*~*~*~*

Buffy and Riley settled on the couch. They looked at each other, then up to Willow and Xander. "Willow, what happened to your ribs?" Buffy asked, noticing that her best friend was holding her side.

"Gang," Xander said quickly. "Ambushed by a wild gang. But she's fine, right, Wills?"

"Peachy keen," Willow replied. She winced. "Sorta."

"Willow. . ." Buffy started, knowing they were lying to her.

"Don't," Willow said. "Just drop it. It's not anything you can go kill, Buffy."

Xander squeezed her hand. She smiled at him.

"So what's the 411? Vampy Xander, is he going back to his universe?" Buffy asked, settling against Riley. She closed her eyes, hoping to catch a quick nap. After all, she had nothing to worry about. She knew that no one would keep the vampire here.

"No," Xander said.

Buffy's eyes flew open and she sat forward. "What? What do you mean *no*?"

"He's going to LA with Angel," Willow said softly. "He doesn't want to go back and he and Angel have. . ." She paused, trying to figure out how to put it delicately.

"A fucked up relationship. Angel owns him now. He's staked his claim," Xander finished. Willow glanced at him, surprised that he would tell Buffy this. "What?" the man asked. "She's going to find out sooner or later. Might as well do it now so she doesn't bitch that we've been hiding stuff from her. I mean, you know she's going to poke around when she finds out he owns me and we are going to LA too."

Buffy stared at them, her mouth wide open. "He *owns* you? And you are going to LA? Both of you?"

"Well, I guess we don't have to break it to her gently now," Willow said ruefully. However, she was glad that Xander took the initiative and just broke it to her. She didn't want to have to dance around the subject and she didn't want to be the one to tell her.

"Oops," Xander said with a smirk. "Did I say that out loud?"

Willow chuckled, then turned to Buffy. "We are leaving tonight. Angel needs us, and. . .well, he wants Xander."

"Wants as in the way he wants me?" Buffy asked.

"He doesn't want you," Xander said angrily. "He hasn't for a while. I mean, Buffy, you have Riley now, and Commando makes you happy. Why do you care who Angel wants?"

Buffy opened her mouth, then shut it with anger.

"Xander, don't be mean," Willow admonished him. She turned to Buffy. "Buffy, we are going to LA, where our talents will be needed."

"I need you though!" she cried.

"You haven't, not since Adam. And really, not before Adam. You have Riley, and Graham, and all their little toys they took from the Initiative. And we will be close enough to come home if you need us to," Willow said softly.

"No!" Buffy cried. "You aren't leaving me!"

Willow's eyebrow rose. "You know, I'm thinking that you really don't have a choice in the matter. This is our life, not yours. If we want to go, then we can go."

Buffy turned to Giles, knowing that her former Watcher would side with her. "Giles, make them stay!"

Giles started polishing his glasses. "Buffy, Willow is right. It is their lives. If they want to go to LA, we can't make them stay. And I can't necessarily say that it is a bad choice. I'm not sure if I agree completely with the *owning* of Xander, but if he's happy, that's what's matters, right?"

"NO!" Buffy screamed, tears filling her eyes. "They belong to me! Not Angel!"

Willow blinked. "I don't belong to you, Buffy. I may have, at one point, but when you pushed me away to be with Riley, why on earth should I want to remain yours? At least Angel pays attention to me. He pays attention to us."

Xander got a goofy grin on his face. "I like it when Deadboy pays attention to me."

Buffy stood up. "Fine. I'm leaving. I don't want to have anything to do with either of you. If you want to take sides, then do it, but let me assure you, I'll be your worse enemy."

"Buffy, now there is no need to cry war over this," Giles said gently.

"No!" Buffy said. "They've made it clear where they want to be! So let them go! I don't give a damn!"

"We are leaving tonight, Buff," Xander said. "We were kinda hoping you'd want to spend the day with us."

"Too bad. I don't need either of you." She grabbed Riley's hand and the two of them walked out.

Willow started to cry. Xander picked her up. "I'm going to take her home," he said softly.

Giles smiled at the two young adults he'd grown to know and love. "Please, watch after her, Xander. She's strong, but she's very vulnerable. I would hate for her to get hurt."

"I will, G-Man."

"Please call if the two of you ever need anything," Giles said. "While Buffy may not be here for you, I always will be."

"Thanks." Xander gave Giles one last smile before walking out of his apartment.

*~*~*~*

Angel hurriedly opened the door when he heard someone fumbling at it. He stepped out of the way of the sunlight. Xander walked in, his head bowed low, murmuring softly in Willow's ear.

"What happened?" Angel asked, shutting the door.

"Buffy. Not good. Wills was upset."

Willow rolled her eyes. "I'm fine now, but the big goof won't let me go."

"I'm worried about your ribs," Xander scolded softly.

"Her ribs?" Spike asked, standing up and walking to the two humans. He lifted Willow's shirt, seeing the bandage. "What happened?" He looked up at Xander, throwing daggers with his eyes because the human couldn't protect her.

"I went home," Xander said softly, moving to the couch. He put Willow down gingerly. "My father and I had a discussion about me leaving. He didn't want me to leave." He turned away, his voice soft. "We had a fight."

Spike frowned, not understanding. He blinked, then stood up with a roar. "The bastard hit Willow?"

"No, he hit *me*," Xander said. "When I showed up at Giles' house, Willow was waiting for me. She did the magic mo-jo, taking the pain away before I even realized what she was doing. So now *I'm* fine, and *she's* hurting." He sighed. "I wouldn't have let her do that if I would have known what she was going to do."

Angel turned to scold Willow. She glared at him, her eyes dancing with defiance. "Listen, Angelus," she said, her voice filled with a dominant tone. "You own Xander, and you own Xand. You are the head of this family. I will give you all of that. But you do *not* own me, at least, not in the technical sense of the word. I love you, I do, and I'm more than thrilled to be a part of this family. But let me assure you that if there is something in Xander's life that is not a good thing, I will get rid of it in anyway *I* see fit. I am loyal to you, and will always be loyal to you, but my loyalties are here because of Xander." She hobbled over to the couch, sitting next to Spike. She leaned back against him. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "If I could do it again, I would. So *don't* fuss at me. I'm *not* in the mood. I just had to break up with one of the sweetest people I've ever met; Buffy decided that we are enemies now, because - lo and behold - she wants us now that she knows you do; and I ache."

"Shush, pet," Spike purred, running his fingers through her hair. "You'll get yourself all worked up and bloody hurt yourself again."

Willow turned, realizing that she was in Spike's arms. She'd been so into her tirade, she hadn't noticed the vampire was taking care of her. "Spike, you are talking to me? I was sure that after you found out about this morning. . ."

Spike gritted his teeth. "Peaches made a good point, Red. I haven't even done or said anything to make you think that I wanted you. Therefore, I couldn't fault you for the bad decisions you make. Before this moment in time, that is. You are mine, Red."

Willow's eyebrow rose. "What if I don't want to be had?"

He smirked. "You want me, Red. You can't deny the heat between us. Even *I* can feel it."

She contemplated that thought. She grinned teasingly. "I'll have to think about it for a while." She leaned up, brushing her lips against his. She curled her body against him. "Tired. Need sleep."

Spike rubbed her back, comforting her as she fell asleep where she belonged: In his arms.

*~*~*~*

Xander threw Willow's bag in the trunk. He frowned. "Angel?"

Angel stepped around the car, looking down at the mortal who owned his heart. "Yes?" he asked softly. He reached out, running his fingers through the brown strands of hair that fell around his ear.

"I didn't get to get my stuff from the house. There really wasn't much there that I wanted, other than clothes and junk. And Xand doesn't have anything, seeing as he was just dumped here." He frowned. "I don't know what Xand's going to do, but I'll help him if I can. . ." He turned to Angel. "You don't by any chance need a fearless sidekick that you can, maybe, pay for helping you fight the evil of the night? I mean, I'll try to not get myself fired. . ."

The corner of Angel's mouth curled into a slight grin. "You are hired, Harris. And don't worry about money. I have a little more than anyone - that would be Cordelia - knows about. We will get stuff for you and Xand."

Willow came around the car, sliding her arms around Xander's waist. She was hugging him from behind. She stood on her tippy toes and whispered in his ear, "I've got money too. . .in my savings account. I could be your sugar momma for a while." She giggled.

Xander turned his head. "Wills, that's crazy. Last I heard you only had like, $52.35 in it. That's not going to go far."

"Xander, it's an account with a high interest rate, *plus* I put most of my birthday money it in, *and* any extra money I get over the year. Anyway, we were like, eight when it had $52.35."

Xander turned around. "Willow, how much money do you have now?"

She shrugged. "I stopped paying attention when it broke $30,000."

Xander's mouth dropped open. "You've been holding out on me," he whispered.

Her eyes twinkled. "Perhaps I've just been waiting for you to come back around." She leaned up and kissed his forehead. "Spike and I call the backseat!" She giggled and pulled away, going to Spike's arms. She ran her hand down his cheek, then ducked into the car. He looked up, grinning at his Sire. He climbed into the car behind her.

Xand looked at both his owner and the human counterpart of himself. "You know, I think we are getting ourselves into quite a life changing adventure."

Xander's eyebrow rose. "I'll say," he grinned.

"Wait," Xand paused. "If they have the backseat, does that mean *both* of us have to sit in the front seat?"

Angel rolled his eyes, shutting the trunk. "Don't worry. It won't be that long of a trip. We will have the top down, so the two of you can. . .look at the stars or something. It will be a nice trip." He grinned.

Xander laughed. "Deadboy, you crack me up sometimes."

"Thanks, I think." Angel shook his head with a small grin. "Come on, let's get on the road. I'm sure Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn are wondering where the hell I am."

The three climbed into Angel's car, ignoring the vampire groping the witch in the backseat. "Well, let's be gone then!" Xand cried.

"Farewell, Sunnydale!" Xander yelled into the night.

END

*~*~*~*

Email me to let me know what you think!

Willow/Spike Fic | Xander/Angel(us) Fic | Red's Home | Zeppo's Home