just couldn't handle that. So I put it off. Many times. And now Megan is about nine months along, and I don't have much time left. So, here I am. Telling you."

Willow sighed. "Xand, you've known me for almost twenty years. You didn't know that I'd be thrilled for you? That I would be there to help you any way you needed it?"

"I know. I should have known that, but I was so scared, Wills. You. . .your opinion means everything to me, and I couldn't bear to know you'd think less of me," he tried to explain.

"Well, you told me now, so I guess that's what counts, right?" she said, trying to relieve the tension a little. "So, um, you guys broke up, huh? What are you going to do now? About the baby, I mean."

"I have no idea," he said bluntly. "It started out with Megan wanting the baby, and I wasn't sure, and now Megan definitely wants nothing to do with it, and I think I want to raise it. I mean, the baby is mine, Will. I created this living thing, and it's going to come and depend completely on me. Which sounds horrifically scary and wonderful all at the same time. I just don't know if I can do it. I mean, what do I know about kids? And I can't raise a child in the dump I live in. And who am I to raise a kid? I am a kid!" Xander's mind was racing with the negatives of him keeping the baby.

"Xand?" Willow broke into his tirade. "Xander, stop it. You have a knack with kids, probably because, yes, you still act like one. If you want the baby, keep it. You can do it. And I'll help you when you need it. We all will. Okay?" Her voice almost shook with her unshed tears. Every word she spoke was like a little knife into her heart.

"You'd help me?" he asked, needing the reassurance.

"Yes, I would," she told him softly. "I'll always be here for you, Xander. Call me, okay? Soon. None of this ten months stuff again."

"I will," he said, voice trembling. "Thank you, Willow."

"Anytime, Xand. Bye now." She gently hung up the phone and dissolved into tears.

Buffy found her there, still crying, twenty minutes later. "Will? Willow, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She rushed over to her friend and knelt down next to her.

Willow's red rimmed eyes met her friend's. "Xander called. He's going to be a father." She dashed her hands over her eyes as Buffy's mouth dropped open. "Yeah. Girl named Megan, in Chicago. Baby's due in three weeks, and he just told me today."

"Oh, Willow, I'm sorry," Buffy said softly, inwardly cursing at Xander for his stupidity.

Willow tried to smile. "I'm okay. Really. It's just a shock. 'Cause, you know, I always thought that I would be the one having Xander's babies." She started crying again, and Buffy quickly moved to hug her.

"I’m sorry, Willow," Buffy soothed. "It'll be okay. Really. I promise." She rocked her friend slowly. "You'll be fine."

~*~

May 29, 2001

Willow poked her head inside Buffy's room. As usual, the blonde had music blaring as she worked out, punching and kicking an invisible opponent. "Buffy?" Willow called out. Buffy didn't stop. "Buffy!" she shouted.

Buffy started. "Will! Sorry, didn't hear you." She turned the music down and dropped down on her bed, taking a long drink from her water bottle. "What's up?"

Willow walked inside the room, sitting down on the chest at the foot of Buffy's bed. She played with the corner of the soft blue bedspread, not looking up. "Xander called. Just now. The baby was born this morning."

"Oh, Will," Buffy said sympathetically.

Willow resolutely ignored the interruption, her calm exterior betrayed only by her fingers moving faster as she worried the bedspread. "It was a girl. Melanie Kathleen Harris. Born at 7:56 this morning, Chicago time, weighing in at six pounds and eight ounces. She's doing really well. Xander sounded proud."

"It's a pretty name," Buffy offered, watching her friend closely.

Willow finally looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. She offered her friend a small smile. "Kathleen is my middle name, too. He said he wanted to name her after me," she said softly. She roughly wiped at her eyes, mad at herself for crying again. "Anyway," she said, her voice stronger, "they're both doing well. Megan is fine, but has signed away her rights as a parent. It won't be final for a few months, but it's pretty evident that she means it. So, Xander's alone to raise Melanie. And that's all he had time to say. He wanted to go feed his daughter." She stood up. "I just thought you'd want to know. So, I'll see you later."

"Will, how about a girl's night out tonight?" Buffy asked suddenly. "Movies, stuffing our faces with things not found in nature, staying up all night. Could be fun."

Willow smiled sadly at her friend. "Thanks, Buffy, but I think I just want quiet tonight. Maybe tomorrow?" she asked, knowing that she was just trying to be nice.

Buffy nodded, and tried to smile brightly. "Tomorrow it is. And, Will?" Willow turned back around at the door. "It's okay. He's not out of your life. He'll be back."

Willow shrugged. "We'll see, I guess." She left the room, wondering how things could ever be the same.

~*~

June 11, 2001

It was mid afternoon. Willow and Buffy were in the kitchen, having decided to bake chocolate chip cookies. Spike was coming over after sunset, and they had a movie night planned. Three batches later, they were beginning to think their decision had been a mistake.

"Buffy!" Willow screeched as the flour that the blonde was trying to pour into a bowl landed on the counter and floor instead. She jumped back, unsuccessfully trying to avoid the floating powder, and slipped on the wet rag Buffy had used to clean up the dropped eggs from the last batch, landing with a loud crash on the floor. She lay there, stunned.

Buffy dropped down to the floor next to her flour-covered friend, trying to hold back her giggles. "Will? Are you okay?" Willow's head was down, her long hair hiding her face. Buffy saw her shoulders begin to shudder, and immediately became concerned. "Willow! Look at me!"

Willow responded to the command, and to her relief, Buffy saw that her friend was laughing hysterically. "I'm fine, Buffy," she said between giggles. "I think we better admit defeat, though. Help me up?" she asked, offering her hand.

Buffy stood and lifted Willow after her, still laughing. "You'd think after six years of fighting demons, I could make one tiny little batch of cookies," she grinned. "How about you go get cleaned up, and I'll go out and buy some cookies. Spike will never know the difference."

Willow grinned. "Deal. I'm going to see if I can clean up a little, though, while I'm still so icky."

"Okay. Be back in a little while," Buffy told her, leaving through the back door.

Willow surveyed the mess, shaking her head. Flour littered the counter and wet floor, and the excess ingredients and batter from their earlier attempts covered the table. She set to work cleaning up the worst of it, figuring that Buffy could get the rest when she got home. Twenty minutes later, she wrung the rag into the sink and dropped it down on the counter. Done. Well, as done as she was going to make it, anyway. She headed up to her bedroom to change, and realized with a groan that she had a flour-water mixture clumping her hair. She dragged herself into the bathroom to wash it out, grumbling the whole time about best friends who couldn't cook to save their souls. As she got out, she heard the doorbell ringing.

"Augh!" she complained. "Shoot. I'll be right there!" she shouted down. The person rang the doorbell three times in succession and Willow furrowed her brows in annoyance. It was probably Buffy, locked out of the apartment again. She had a habit of forgetting her keys, since she walked everywhere. "I'm coming!" she nearly screamed as she jumped into her denim shorts and tried to clasp her bra at the same time. Looking around, she realized that she had brought two pairs of shorts into the room, instead of a top. When the doorbell rang again, she gave up, rationalizing that she didn't have anything Buffy hadn't already seen on herself. Still drying her hair with the towel, she ran down the stairs and threw open the door. She froze mid swipe on her hair, suddenly conscious of the fact that she was shirtless. And that it wasn't Buffy standing there, open mouthed, in front of her.

"Willow?" Xander asked in amazement, eyes unconsciously drawn to his best friend's white lace covered breasts.

Willow let out a tiny squeak, too much in shock to even cover herself. The sudden cry of the pink bundle in Xander's arm shook her out of her dazed state, and she yanked the towel off her head and clutched it to her chest. "Xander! What are you doing here?" she asked, astonished. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. Because I am. Very happy. And you have the baby!" she exclaimed, as he slipped a pacifier into the infant's mouth and it quieted instantly. "Um, I need to get dressed," she said, recalling her shirtless state.

She turned and fled up the stairs, leaving Xander and the baby on the front steps.

"Welcome to Sunnydale, Melanie," he said, shaking his head as he walked into the apartment and closed the door behind him. Willow appeared moments later, still tugging the shirt down to her hips.

"So, hi," she said, embarrassed, and still a little red.

Xander grinned at her. "Hi, Will. Have to say, liked the welcome."

There was an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say until Willow tilted her head to one side and looked up at him. She smiled. "Welcome home, Xander." She reached up and gave him a hug, mindful of the baby's need for oxygen.

Xander reached his free arm around her, holding her tightly as he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. "Thanks, Willow," he said softly.

She broke away, and looked at the baby. "So this is your daughter, huh?" she asked, gently trailing her fingers down the baby's face.

Xander broke out into a huge smile of fatherly pride. "Yep. Willow, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Melanie Kathleen Harris. Mel, this is your Auntie Willow," he said, lifting the baby so she could see Willow. He grinned at his friend. "I've been telling her all about you, so she should recognize your name. Well, maybe. Do babies have good memories?" he asked.

Willow ignored him and smiled at the infant, instantly in love. "Hi, Melanie," she cooed, shaking the tiny hand the baby was waving around.

"Want to hold her?" Xander asked.

Willow looked up at him. "Can I?"

"Of course. Here. Watch her head," he cautioned as he passed the infant.

Willow cradled Melanie to herself, smiling when the baby grabbed her finger. She looked up at Xander, still smiling. "You're a lucky man, Xander Harris," she told him, eyes shining. Xander stood behind her, skimming his hand over Melanie's small head.

"I know," he whispered. All he could think was that he'd be even luckier if the three of the them were a family, the way it was meant to be.

Just then, the door opened and Buffy bounced in, carrying two bags. "Hey, Will, I got. . ." her voice trailed off as she noticed the other person in the hallway. "Xander? Wow, Xander, hi." She stepped over and gave him a hug. "It has been way too long since I saw you," she said, pulling back. "How are you?"

"Exhausted," he grinned back, playfully but dead serious. "Melanie keeps me up all night. There are times I have to drop some Holy Water on her, just to make sure she didn't turn into a vamp while my back was turned."

For the first time, Buffy noticed the bundle cradled in Willow's arms. "This must be the infamous Melanie, then," she said. Willow nodded, and Buffy leaned over. "Hi, sweetie. I'm Buffy." The baby gurgled in response. "Oh, so you've heard of me? Don't believe a word your Daddy says about me, okay?" She looked up. "Let's sit down, and you can tell us how you ended up back in Sunnydale."

Melanie started fussing, and Xander took her back from Willow. "Okay, sounds good. It's time for someone's snack, though. Can I just heat up this bottle?" he asked, taking one from the diaper bag on his shoulder.

"Sure, I'll show you where the kitchen is." Willow jumped up and led them into the kitchen. Buffy followed, grabbing a bottled water out of the fridge as Xander heated the bottle on the stove.

"Well, remember when you told me that you guys would help me if I needed it, Will?" Xander started out, testing the milk on his wrist.

"Of course I do," she responded, watching with amazement at the ease in which he fed the newborn.

"Good. Because I need help," he said straight out. "I tried. I really did. But I can't do this alone, and I don't have anyplace else to go." He looked up at them, desperate. "I haven't gotten a full night's sleep since she was born. I can't nap during the day. I can't find a baby-sitter for her, so I can't work. I'm on paternity leave because I'm a single father, but it can't last forever. I don't know what to do. I just used the last of my money I got from selling my car to get us a train ride back from Chicago."

Making her decision, Willow stood up. "It's okay. You did the right thing, Xander," she told him resolutely. "You came home. You're not alone anymore. We'll all help with Melanie, and we'll all help with you." She took the now content baby from his arms, and put the bottle in the sink. "First things first. Go upstairs and go to sleep." Seeing him about to protest, she interrupted him. "No. Get some sleep. By the time you get up, we'll have a place for you and Melanie to stay. We're not going to let you guys go back to Chicago when you've got a perfectly wonderful family right here to take care of you both. Buffy and I will take care of your daughter while you sleep. Up the stairs, second room on the left. Go."

Xander surrendered as Buffy pushed him out of the room. "Okay. Fine. Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you guys," he said, turning to look at Willow. "I'll see you in a few hours."Buffy returned to the living room, where Willow and Melanie had moved, after settling Xander in Willow's bed. She sat down next to her friend, who had put the girl on a blanket and was playing with her. "Willow, do you know what you're doing?" she asked in a low voice.

"Yes. I'm helping my best friend when he needs it," she said, not looking up from the baby.

"But, Willow," Buffy tried.

Willow turned to look at her friend. "I know. I'm setting myself up to be hurt later. But for now, Xander needs me, and so does this baby. And I can't refuse either of them. For now, I can pretend. I can pretend that Melanie is my baby, and Xander is my husband, and we'll be happy forever." She shrugged, trying to fight the tears. "I love him, Buffy. I know that. And if this is as close as I can get to my dreams, then I'll take it. It's enough." She smiled brightly down at Melanie. "Besides, who could resist this face?" she asked. "'Cause you're so pretty. Yes, you are," she cooed, tickling the infant's tummy.

Buffy sighed, but decided not to push it for now. Things were definitely going to get interesting, though.

~*~

June 12, 2001

Xander woke up suddenly, body tensed as he realized he was in an unfamiliar bed. The day before rushed back to him, and he relaxed. He was at Willow and Buffy's apartment. He slid his eyes open and took a look around the room, stretching. From the looks of it, he was in Willow's bedroom, too. Which meant that he was in Willow's bed. Where she slept. He allowed himself a small smile. He could get used to that. Then the implications of the sun shining through the blinds registered in his mind. "Oh, shit," he swore, looking for a clock. "10:30!" he gasped, shocked. "I've been asleep for eighteen hours. Where are my clothes?" he asked, jumping out of the bed, clad only in his boxers. "Why I am I talking to myself?" He found his shirt and shorts folded over the small blue rocking chair next to the window and hurriedly got dressed, rushing down the stairs. He stopped short when he saw the scene in the living room.

Willow and Melanie were on the couch, watching Teletubbies on the television. "Yeah, I have to agree, Po is kinda sweet," she was telling the infant. "I think Dipsy is more your style, though."

Xander had to smile. "Hi, guys."

Willow turned to look at him. "Morning, sleepyhead," she said cheerfully. "Mellie and I were just getting in some quality bonding time in. Well, more bonding time, actually. We became very well aquatinted at several times during the night," she grinned.

He winced. "I'm so sorry, Willow. I had no idea I would sleep that long," he apologized, moving to sit next to them.

"Oh, please," Willow scoffed. "Anytime. We had fun. Buffy went to Spike's, so Mel and I had a sleepover in her room. I think we're getting along great."

"As it should be, with my two favorite girls," he smiled. "C'mon over to Daddy, sweetheart." Willow passed the infant over, and he cuddled her. "Miss me? Or was Auntie Willow too much fun?" The baby gurgled and reached for his hair. "Sorry, babe, Auntie Willow has more than I do." He looked over and took a lock of Willow's hair in his hand. "More than I remember. You're growing it out again."

"Yeah, you know me. Never bothered to get it cut again." He dropped her hair, and she missed the feeling of his fingers playing with it. "Anyway, I talked to Giles last night."

"Yeah? What did G-man have to say?" he asked.

"Well, he agreed with me that you should stay here," she informed him. "He also offered use of his second bedroom for you and Melanie, indefinitely, as well as a job in his bookstore."

Xander was speechless. "Wow," he said finally.

Willow mistook his silence as a way of trying to get out of the situation. "Of course if you don't want to, we can't stop you," she said quickly. "If you want to leave, or find someplace else, he'll understand completely."

"Oh, no, no," he corrected. "No. I'm just so amazed that he's doing that for me. Of course, if he really means it, I'll be more than happy to take him up on that offer."

Willow's smile reached from ear to ear. "Great! I'll tell him, then. Or, actually, why don't you? The three of us can take a field trip to his store. You can meet his assistant, and learn your way around."

"Great!" Another thought struck him and he frowned. "Wait. What about Melanie? I still need a baby-sitter for her."

"Well, I'll be there this summer, anyway. I do a lot of work there. Some is for the shop, some for Slayer stuff, and some for this company I work for, DynaVox Systems," she explained. "I create and edit programs for augmentative communication software and devices. It's not a huge time-grabbing thing, though, so I can watch her most of the time. And when I can't, you'll be there, Giles will be there, and so will Katherine. Melanie will have too many care givers," she laughed. "After this summer, I'll come in between and after classes, just like normal, and we'll help with Mel."

"Katherine is the assistant? 'Cause this is sounding almost too good to be true here," he admitted.

"Yep, and she knows pretty much everything about all of us. She's a historian, and helps a lot with Slayer stuff." She lightly touched his hand. "Xander, I meant it. We'll do everything we can to help you. Everything."

"I don't think I can ever tell you how much that means to me," he told her softly. "Thank you."

"Anytime," she responded. She felt herself leaning towards him, and immediately pulled back, jumping up. "Okay, so let's go then!" she said, falsely bright. "I'll get Mellie dressed, and you can get her bag all packed."

Xander sighed as Willow took the baby from his arms, chattering away to her. Obviously, Willow didn't want to be too close to him anymore, and he only had himself to blame.

~*~

"Hi!" Willow called out, as the threesome entered the glass door of Giles' bookstore. "We're here!"

Giles came out of the back room, wiping his glasses with his handkerchief. "Welcome back, Xander," he said warmly as he slipped them back on. "We've certainly missed you around here."

Xander smiled and hugged the older man. "Thanks, G-man," he said. "I'm glad to be home, too."

Giles peered at the infant in Willow's Snuggli. "And this is Melanie, I presume?"

"Yep," Xander said proudly. "Your new roommate."

Giles looked up from shaking the infant's small hand. "Ah, you've decided to take me up on my offer? I'm delighted. It can get rather quiet and lonely sometimes."

Xander laughed. "I can guarantee that it won't be quiet with us around."

A petite woman with dark, curly brown hair walked out of the same back room Giles had only minutes earlier, and joined the group.

"Hi, Katherine," Willow greeted her. "This is my best friend Xander, and his daughter Melanie."

Katherine turned to Xander with a smile and shook his hand. "Hello, Xander. I'm Katherine Lahn. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here," Xander rejoined, looking her over. At 5'1", she barely came up to Giles' shoulder, and he guessed she was about 32 or 33 years old. She was pretty, her brown eyes shining from behind her gold wire-rimmed glasses, and she seemed to be friendly enough. "Hi."

She gave him a brief smile before turning to Giles. "Rupert, I need some assistance in the back room. I have no idea how you mean to categorize some of these new purchases."

"Yes, yes, we must see to that, Kate," Giles said. "Willow, you will show Xander around now, yes? Then I can give you a key to the apartment and let he and Melanie settle in."

"No problem," Willow said. "C'mon, I'll give you the tour." She walked him through the small bookstore, pointing out the different shelves, and the demonology section hidden in the back. They wound up next to a bank of computers. "And this is where I do most of my work. We rent the computers for an hour at a time, and offer the internet. Mostly my contribution to the place," she grinned. "Giles is still computer-phobic, although Katherine has been helping me a bit. I got her hooked onto the net, and she's never gone back."

"So you guys are friends?" he asked, as Melanie started to wail.

"Oh, yeah, she's really great. You just have to get to know her a bit first," she said, trying unsuccessfully to placate the baby with a pacifier. "Um, is this a nap cry? I can tell that she has quite a few cries, I just can't tell which is which yet."

"Yeah, that's a nap cry," Xander grinned. "She's quite vocal when she's not getting what she wants. I'll go get the key and we can get her down."

Willow bounced the infant in an effort to pacify her, to no avail. "You sure know how to keep your daddy hopping, don't you, sweetheart?" she grinned as Xander jogged out of the back room.

"C'mon, let's go before Giles starts to regret his offer," Xander laughed, a little uneasily. "I wonder if he knows what life with a baby is really like."

"Well, he's about to get a crash course," Willow grinned as Melanie upped the decibels. "Poor guy."

~*~

July 25, 2001

Willow let herself into Giles and Xander's apartment. The new roommates had settled into a routine that worked out fairly well for them, although Giles had been known to sneak out on particularly loud nights. Willow, Xander and Buffy assumed that he spent those nights at the bookstore, but he never said.

She closed the door softly behind her, in case Melanie was asleep, and walked into the living room. No one was there, so she tried upstairs. She found Xander and Melanie asleep on his bed, and smiled. He looked so young and peaceful in his sleep, and she noticed that they both buttoned up their eyes in the same manner. She had only been standing there, watching them sleep, for a few minutes before Xander opened his eyes.

"Hi, Will," he whispered.

She started, and her hand flew up to her chest. "Oh, you scared me," she said. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was. Then, I woke up," he grinned. *And saw an angel* he thought to himself. *Oh, yeah, that wasn't completely hokey* He shook his head at his thoughts, and saw Willow look confused. "Um, what?"

"I asked where Giles was," she repeated.

"Oh. Sorry. He and Katherine are looking at new stuff for the store," he told her, sitting up.

"Oh, okay. I just wanted to drop this book off for Mellie," she explained, holding up a copy of Dr. Seuss' 'Oh, The Places You'll Go.' "I thought she would like it."

Xander smiled. "Thanks, Will. I'm sure she'll love it." He stood and bent to pick the baby up off the bed, laying her back down in her crib. They stood there, just quietly watching her sleep, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Wow, Willow," he said finally. "Can you believe this is us now? A baby." He shook his head in wonder. "Who would have guessed it."

Willow blinked back sudden tears. *If only it was us* she sighed inwardly. "Hard to believe," she agreed out loud. "We grew up, Xander."

"That we did," he said softly, tracing Melanie's cheek with his index finger.

"I have to go now," Willow said unhappily. She loved watching Xander with his daughter. "I have a meeting to go to for DynaVox."

Xander bit back his disappointment. "Okay. I'll walk you out."

He followed her down the stairs, and they stopped in front of the door. "I'll come over later and read with Mellie, okay?" she asked, looking up into his warm brown eyes.

"We'd love that," he told her, not breaking their eye contact. "Thanks for the book."

"Anytime," she responded, unable to pull her eyes away from his. Impulsively, she reached up and gave him a hug. He held her close, rubbing small circles on her back. She pulled back, and tried to smile at him. "I'll see you later." She walked out, and he closed the door behind her, sagging against the door frame. It was so hard to be so close physically, but so far apart emotionally. He had no idea how much longer he could stand it.

~*~

July 31, 2001

Willow was comfortably reclined on the sofa in her living room, happily browsing through baby catalogs, as she had been all morning. She didn't notice Buffy standing in the doorway, trying to muster enough courage to walk in and have a conversation with her. After a few minutes of deliberating, she finally propelled herself forward into the room.

"Willow, I want to move out," she blurted.

Willow gaped at her. "What?"

"I know, and I'm so sorry, Will," she rushed ahead. "It's not that you're not great, because you are, and I've had so much fun with you, but it's just not the ideal situation anymore. Please don't hate me," she finished.

"Um, Buff? That 'what' was a real what. I have no clue what you just said," Willow said, slightly dazed from Buffy's barrage.

"Oh," Buffy said. "Um, I said that I wanted to move out. And move in with Spike. Because I really do spend more time at his place than here."

Willow took this in as Buffy peered hopefully at her. "Um, okay. Sure," she finally said, not sure what she was supposed to say. She knew that she could afford it by herself, with the money she made from DynaVox, it was just the alone factor in Sunnydale that bothered her.

Buffy sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I'm so glad you're not upset," she said, reaching over to hug her friend. "That really is the last thing I wanted."

"No, I understand. You want to spend time with your honey, and it would be really hard here in the sunlight," Willow nodded. "Maybe I'll find someone for a roommate. I just don't really want to be alone at night here."

As if on cue, Xander burst through the door, carrying Melanie in her car seat.

"Whoa, Xander," Buffy said, surprised. "Moving a little fast there. If it wasn't daylight, I'd think a vamp was chasing you. Are you guys okay?"

"Us? Yeah, we're fine," Xander reassured them. "Just fine. We just needed some, um, some fresh air. And good company. Not that Giles isn't good company. Because he is." He noticed his friends exchanging a look, and tried to calm down, stop babbling. "So, here we are. How are you beautiful ladies doing?"

"We're fine," Willow said, moving over to allow him to sit with Melanie. She immediately picked up her and began cooing to her.

"I'm moving out," Buffy told him.

He looked at her in shock. "You're what?"

"Moving in with Spike," she explained, ignoring his look of annoyance. "Willow's thinking about looking for a roommate."

Xander's jaw dropped. This was almost perfect. He really wanted a new place to stay now, and Willow had one. "What about me?"

Both women turned to look at him in surprise. "What?" Buffy asked as Willow wondered, "Why?"

"Giles is great, really," he hastened to explain. "I just feel that he probably needs his. . .privacy a little more than we can help him with. So this might be a good idea."

"I think it would be great," Buffy agreed quickly. She knew a good thing when she saw one—this could be exactly what the two needed. "This way, you're not all alone at night, Will, and we don't have to worry about what possible evil a new roommate could be behind. And you know you'd love to have Melanie around more. What else could be more perfect?"

They turned to look at Willow, who had a deer in the headlight expression on her face. "Um, sure," she finally agreed. "That would be great." Inwardly she was panicking. She knew that she was in love with Xander, and that he didn't feel the same way. She had no clue how she was going to survive this. Why was Buffy doing this to her?

Xander smiled down at Melanie. "Did ya hear that, babe? We get to live with Auntie Willow. How cool is that, huh?" He made a face at her, and she batted at him, a huge smile on her face. "See, look. Even Melanie likes this arrangement. So, when do we get to move in?"

Willow and Xander looked at Buffy. "Next week sound good? Give us both time to get packed, and for me to convince Spike that mirrors really are a good thing."

Xander beamed at her. "Sounds great. Doesn't it sound great, Will?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, slightly disconcerted. "It's great. I can't wait."

~*~

August 5, 2001

Giles and Xander hoisted the box carrying Melanie's crib onto the top of Katherine's black Lexus GS 400. Finally getting it secured down, they took a moment to rest.

"Is that, uh, everything, then?" Giles asked, his accent more clipped from the exertion.

"Yep, think so," Xander nodded, wiping his forehead off. This was the second and final trip with his and Melanie's belongings from Giles' to Willow's. Melanie had been delivered on the first trip.

"Well, um, it was nice having you stay with me, even for a short time," Giles offered, not sure of what to say. He and Xander still had a hard time looking each other in the eye after last week's debacle, although they were able to work together again. "I'm sorry about,"

Xander quickly shook his head. "Oh, no. It's okay. Really. Let's not bring that up again. Ever. Okay?"

"Yes, yes, that would probably be best," Giles agreed, relieved.

Katherine walked out of Giles' apartment and approached the men by her car. "Are you ready to leave, Xander?" she asked.

Xander was once again amazed at how this little woman managed to wear a heavy denim skirt with a long sleeved blouse during August in California, and not combust. "Um, yeah. Ready. Thanks again for letting me use your car to move things. It's just amazing how Melanie's things seemed to have multiplied since she met Willow," he grinned.

Katherine snorted. "As if what Rupert terms his car would get your belongings half way down the block."

Xander grinned, despite his slight discomfort. "She's got you there, G-man."

Giles winced at the use of the hated nickname. "Yes, well, it has gotten me through many years, and I see no reason to get rid of it now," he responded, shooting a look towards his assistant. "I'll see you at work on Monday, Xander."

"Yep. Bye, Giles. Thanks for everything," Xander said, reaching out to shake his friend's hand. "It really meant a lot to me that you offered your place."

"You're more than welcome here anytime, Xander," Giles said warmly as the young man went to sit in the passenger side of the car. "Bye, Kate."

She smiled at him. "Bye, Rupert. I'll see you later."

She got into the driver's seat and they drove off.

~*~

An hour later, Xander and Melanie were completely moved in. Buffy and Xander had unloaded all of the boxes and brought them upstairs to his new room while Willow took care of Melanie. Now, a few hours later, Willow and Xander stood in the doorway of the bedroom, surveying the mess.

"This room is really small, isn't it?" Xander said, more as a statement than a question. Boxes were piled everywhere. Buffy had left her bed, so that and Melanie's crib and changing table were the only things ready to go. The problem was trying to get to the bed, crib, and changing table.

"It would seem so," Willow agreed. "It never seemed this small when Buffy lived here. She did aerobics and everything. Maybe it'll be better when you're all unpacked," she offered.

"I hope so. Or maybe it's because two people are trying to fit all of their stuff into one room," he sighed.

"Don't worry. We'll get it all sorted out eventually," Willow promised. "For now, though, let's just forget about it and relax. We can watch some movies and stuff. Buffy and I have a great collection, and she let me keep it. I don't think Spike has a VCR."

Xander smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I guess Melanie can sleep in her stroller for tonight."

"If we had thought about it, we could have set her crib up in my room or something, but I'm sure she'll be fine there for tonight," she reassured him. "We can lock the wheels and put it next to your bed. Now I'll make the popcorn; you pick some movies, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, smiling at her. "Let's go."

He followed her down the stairs. She turned to enter the kitchen as he went to check on Melanie. He had the monitor and could hear her, he just needed to see her sometimes. He smiled at the sight of her on her tummy, with her thumb hanging loosely by her mouth. With one last look, he headed towards the living room. A banging on the front door forced him to make another detour. "I'll get it," he called to Willow. He opened the door, careful to stay inside the threshold. He opened the door wider when he saw it was Spike. "What do you want?" he asked brusquely.

Spike rushed in, pushing past him. Willow poked her head out of the kitchen. "Spike? What's wrong?"

"Sorry, love, we need Buffy's bed." He raced up the stairs. Willow and Xander exchanged a look and followed him.

"What happened to yours?" Willow asked, amazed, as Spike kicked boxes to the side to get to the bed.

"Long story, no time to tell." He grabbed one end of the bed and effortlessly turned it on the side, half dragging and half carrying it down the stairs and out the door. "The slayer will be over tomorrow. Bye, now."

Xander and Willow stood at the foot of the staircase, watching the blond vampire carry the bed down the street. "Uh, Will? Where did he take my bed? Why did he take my bed?"

Willow just stared out the door. "I don't think I want to know."

"You don't think. . ." his voice trailed off. "Oh, I don't want to go there. Quick. Movie. Now."

Willow grinned and went to go get the popcorn.

~*~

It was two o'clock in the morning. Melanie had woken briefly around ten pm, but had quickly gone back to sleep, so that Willow and Xander had had most of the night quiet and to themselves. They had watched Key Largo first, followed by His Girl Friday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and finally Psycho. Through the first two movies, they had sat side by side with the popcorn bowl between them. This had led to their hands brushing in the bowl, and both had felt the electricity charge with each touch. After four hours of movies, though, they were getting tired, so they stretched out on opposite ends of the couch, giving up completely on the popcorn. During Psycho, however, Willow started getting very scared. She knew what was going to happen. She had seen this movie before. That didn't stop her from sitting straight up and scrambling to sit closer to Xander, clutching his arm. By then, he wasn't even paying attention to the movie. All of his energy was focused on Willow and her hands wrapped around his arm. He was about to open his mouth and make a smart-aleck comment when she made an "eep!" noise and dove towards him, burying her face in his shoulder. He couldn't stop the slow grin that spread across his face, but was definitely unable to say anything. Blushing, Willow had sat back up and apologized. An hour later, that brief moment was still on his mind, but now he had a more pressing concern.

Willow had just stood up to rewind the video. "Um, Willow?"

She turned to face him. "Yeah?"

"Uh, Spike took my bed."

She stared at him for a moment before realization dawned. "Oh."

He laughed. "Yes. Oh. Where should I sleep? Is this a pull-out bed?"

Willow mentally ran through her options. There weren't many. He could sleep on the couch. He should sleep on the couch. Yes, that's it. Couch. "You can sleep with me," she blurted, immediately turning crimson. Where had that come from? Xander's mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Her words kept floating through his mind.

"Not like that," she hastened to add. "I mean, no, this couch doesn't fold out. And I know you. You'll roll off in the middle of the night and hit your head. And I have a big bed. We can share."

Xander finally found his voice. "Are you sure?"

Willow nodded. "Yes. Fine. It's okay by me. Really."

Just then, Melanie let out a piercing wail. Xander closed his eyes briefly. "Mel's hungry," he said.

"Okay. Feed her and then bring her up," Willow instructed. "Since Spike cleared that path, I can push the crib into a better place. Then she'll be closer to us."

"Okay," he said, heading towards the kitchen. "Coming, sweetheart," he called.

Willow stood there, frozen, for a minute. What was she thinking? Xander in her bed? With her? Could she handle it? Mentally promising to strangle Buffy in the morning, she went upstairs to move the crib.

When Xander came up twenty minutes later, he found Willow already changed into a t-shirt and boxers and dragging the crib out to the hallway. "This way we can hear her," she explained. "And we can access her diaper stuff. With the boxes, it wouldn't fit any other way. The path wasn't so big, after all."

"It's fine, Will." He laid the dozing baby in the crib and backed away, hoping she wouldn't awaken. When she didn't stir, he let out the breath he had been holding. "Okay, good." He looked at Willow, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Um, I guess I should get changed," he said, pointing towards the bathroom.

She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Probably a helpful thing." He gave her a weak smile and went to grab something to sleep in from his suitcase. She hurried back into her bedroom, and quickly glanced around. Okay. Nothing horribly embarrassing was sticking out. Bras were nicely tucked away. Everything was good. Her eyes strayed to the bed. Suddenly, it looked so much smaller than the queen size she had known it to be. What had she gotten herself into, she moaned silently. With a sigh, she turned the covers down and slid between the sheets.

Just a minute later, he walked in, humming a song under his breath. He found Willow already curled up under the sheets. When she heard him put the monitor down on her bedside table, she turned to face him, head propped up on her elbow. "Um, Will. Thanks for," he indicated her bed.

"Oh, it's, um, fine. Really." It is fine, she told herself, but her heart was still pounding.

"Um, I'm going to, you know," he pointed towards the empty side of the bed.

"Get in bed?" she asked, a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Yes. That." He quickly laid down, and she turned back so that they laid side by side, both facing forward. "This isn't bad," he said, as if to himself.

"No. It's not," she agreed, almost surprised. "Well. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yep. Night, Willow," he yawned.

"Good night." She turned over, facing away from him, and closed her eyes, hoping he couldn't hear her heart still pounding away in her chest.

He did the same, and soon they were both asleep.

~*~

August 6, 2001

"I am going to kill you," Willow said, her voice saccharinely sweet, to her best friend as she opened the door to let her in.

Buffy's mouth dropped open. "Why, Willow, how could say such a thing to me?" she asked, innocently.

"Oh, yeah, play clueless. How could you do that?" she wailed.

"Is Xander here?" Buffy asked, heading into the living room to sit on the couch.

"No, he and Melanie went to the park," she sighed, collapsing next to Buffy.

"Good. So tell me what happened," Buffy said excitedly, leaning forward.

"What do you mean, tell you what happened? You tell me. Why did Spike come here and steal your bed?" Willow demanded. "Did you make him?"

"Well, I had planned on getting it back sometime, to help you guys out, but no, we really did need a new bed last night," she said with an evil grin.

Willow buried her face in a pillow. "Oh, I didn't need to hear that," she moaned, her voice muffled.

Buffy laughed and pulled the pillow away. Willow's face matched her hair. "So, what happened after Spike ran down the street with Xander's bed?" she giggled.

Willow glared at her. "Not funny. We watched some movies, that's all."

"And then?" Buffy prodded. "Where did he sleep?"

Willow mumbled something unintelligible.

Buffy grinned. "What was that, Will?" she asked, cupping her ear. "I didn't quite catch that last thing."

Willow sighed. Buffy was having too much fun with this. "I said, he slept in my room."

"Way to go!" Buffy said happily. "Well, wait. Do you mean in your bed?"

"Yes. Where I was."

"I'm so proud of you," Buffy crowed. "Yea for Willow. So, what happened?"

"What do you mean, what happened? I just told you," she said, puzzled.

Buffy sighed. "Willow. I got things so that you and Xander shared a bed. I know you know what to do with the man you love in a bed, so spill."