** ** **

Xander sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall of the guest room he had
called home for almost a week. No doubt the others were already awake by now,
talking and laughing in the kitchen like they usually did when they woke up in
the early evening. He just didn't feel like being down there with them.

Not when he had to leave in two days.

Only two more days of this wonderful vacation away from Sunnydale. In two itsy
bitsy little days he was going to have to return to the Hellmouth and face the
wrath of the Slayer. It wasn't something he was looking forward to in any way.
He had already decided to try to see her as little as possible when he
returned, going as far as to have already told Giles that he wouldn’t be
stopping by as much.

But Sunnydale was a small town and he was bound to run into the blonde airhead
eventually. She had all but told him to never step foot in her town the last
time she had spoken with him. He shuddered, remembering how cold her eyes had
been. It was as if he truly had never known her. The girl he had befriended his
sophomore year of high school never would have reacted that way - would she?

Sighing, the young man rose from the bed, looking around the room with sadness.
Only two more days of spending time with Wills and Delia. He was even going to
miss Angel and Spike, despite his better judgment. They had grown on him in a
way he had never once imagined would have been possible over the past four
days. Never before had he felt like he was actually a member of a family. Not
like this, anyway. They all liked him for who he was, something his real
'family' had never been able to do.

Making his way slowly out of the room, Xander walked out into the lofty studio
section of the apartment the group was sharing. The apartment itself had been
the third floor of Angel's office building up until four days ago. In a
whirlwind of activity that still left Xander amazed, the two vampires had hired
an enormous team of workers to renovate the entire floor into something
inhabitable. Everything except the bedrooms had been made into one large
studio-like space, affording an air of togetherness whether you were cooking or
watching the television. There were two master bedrooms as well as two
guestrooms. As the girls had happily informed him, the two master bedrooms both
contained beds big enough for the four of them.

He smirked, remembering when Willow had told him about her happy little
foursome of love. It had shocked him to say the least. Accepting Spike as part
of the red head's life had been hard enough considering he was a vampire and
someone they had considered a mortal enemy for so long. But he had done it
willingly, just happy to have her as his friend again. Then the bombshell - she
wasn't just sleeping with one vampire, but two. AND his ex-girlfriend. Spike
had mockingly informed him that he had passed out for nearly five minutes when
the news finally sank in, something Xander was sure he would never live down.

He didn’t mind, though. Being reminded of that every day for the rest of his
life would mean that he would be around them to be reminded of it. He would
gladly take that over leaving them. A little teasing was nothing compared to
what Buffy would undoubtedly do next time she saw him in Sunnydale. He smiled
as Willow looked up and saw him, her face lighting up in a huge grin.

Only two days left.

** **

“He seems to sad.” Cordelia murmured quietly, watching as Xander sat down on
the couch and turned on the television. During the few days the young man had
been with them Cordelia had rediscovered the friendship they had once had and
instinctively knew that something was very wrong in the mind of Xander Harris
at that moment.

Willow nodded, her eyes glued to the boy she had called her friend for almost
her entire life. He had gone from being extremely excited at the beginning of
the week to downright morose now. It was almost too much to bear – the gradual
transition he seemed to be going through. “Do you think that maybe he misses
Sunnydale?”

The former cheerleader shook her head. “No. Can’t be the reason. He’s dreading
going back to that place. The other day, when he got off of the phone with
Giles. I heard him say to himself that he wishes he didn’t even have to go
back. There’s no way…”

“That’s it!” The red head whispered fiercely. “He’s sad about going back!” She
sighed, everything becoming clearer to her. She knew that Spike had mentioned
at one time that he didn’t think it would be a good idea to let Xander go back
to Sunnydale – but did that mean he would let him stay *here*? Worrying her
lower lip with her teeth, the young witch rose from the table. “I’m going to go
see what Spike is doing.”

Willow smiled at Xander as she passed by, slightly shocked when he only offered
her the most minimal of grins. {He must be really depressed,} she thought
sadly. Letting herself into the room she shared with Spike, the red head took
a deep breath and prayed to her goddess for luck. How would her mate react to
her wanting to let her best friend live with them? Crawling slowly into the
bed, Willow tried not to immediately disturb the blonde haired vampire who had
evidently gone back to sleep earlier without telling he.

She smiled down into his still face, feeling the familiar rush of desire sweep
through her. Even after being with him for months his deadly beauty still
amazed her. She reached out a hand, running fingers lightly through his hair.
It was slightly stiff, a product of all the bleach he used on it, no doubt, but
she loved it just the same. A very small part of her wondered what he would
look like with his natural hair color – a medium brown from the stories he had
told her. It was no doubt probably very handsome on him.

Smiling to herself, the red head allowed her fingers to trace lightly over his
cheeks, running a nail gently along the angular line of his cheek bones. His
eyes popped open, blue meeting green, and she was rewarded with one of his true
smiles. “Luv…going to admire me all day? Or did you wake me up for something?”
Snaking a hand up behind her neck, the vampire pulled her head down for kiss
before she could answer. Their lips met, sparking a passion deep within them
that was, in a way, frightening in its intensity.

“MmM.” Willow murmured, pulling back from the kiss when the need for oxygen
demanded it. “I wanted to ask a favor. But I don’t want you to get mad. Not
that its something that –should- make you mad. It might though. Oh goddess.
Just don’t take this the wrong way or anything…”

“Red.” Spike waited until the girl had stopped speaking before grinning at her.
“You’re babbling, pet. What do you need?”

The red head blushed before sighing. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting
nervously with one of the rings she wore. “Its just…Xander is so sad. And I
think its because he has to go home in two days. I was wondering…”

“If I’d mind the bloke staying with us?” The blonde cocked an eyebrow at her,
smirking. “Course not pet. Didn’t I say I didn’t want him going back to
Sunnyhell? I’ve already spoken to the poof about it. He’ll keep his old room.
Is that it?”

Willow just stared at her mate in shock. He had already planned on Xander
staying? Already spoken to Angel about it? “Um. Yeah. That was it. I take it
Xan doesn’t know yet.”

Spike shook his head. “Haven’t told a bloody soul besides you an’ Peaches.” He
smiled at her gently. “You can tell Chubs. Now. Can I get back to sleep? I was
dreaming about a certain red headed witch shagging me into oblivion.”

Green eyes darkened with lust. She grabbed the hem of her tshirt, drawing it
over her head before standing to take off her jeans. Meeting his ice blue eyes,
the red head smirked. “I can tell Xan later. How about I make your dreams come
true?”

** **

Xander looked around the mall, trying not to let his utter boredom show
through. Bending his head back down to earth, the young man caught a flash of
brown hair as his companion disappeared into yet another store. This was it –
his last day in LA. And how was he spending it?

At the mall with Cordelia.

“Delia,” He sighed, catching up with her next to a rack of imported leather
skirts. “Not that I mind your company, because I don’t, but I’d sort of like to
spend my last day in LA with Wills, too.” He glanced at his watch, knowing that
they had been in the mall for at least three hours already.

“Uh huh.” Cordelia grinned. “Sure. As soon as I’m done here we can go.”

“Promise?”

The former cheerleader looked genuinely offended for one brief moment before
flashing him a smile. “I promise. Just let me find a few skirts to go with the
tops I bought at the last store.” {Hopefully Willow has had enough time to set
everything up,} she thought wryly, grabbing at least seven skirts from the
racks around her. “K. Just need to try them on. Be right back.”

Xander sighed sadly, taking the bags his former girlfriend had shoved at him
and finding a small couch near the dressing room. He sat down heavily, drawing
a look from the sales girl standing not too far away. Shrugging and offering
her a goofy smile, he gestured to all the bags sitting at his feet. The girl
grinned, nodding at once. She understood completely – men came in here with
that attitude all the time.

{This wasn’t how I wanted to spend my last few hours here,} Xander grumbled
silently to himself. {This was supposed to be a time for talking to Wills,
saying our goodbyes. No telling when I’ll see her again with her here and
me…-there-} Even in his mind the young man couldn’t keep his distaste of
Sunnydale hidden. It had become Hell itself to him – a place to go back to only
for one’s last days – which is exactly what he felt like he was going back for.

“Ready!” Cordelia chirped, holding up the two skirts she had decided to buy and
leaving the others on the discard rack. She walked up to the counter, hearing a
rustle of bags behind her as Xander followed. Whipping out Angel’s credit card,
the cheerleader waited patiently for the sales girl to ring it up before
turning back to her friend. “C’mon Xan, lets get you back to Wills so you can
stop brooding. I swear. It was bad enough when Angel did it.”

Xander raised his eyebrows, taking her last purchase from her. He chuckled
softly. “I may sulk and mope, Delia. But I do not brood.”

“Sulk, brood, mope – all the same to me.” The former cheerleader grinned.
“Let’s go. I want to go home and show Angel what I bought.”

The young man snickered, following after the brunette. “I’m sure he is waiting
anxiously for just that.”

** **

Willow looked up as the door to Xander’s room swung open, bracing herself for
the momentary blinding when the overhead light came on. She smiled at her best
friend, her heart jumping at the look of shock on his face – she knew exactly
what he saw. A room filled with things he enjoyed and clothes that were his
size – but a little classier style. It was the only way she could think of to
tell him that he could stay without just coming out and saying it.

“Wills…what….when…why?” Xander looked at the red head sitting on his bed, tears
in his eyes.

“Let’s see…What – we all want you to stay. When – we decided a few days ago,
this is just my way of telling you. And why – because we love you, silly.” She
stood, crossing to wrap him in her arms in warm hug. “You are a part of this
family now. There’s no way we’re letting you go back to Buffy. She doesn’t
deserve you.”

Xander swallowed. The tears which had only been brimming a moment before
spilled freely. “You mean it? I can stay? Is Spike ok with this? What about
Angel? I don’t want to get you in trouble with them…”

“Xander!” Willow laughed. “Stop babbling. That’s my job!” Her words were
admonishing yet adoring. “They’re both fine with it – Spike had already thought
of it before I asked him.”

“Really?” The dark haired young man blinked in shock, wiping away the last of
his tears. “Huh. I’ll have to thank Blondie then.” He looked around the room,
smiling at the little things he knew Willow had added to make it more of his
home. He noted that the clothing hanging in the open closet was different from
what he would have chosen for himself – but that was okay. He could dress a
little more grown up if it meant staying here with four of the few people on
the face of the earth that he called ‘family’. “Thank you…” He whispered
quietly.

Willow beamed. “No need to thank me, Xan. You are special to us, believe it or
not. We are your family now.”

Xander nodded, a smile creeping across his face. “Family.” The word rolled
around his mouth, as sweet as chocolate. He grinned at Willow, hugging her one
last time. “Family sounds good to me.”

**End Fic**

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