I absorbed what she had told me. “So, you’re saying that you became a vampire for me? You loved me so much that you would rather become the thing that you hated rather than lose me?” It was too much for me to comprehend. I knew she loved me, but I never understood how much, what she was willing to sacrifice for me.

“Xander, I couldn’t not love you,” she whispered. Tears were gathering in her eyes and I brushed them away.

“Shh, Will, it’s okay,” I soothed. She sniffled a bit and then seemed okay. “So, you’re pregnant,” I mused, changing the subject. She stiffened. “God, who would have thought? We’re going to be parents.”

Willow frowned thoughtfully. “It’s still so hard to believe,” she muttered. “But what’s going to happen? If we don’t age, how can the baby? Is it going to be a baby forever? Is it going to be a vampire? How can it be anything other than a vampire, when it has vampire parents? I’m still so confused. I don’t understand how this could happen.”

“I don’t either, Will. But one thing we learned from all those years of demon hunting and being the Slayerettes, is that the unexpected occurs. You don’t have to understand everything that happens. You just take it in stride and learn to adapt,” I philosophized. She giggled.

“You’re turning into Mr. Serious,” she teased. She nipped at the finger that was still stroking her cheek absently and I jumped. “Care to do something else besides spout philosophy?” she invited with a grin. I shook my head.

“As tempting as you are, Will, I think we should get some sleep,” I realized. She pouted. “Look, we’re going to be up for a long night of research and training tomorrow,” I pointed out. “And we’re not going to have the hunt to strengthen us. We’re going to be living off frozen food for the rest of our unlives,” I added. She smiled at my reference to the refrigerated blood that was to become our new source of sustenance.

“True,” she acknowledged. Willow sighed and snuggled down next to me. “I guess we should get some sleep, then,” she allowed, letting her eyes sleepily shut. “Now that you mention it, I am getting a bit sleepy. Sweet dreams, lover,” she whispered before she drifted off.

I burrowed under the covers with Willow’s lithe form pressed next to me. “Sleep tight, Willow,” I whispered back before I, too, closed my eyes.

When we woke up it was just an hour until sundown. Feeling remarkably refreshed, Willow and I rose and prepared for the grueling evening of training ahead of us.

“Xander, do you think we’re doing the right thing?” Willow asked after we got dressed and she put on her makeup.

“Yeah, Will, I do. I mean, demons are unnatural to begin with. Fighting demon tendencies is what we should be doing, not giving in to them,” I proclaimed. “Now that we have help and we know we can, it’s our duty to do it. We have to stop hurting other people.”

Willow stared up at me. “You’re my hero,” she sighed with a mischievous giggle. She pretended to swoon and I caught her before she could drop to the floor.

“Willow, you’re a nut,” I admonished her playfully.

She stood back up and brushed off her shirt. “Well, you always did the brave thing when we were Slayerettes. You never shirked you duties and you did what you knew was right. Now you’re doing it again,” she said. “I am so proud of you. I have never met anyone braver or more honorable than you, Xander Harris.”

I warmed under her praise. “Well, I try,” I mumbled modestly.

She squeezed me tightly. “You do a heck of a lot more than try,” she insisted. Willow lay her head against my chest and sighed. “Why does this feel so right?” she wondered. “We’re vampires. Demons. How come all of a sudden it’s so easy to just be a normal, domestic couple that doesn’t have any homicidal tendencies?” she asked.

“Honestly, Will, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t understand it. But like I said, we’re not supposed to understand everything. We should just go with it and make the best of our situation.”

Willow glanced out the tiny bay window situated high in the wall, high enough up that it couldn’t direct the harmful sunlight towards us. “Sundown,” she observed. “We probably better get to the library, or Buffy will be ready to stake us for breaking our promise.”

“You’re right. Ready to go?” I asked, offering her my arm. She ducked her head underneath and stood up with her body pressed against mine. I tightened my arm around her shoulders and she laced her fingers with mine.

“Ready,” she affirmed.

Nestled together, we left our haven for the second night in a row to seek out Giles and his knowledge.