The Road Reluctantly Not Taken

by Oracle-Of-Magic

What if when Oz left Willow, she hadn't gone to Tara, but continued in her funk till one of her friends snapped her out of it?

The Road Reluctantly Not Taken

By: Oracle-Of-Magic

Disclaimer: Buffy, and all the other BTVS characters aren't mine. They are property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy productions. Dr. Stevenson © is a character of my own creation, please do not use him without my express written permission.

Summary: What if when Oz had left, Willow hadn't gone to Tara, but continued in her funk till one of her friends snapped her out of it.

Rating: PG-13, for language, and themes not appropriate for children under the age of 13. You may disagree, but I find it best to rate a little high, rather than risk someone too young reading a story.

            Willow stared at the computer screen in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing the words. She was tired and heartbroken, Oz had left her 3 weeks ago, the pain was still fresh.

She had been trying to throw herself into school, to forget, or at least fill all her waking moments. She was taking every class the university allowed her to, trying to completely immerse herself in work. She got up in the morning and read her text books, even through breakfast, she continued to her classes, not even breaking for lunch. After class she would go to the library or her room and finish her assignments, sometimes grabbing dinner, other times skipping that meal as well. Eventually falling asleep from exhaustion wherever she was. The next day the cycle would start afresh.

She slumped back in her chair and glanced at the clock, it was 4 AM, she had class in 3 hours. She rubbed her head, she knew she had been staring at the screen for too long, but it didn't matter, nothing did anymore. She set the alarm on her watch to go off at 6, then continued to study.

The buzzing of her alarm woke her what felt like moments later. She blinked her eyes hard, trying to clear them. They felt gritty, probably from the lack of sleep, and prolonged computer exposure. She looked around and realized she had fallen asleep in the library again. "Oh well, it's not like it makes a difference," she thought.

She grabbed her things and headed to the cafeteria to grab a quick breakfast. She had gotten the timing down perfectly, if she went back to her dorm right then, she should just miss Buffy. She didn't have the heart to face her friends yet. She didn't want any of their sympathy and false smiles. She needed to get through this on her own.

She walked the few blocks to the dorm and up to her room. She changed and grabbed the books she'd need that day, and left the others on her bed. All this took her less than 5 minutes.

Willow headed down to the cafeteria and grabbed a bowl of cereal and an apple. It wasn't much, but it had become her staple breakfast of late. She finished her food, not even tasting it, then headed to class.

*******************

Later that day she felt herself struggling to stay awake, she was listing to a lecture. On history she though, or was it math? She didn't even know what class she was in, she tried to yawn silently, and blinked her eyes in an attempt to stay awake.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea. Her eyes popped open. "Where did that come from?" she though. "Probably breakfast, or the lack of it."

She finished the class and headed to her next, she managed to make it through, just barely. As soon as class was over, she headed back to the dorm and collapsed on her bed. "I just need some sleep," she thought.

*******************

"Hey," Buffy said softly. Willow opened her eyes and remembered where she was. She was in her dorm room. She had gone there after class to rest, she turned her head and saw she hadn't even move the books that were scattered across her bed.

"Hi Buffy," she said sleepily. "I was just grabbing a few z's."

"I see that," Buffy answered. "Listen, Will, we need to talk." This was one conversation that Willow did not want to have right then. She knew her friends were concerned, but she needed some time by herself.

"Bout what?" she asked.

"About your recent behavior. We barely ever see you anymore and you haven't even slept in your bed for at least the last week. I know you're hurting, we're your friends, let us help," Buffy said in a concerned tone.

"I'm fine," Willow stated.

"You're working yourself into a coma," Buffy countered.

"Look, I appreciate the concern, but I need to get to class," Willow replied, brushing her off.

"Sure Will, just remember the gang is here for when you're ready to talk," Buffy reminded her.

"I'll keep that in mind," Willow said grabbing her books and heading out of the room. "I know they want to help, but I need to be alone." She headed to the library to research, anything to fill her mind with thought. Seeing Buffy and talking with her had brought up all the memories of Oz that she had been trying to push away.

*******************

Willow headed to the library, but took a detour to the drugstore where she got some pepto, ibuprofen, and Coke. "Ok, all stocked up for a night of studying," she thought. With that, she headed to the library and staked out her usual cubical. It was towards the back, in a corner no one else seemed to visit. It was perfect.

She pulled her books out and started to go over that day's homework. She was about halfway through the assignments when she noticed she was starting to feel bad. Her head was off, her stomach queasy. She leaned back in the chair and rubbed her head. She quickly took some pepto and ibuprofen.

She continued working, even though her sleep deprived mind was screaming for her to rest. Her stomach rumbled, half with hunger, half queasy. She pulled out a container of protein shake she had made up earlier that day. Lately it had become her meal substitute.

She poured herself a cup and drank it down, without even stopping to taste it. It didn't matter, as long as she kept functioning, it was ok. Besides, she didn't really want to be fully aware, she liked the dulling effect the semi-lack of proper food seemed to have on her brain. She was there, but not completely conscious.

She got back to her work, continuing late into the night, she continued to type out reports. After she finished that day's work, she started reading all the chapters they would be covering over the next week.

She woke up just before it was time to go to class the next morning. "Two hours sleep, not bad," she thought. She made it to class on time and handed in her work.

"Willow, I'm pleased to see you've taken such an active interest in this course, but this paper wasn't sue till next week," her professor told her.

"I don't want to get behind on anything, I try and get everything done the same day," Willow answered. "Are there any assignments I could do for extra credit?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, you've already done almost all the work for the semester. And from what I've heard, you seem to be excelling in all your other courses. Why do you want extra work?" her professor queried.

"I'm just trying to get the most out of college possible," she stated simply.

"Well, alright, I suppose I can give you an assignment, but there's no reason to push yourself," her professor said.

"Thanks for your concern, it's duly noted," she said. She quickly wrote down the assignment, then found her seat in the lecture hall. She still had time to kill before the class started, so she pulled out her books and continued to read.

She listened intently to the lecture, even though she had already read all the material. Anything to keep her mind off Oz, and his sudden departure. As soon as the lecture was over, Willow grabbed her things and headed to the library, again skipping lunch. It had been the last class of the day and she was ready to burry herself in a large stack of books.

She got to the library and again grabbed her usual spot. She was dreading the next day, it was the start of spring break. That meant no more classes to keep her mind busy. Just two weeks of time she had to keep herself occupied.

She had decided not to go home, after all, her mother was going to be out of town anyway. Luckily Buffy was going home for the break, to spend more time with her mom, catch up and all. That meant at least Willow wouldn't have to face her questions everyday.

She continued reading till well past dinner, finally deciding that she needed to head back to the dorm and help Buffy finish packing. She might not want to talk to her right now, but she was her best friend. She drank what was left of her protein shake, and finished off her 4th Coke of the evening.

*******************

She got back to the room just as Buffy was placing a few last pieces of clothes in her duffle bag. "Hi, how's the packing going?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked up and smiled, "It's going just fine, I'm almost done. It's good to see you, I thought you might not show."

"I was working," Willow responded simply. "Can I help with anything?"

"Sure, you can help me carry these out to the car," Buffy said, gesturing to the collection of bags on her bed.

"No problem," Willow said, shouldering one of the bags. Buffy grabbed the rest, and they headed to the car.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with me?" Buffy asked. "There's plenty of room at the house, and you know you're always welcome. We could bake cookies."

"Thanks, but I have some work to do," Willow said. Buffy stopped and looked at her friend.

"Will, it wasn't your fault that Oz left," Buffy said.

"I know that," Willow said a little too fast.

"Ok, I just wanted to remind you of that," Buffy said loading up the car. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Thanks for the pep talk coach," Willow said with a half grin.

"No problem," Buffy said. "I'll call you, try and take it easy, I'll see you in two weeks."

"Have fun," Willow said, waving to her friend. She was left alone in the parking lot, alone with her thoughts, and that was something she couldn't stand. She headed back up to the room and sat down with her books. Eventually she fell asleep amongst her books that night.

*******************

Willow woke up the next morning feeling pretty groggy. "What happened?" she thought. "And why does my side hurt?" She felt around and found the her social studies book had been poking her in the side. "Must have slept on it last night."

She went to stand up and get ready, but quickly sat back down. She felt dizzy and very sick at her stomach. "What's going on?" she thought. She tried standing up again and again felt just as bad. "Oh hell, I'm gonna be sick."

She quickly rushed out of the room and into the bathroom. She opened the door to one of the stalls and quickly stepped in and shut the door behind her. She dropped to her knees and threw up. It was at least 10 minutes before she could stand again. She flushed the toilet and stepped out of the stall.

She walked over to the sink and splashed some cold water on her face. "God, I look awful," she thought. She went back to her room and grabbed her bathroom kit, then headed back to the bathroom. She rinsed her mouth out, and then brushed her teeth.

She still felt bad, but a little better. "At least I look presentable now." She walked back to her room and laid down. "I just need a nap, I haven't been sleeping much at all lately."

*******************

Willow woke up feeling tired and hungry, but ok. "It was probably just all that caffeine I had last night." She got up and changed her clothes, then grabbed a book and headed down to get something to eat.

But when she got down to the cafeteria, the mere smell made her sick again. She stopped and placed one hand on the wall to steady herself. "Ok, I'll eat later. Maybe I need some fresh air."

She walked out of the building and to the quad where she found a comfy spot under a tree and began to read. She stayed there till she had completely finished the book. She got up and stretched, then headed back to the room.

*******************

The night was much the same as the previous one, reading till she literally passed out from exhaustion. The next morning was also similar, she woke up and had to rush to the bathroom again.

This cycle went on for three days before she finally decided something was wrong. With that thought in mind, she decided to go by the drugstore that afternoon and see if she could figure something out.

*******************

"Hey Xander, thanks for meeting me," Buffy said.

"No problem, you know I'd never pass up a free lunch," he grinned. "So what's it like being back at home?"

"Interesting, I love getting to see mom, we have a lot of catching up to do," she replied. "How about you? What have you been up to?"

"Oh the usual, work, sleep, TV," he joked.

"Glad to see being out on your own hasn't changed you," she joked back. "Have you heard from Willow?"

"Not as of yet, how's Will doing?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"She's been in her own world since Oz left, I keep thinking it'll get better, but it only seems to be getting worse," she said.

"Worse?" he questioned.

"Yeah, she's almost never at the dorm, she stays out all night," she started.

"Stays out all night?" he asked. Buffy nodded. "This is Willow we're talking about, right?"

"Yeah, I know, it's really strange," she replied.

"It sure is, Willow never stays out all night unless we're all on patrol or something," he said.

"I know, I know," she said. "She's just been acting really strange, I mean, she doesn't appear to be eating, she's drinking a lot of caffeine to stay awake, and she's signed up for every course she is allowed to take. Xander, I'm afraid. She's working so hard I'm afraid she's gonna make herself sick."

"I understand, Will and I have been friends since we were five years old. She's always been this way, when something goes wrong, she throws herself into whatever she happens to be doing at the time. But I've never seen or heard of her getting this bad for this long," he said.

"I know she's hurting right now, but she wont talk about it," she said.

"Again, typical Willow, she doesn't want to bother anyone with her problems, she thinks they're unimportant," he said.

"Then what do we do? I've tried talking to her," she said.

"Let me give it a try, I have tomorrow off, I'll swing by and take her out to lunch," he said.

"Thanks, tell me how it goes," she said. They finished their lunch in silence.

*******************

Willow stared down at the strip, then at the box, making sure she was reading it correctly. It was the third test she had taken, all had come back positive. She carefully sat down on the edge of her bed. She placed her head in her hands and started to cry. Great sobs wracking her body. "What am I gonna do now?" she thought. "I'm all alone."

*******************

She had gone to the drug store to get something to settle her stomach, and some more ibuprofen. As an afterthought she went to get pads, her period was due any day now.

But it suddenly struck her that she had been saying that for the past few weeks. "Oh God," she said, a thought striking her. "What if I'm? No it can't be." Just in case she grabbed a few tests, and headed up to the counter.

*******************

She laid back on her bed and pulled her teddy bear close with one arm, the other she rested on her stomach. She continued to cry, not knowing what else to do. She didn't know how much time went by when she heard a knock on the door.

She ignored it, continuing to cry, thinking the person would assume she wasn't there and go away. Instead, the door opened and Xander walked in.

*******************

Xander walked in expecting to find the room empty. Instead he found his best friend laying on her bed sobbing. He quickly rushed over to her and wrapped her up in a comforting hug. "Shh, it's ok, Will, I'm here for you," he whispered softly.

*******************

Willow saw Xander walk in, and then he was holding her, comforting her. She knew she should pull back and compose herself, but she couldn't hold it together any longer. She just laid in his arms and sobbed.

He rocked her gently, whispering that it would be alright, gently squeezing her hand, stroking her forehead. It took a while to calm down, finally she sat up and looked at him, he didn't stand up though, he stayed there sitting right next to her.

"Feel better?" he asked gently.

"Yeah, thanks," she answered, searching for a Kleenex to dry her tears. Xander pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to wipe her tears away.

"What's wrong, Will? Are you ok?" he asked, sounding extremely concerned.

"Yeah, just fine," she lied, averting her eyes. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but it was futile, this was Xander, her best friend.

"What's really wrong? No lies, we've been buds for too long," he said gently.

"The test came back positive ," she started. His eyes quickly flashed with fear and he hugged her close.

"Are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she said, relaxing into him a bit," she said, touched by his concern.

"Then what got you so upset?" he asked gently.

"This whole thing with Oz. What did I do wrong to make him leave? I tried, I really did, and he left me," she cried.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Willow, it wasn't you're fault," he said soothingly. "He was a jerk, and a fool. I hate that he broke your heart. If I could kill him I would."

"Not necessary," she said weakly.

"Yes it is, after what he did to you, I should kill him," he said. "He had the most perfect woman in the world, and he cheated on her, then left. And for what, to 'go find himself'? You deserve so much more, Will, so much more." He held her with a protectiveness she had never known.

"Thanks for the offer," she said quietly.

"Always, what are best friends for?" he grinned. "I still can't believe he left, what I would give to be in his shoes." He wasn't aware that he had said that last part out loud till Willow pulled back and looked at him.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"I said what are best friends for," he said. She shook her head.

"No, after that," she said, looking quite serious. For a minute he thought about lying, now wasn't the time or place to tell her. But that look in her eyes, it was pleading.

"I said I would give anything to be in his shoes," he stated. "Hell Willow, I've been in love with you since 10th grade. I've tried to hide it, I know you loved Oz, and maybe still do. I never wanted to get in your way. But seeing you like this…. You may hate me for telling you, but I am head over heels in love with you."

Willow sat in a stunned silence. This was the second shock of the day she had received. "You're in love with me," she stated.

"Oh God, Will, I shouldn't have said anything. I'm so sorry, you probably just needed a friend right now, and here I am piling all this on top of all the stuff you already have to deal with," he apologized. "Should I leave?"

"Please don't," she said quietly. "Did you mean what you said?" He took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes, every word," he said. She hugged him tightly and started to cry. "Are you ok?"

"I'm great," she cried. "Do you know how long I've dreamed of you telling me those words?" Now it was his turn to be stunned.

"You're not mad?" he asked, surprised.

"I love you too," she said. "I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I just always figured you only thought of me as a friend, good old dependable Willow, one of the guys."

"Will, I never thought of you that way," he started. "Wait, did you just say you loved me?"

"Yes silly, I did," she grinned.

"I love you, and you love me," he said in shock. "We're in love with each other!" He pulled her into an even closer embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder, feeling contented and safe. They stayed there for a long time, just holding each other. Finally Xander broke the silence. "Willow?"

"Yes?" she murmured against his chest.

"What test?" he asked.

She sat bolt upright, she had almost forgotten, "Damn it, just when things were going my way," she thought. "He umm, I don't know how to tell you," she said, turning her head away.

He turned her face back to him. "You can tell me anything, and whatever it is, we'll get through it together, I promise." His face was shining so brightly with love, it made it that much harder to tell him.

"After I tell you this, I'd understand if you wanted to take back what you said. I mean, don't feel obligated, cause I don't want you to. And if you don't even want to be friends, I'd understand," she started, but he stopped her.

"Willow, just tell me, I'm not going anywhere," he reassured. She looked down, intently studying the pattern of her quilt. Even as she began speaking, she never looked up.

"I haven't been feeling well for the past few days, so I went to the drugstore. You know, to get something to settle my stomach, and some more ibuprofen, and some pads. And it got me to thinking, and I got something else, a home test," she paused.

"And?" he urged.

"I'm carrying Oz's child," she finished, her voice below a whisper. He hugged her, giving her support.

"Oh Will, I'm so sorry," he said. She started to pull away.

"It's ok, I mean, I can deal, thanks for stopping by," she said. He suddenly realized what his comment must have sounded like.

"Willow, stop, let me finish," he said, gently pulling her back to him. "I'm so sorry that you found out after Oz left, it must have been horrible to hear all alone. I wish I could have been here to hold you."

"You're not leaving?" she asked.

"Of course not, I love you," he said. "What we do from here is your choice, I'll back you no matter what you decide. If you want to find Oz and try and make things work, I'll help. If you decide you don't want to have the baby, I'll go with you to the clinic. But if you decide to have the baby, I very much want to marry you and raise the baby as our own."

"Oh Xander," she cried. "You can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious," he said. "I know I've been a jerk in the past, when we dated, I never should have broken things off, I know that. And I'd understand if you didn't want me around. But I very much want to marry you, in fact, I've been carrying something around for these past two months."

He got down on one knee and pulled a ring box out of his pocket. "I got this just before we broke up," he said, taking her hand in his. "Willow Rosenberg, will you marry me?"

She sat there in a stunned silence for a moment, then a grin started to spread across her face. "Yes, I'll marry you, Alexander Harris," she said. He smiled at her, he thought his heart would burst he felt so happy. He gently slipped the ring on her finger, and then got up and sat next to her.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said. They looked at each other for a minute before he pulled her into a gentle kiss. She melted as soon as she felt his lips on hers.

"So, my wonderful fiancée, what do you want to do?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Well, I think lunch is in order…" she started. But she stopped, getting a dizzy look on her face. Xander instantly noticed and carefully laid her down.

"Are you ok? What can I do?" he asked.

"Just feeling a little ill," she answered. "Must be the morning sickness kicking in again."

"I'm so sorry, honey, what can I do?" he asked. "A cool cloth? Some pepto? You name it and I'll do it."

"Just hold me," she said.

"Always," he said. He laid down beside her and she placed her head on his shoulder. "There we go, my love, you just rest, I'll take care of you." He gently stroked her forehead and talked soothingly. She started to yawn.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's ok, why don't you take a nap," he suggested.

"But it's the middle of the day," she answered sheepishly.

"Not a problem, love" he answered. "Now you just sleep, I'll wake in a bit." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, she sighed, in that moment she knew she was safe. Within a few minutes she was sound asleep.

Xander carefully pulled a blanket over them both, and made sure she was comfortable. Willow responded by snuggling in a little tighter, he smiled, and just enjoyed watching her sleep.

*******************

            Buffy waked into the dorm, she was going to talk with Willow, no matter what she said. With that idea in her head, she steeled her resolve and opened the door. She was shocked from the moment she looked in, Willow and Xander were snuggled in bed together, her head on his shoulder, her arm across his chest. She seemed to be sleeping, while he was watching her sleep. "Uh, hi," she said.

Xander looked up and grinned. "Hi Buffy, come on in, and shut the door behind you, Willow needs her sleep," he said. Buffy nodded and wordlessly obliged. She went and sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her two best friends.

            "What's going on?" she asked.

            "What do you mean?" Xander asked.

            "Why are you and Willow in bed together?" she asked.

            "Oh, sorry Buffy, I just got so caught up in the moment, I forgot you don't know," he grinned.

            "Know what?" she asked, quite puzzled.

            "Willow and I are engaged," he said, a huge grin on his face.

            "You're what?" Buffy asked.

            "We're getting married, isn't it great?" he said.

            "I'm happy for you two, it's just," she started. "Isn't this a bit, uh, sudden?"

            "Maybe a little, but we're making up for lost time," he said. "Would you like to have lunch with us?"

            "Uh, sure, yeah, why not," she said.

            "Are you ok?" he asked.

            "I'm fine," she answered, a grin spreading over her face. She always knew those two were meant to be together, she was just happy they finally realized it. "So when's the wedding?"

            "We still haven't discussed that," he said.

            "Understandable, after all you two just got engaged," she said.

            "I know, isn't it wonderful?" he asked, his smile a mile wide.

            Buffy's smile widened, yep, these two were meant to be together. "Yes it is, I'm really happy for the two of you. I'm going to go, let you two have some alone time."

            "Thanks Buff," Xander said.

            "No problem, tell Willow congrats when she wakes up," Buffy said. With that she gathered her things and walked out of the room, shutting the door carefully after her.

*******************

            About half an hour later, Willow woke up with a yawn. "Afternoon, sunshine," Xander said.

            "Afternoon yourself," Willow said stretching a little. She felt tired, and had a headache, she knew that was probably from lack of food, and the two shocks she had received earlier. She glanced down at her finger, just to make sure she hadn't imaged the entire thing.

            "What ya thinking about?" Xander asked her, gently running his fingertips over her face.

            "I was wondering if this is really happening," she answered. "It's everything I ever dreamed, I keep expecting to wake up."

            "Will honey, you did just wake up," he said with a smile. He hugged her close. "I know what you mean, being with you has always been my dream, but I never thought I would actually get to live it."

Willow's response was just to snuggle in closer. "So what are we doing for lunch?" she asked.

"Whatever you want, luv," he said.

"Mexican sounds yummy," she said.

"Mexican it is," he grinned. "As I said, whatever you want." He sat up, then stood, holding his hand out to Willow. She grabbed his hand and stood up, but was hit with a wave of dizziness. If Xander hadn't been holding her, she would have fallen over. Instead, he just pulled in tight, holding her against his chest. "It's ok, I'm here."

He eased them back down till they were sitting down. She just clung to him. "Feeling better?" he asked about ten minutes later.

"Yeah, just hungry, and tired," she answered. "I know I need to eat something."

"Ok honey, you just rest for a minute, then we'll go to get food," he said.

"I don't think skipping breakfast was a good idea," she said.

"Probably not, honey," he answered. "But missing one meal shouldn't effect you this way."

"Well, umm…." She started. He looked at her, his concern suddenly doubling.

"Willow, when was the last time you ate something?" he asked.

"Last night," she stated.

"And what did you have?" he prodded.

"A half cup of protein shake," she said, her head hung low.

"Before that?" he pressed.

"I think I had some cereal or something, mostly protein shakes and caffeine," she said, sounding quite embarrassed.

"For how long?" he asked worriedly.

"I guess the past week and a half," she said. She had been trying to duck the questions, answering only to what he expressly asked. But this was Xander, the man she loved, her best friend, she should have known she couldn't hide anything from him. "I'm really sorry, Xander."

"It's ok, baby," he said, wiping away her tears. "I wish you'd told me you felt so down."

"Me too," she cried. "I didn't mean for this to happen, it just sorta did. Things stopped mattering when Oz left. I was alone, and I didn't know what to do. Any time my mind wasn't busy, I started to think about it. So I've been staying constantly busy, pushing myself past the breaking point. Eating as little as possible, I know it's not healthy, but I just stopped caring. I've been dizzy, and sick and everything, it just didn't seem to matter. And I didn't want to bother you guys with my problems, I didn't want to face what you might have to say. I'm so sorry."

"It's ok honey, I'm not mad at you," he said. "You just wrap up in your blanket and get comfy, ok?"

"Ok," she answered, pulling her blanket around her. As soon as she did that, Xander picked her small frame up off the bed and started to carry her out of the room. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to the hospital," he said, continuing to walk out of the room.

"Xander!" she protested.

"Yes love?" he continued.

"I'm fine, no need for the hospital," she argued.

"I beg to differ," he said, walking down the hall and down the stairs towards his car. "The woman I love is having my baby, she hasn't been eating or sleeping well for over two weeks. Willow honey, you nearly passed out just trying to stand up. Those are all completely valid reasons to go to the hospital, I want to make sure you're ok." He opened the door and gently set her in the passenger seat, before walking around and climbing into the drivers seat.

"Xander, I'll be ok," she argued meekly.

"If it were just you, honey, I'd still take you to the hospital," he said. "But we have our baby to consider."

"Our baby?" Willow asked, open mouthed. "Oz is the father, I told you that."

"You told me," he answered. "He might have preformed the act, but as far as I'm concerned, it's our baby. We love each other, we're getting married, and it's going to be our child. Any guy can make a baby, but it takes commitment to be a father."

Willow had never seen him so serious, he was so loving she started to cry. "Oh Xander, I never," she started.

"It's ok, honey, we'll have plenty of time to talk about this later, you just rest, we've only got a few more miles to the hospital," he answered with a grin. When they got to the hospital he quickly parked. Got out, and walked over and scooped her out of the car. He carried her to the emergency room and approached the desk.

"Good afternoon," the nurse said. "What's the nature of you're injury?"

"My fiancée isn't feeling well, she hasn't been eating or sleeping enough, and she just nearly passed out when she tried to stand up," Xander stated. Willow was really out of it, just laying her head on his shoulder.

"Alright, if you'd just fill out these forms…" she started.

"No, have to see a doctor now," Xander stated. "She's pregnant with our first child, I have to make sure they're both ok." The look on the nurse's face changed instantly.

"Follow me," she said. "How far along is she?"

"I don't know, we just found out today," he answered, following her into an exam room.

"Right, just lay her down on the examining table, the doctor will be with you in just a moment," the nurse said.

"Thanks," he replied. He carefully set Willow down on the table, making her as comfortable as possible. "It's ok, baby, the doctor ll be with us soon."

"K," Willow answered weakly. At that moment the doctor walked in the door.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Stevenson," he said.

"Xander Harris, and this is my fiancée Willow Rosenberg," he said quickly

"Nice to meet you both," Dr Stevenson said. "Now, tell me what happened." Xander quickly relayed the details to the doctor. "Alright, I'll start with a quick exam."

He checked Willow's pulse and breathing. "Ok, I'm going to need to run a few tests," he said. "But I'm going to start her on an IV now, she's pretty dehydrated."

"Right, but she's gonna be ok, right?" Xander asked worriedly.

"She should be alright, Mr. Harris," Dr. Stevenson replied, we need to work quickly. He quickly drew a vial of blood, and sent it to the lab. "We should know the results within a few hours. Until then, I'm going to call and get a room ready."

"A room?" he asked.

"She'll be more comfortable in a bed, and chances are she's going to need to stay here overnight for observation," the doctor answered. Within half an hour Willow had been moved to a room, and Xander carefully tucked her in, making her as comfy as possible. The doctor had hooked up and IV, and slowly the color was coming back to Willow's face.

*******************

She had remained quiet the entire time they'd been at the hospital, and Xander was quite concerned. The doctor assured him it was just low blood sugar. Willow finally opened her eyes, and looked around. "Hi beautiful," Xander said.

"Xander," she whispered. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, love, it's ok thought," he answered. "They ran some tests, and we'll get the results back soon. Until then, we're gonna wait here and let you rest, the doctor gave you something to boost your blood sugar. And I can get you something to eat if you want."

"Thanks, but I think I'd better just rest for a while," she said with a small smile. "Is the baby ok?"

"As far as we know, yes," Xander said tentatively.

"As far as we know?" Willow said starting to sit up. Xander put his hand on her shoulder and eased her back down.

"It's ok, honey, I didn't mean to upset you," he said. "I just meant that all the tests for far have come back saying nothings wrong. We're waiting on the last few, that's all. I'm sure our baby's ok."

"Ok, right," Willow said relaxing slightly. "I just.."

"I know, baby," he said. "I know just what you mean, we may have just found out today, but I'm already looking forward to being a dad."

She grinned up at him. How had she ever managed to find the perfect guy? She closed her eyes and relaxed, lost for a moment in the moment. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said back. "Now, how about we get you something to eat? I bet you and baby are pretty hungry by now." She smiled at him, it had only been a few hours, and already he had stepped into his role as fiancée and father.

"Something light," she said. "Maybe some chicken soup?"

"Sure, I'll have some brought up," he grinned. He placed the order and a minute later a nurse brought in a bowl of soup, some crackers, a glass of juice with a straw, and a small dish of pudding. "Here you go."

"Mmmm, this looks good," she said. He reached over and felt her forehead. "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked seriously.

"Tired, but ok," she replied, very puzzled. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Will hon, you just said hospital food looked good," he said, his smile breaking through the serious mask. She stuck her tongue out and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Not fair to joke with someone in my condition," she said with innocent eyes.

"Ok, no more jokes for right now," he agreed. "Let me make it up to you."

"Okay," she grinned. "And just how are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to feed you lunch," he said. He helped her adjust the bed to a comfy position, then started to feed her. He spoon fed her the soup, and held up the crackers for her to nibble on. He even held the glass for her as she drank. Finally he fed her the pudding for desert.

"Feel better," she contently grinned. "Kinda sleepy."

"Then why don't you take a nap," he suggested.

"Ok, on one condition," she said.

"Sure honey, whatever you need," he assured.

"You have to promise me that you'll eat a real lunch," she said seriously.

"I promise, now you get some sleep," he said. He adjusted the bed so she was laying down again. He tucked her in, and held her hand and stroked her forehead till she  fell asleep. He spent at least ten minutes just watching her, she looked like an angel when she was sleeping. His angel.

*******************

            Willow and Xander were sitting talking quietly when the doctor knocked on the door. "Come in," Xander answered. Dr. Stevenson walked in and shut the door behind him.

"Miss Rosenberg, it's good to see you're awake," the Dr. said.

"Thanks," Willow said, slightly confused.

The doctor must have sensed her confusion because he quickly introduced himself. "I'm Dr. Stevenson, I'm the one that treated you in the ER," he said pleasantly.

"Nice to meet you doctor, thanks for helping me," she replied.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh, tired, kinda hungry, a bit disoriented, like my energy was kinda zapped," she replied.

"That's to be expected," he said. "After what your body went through, it's normal to have those symptoms. I have the test results back."   

"Is she ok?" Xander asked quickly, squeezing Willow's hand.

"Yes she is, amazingly well actually," the doctor smiled. "Now her blood sugar is low, she is suffering from dehydration and lack of sleep. She'll need to take vitamins to get the balance back to normal. Normal ones, and pre-natal vitamins. Lots of fluids, and plenty of rest, but she'll be just fine. And I've already sent a prescription into the pharmacy for something to settle your stomach and combat that morning sickness."

"Thank you, thank you so much," Xander said, enthusiastically pumping the doctor's hand.

"There is one more thing we need to do," the Dr. said.

"It doesn't involve anymore needles does it?" Willow asked. "Cause I kinda go all fainty with the needles."

"No, no needles," the Dr. assured her. "We need to do an ultrasound, just to check and make sure the baby is developing normally."

"Ok," Willow agreed.

"How soon can we get that done?" Xander asked.

"Now, if you're both ready that is," the Dr. said. Willow and Xander exchanged looks, then smiled.

"Now would be great," they said in unison.

"Alright, I'll get things set up," the doctor said. He walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a nurse and a machine. "Here we go," he said. "Mr. Harris, can you pull down the sheet?"

"Sure doc," he replied. He pulled the sheet down till it exposed Willow's shirt and the top of her sweat pants. The doctor pulled up a stool and sat down.

"Miss Rosenberg, can you please pull up your shirt a bit, and pull down those pants a bit?" he asked.

"Ok," Willow said before Xander could say anything. She knew it was for the procedure, they needed to be able to get to the skin to get clear readings of the baby. The doctor gently smeared a clear gel on Willow's still flat stomach. "It's so the machine can move smoothly," she explained.

Xander just sat there and held her hand, wanting to be as close as possible. The doctor go the ultrasound and started to slowly run it across Willow's stomach, it took a few minutes before he held it in place and smiled. "There's your baby," he grinned.

They squeezed hands and looked at the little shadows on the screen, that was their baby. "I love you so much," Willow said.

"I love you too, honey," Xander said, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

"How far along did you say you were?" the Dr. asked.

"About a month," Willow answered. "Maybe two, I'm not sure exactly."

"Are you two ready for a bit of a shock?" the Dr. asked.

"What kind of shock?" Xander asked, his eyes narrowing.

"The good kind I hope," he replied.

"Sure, what is it?" Willow asked.

"Well, the baby is in perfect health. It's a perfectly healthy 3 month old fetus," the Dr. said. Willow and Xander looked dumbfounded. Slowly grins started to spread across their faces.

"Three months!" Xander shouted for joy.

"Our baby," Willow smiled quietly. "Thank you Dr."

"My pleasure," he replied. "We're going to keep you here overnight for observation."

"Ok," Willow agreed sleepily. The excitement had worn her out, and she felt in need of another nap. The doctor packed things up, cleaned up Willow, and congratulated them once more before leaving them alone.

"So how are you feeling, my love?" he asked.

"Happy," she sighed. "And sleepy."

"Time for you to take a nap," he responded.

"Yep," she answered in a half awake tone. Her hand moved down to her stomach and she smiled. "Our baby's growing in there, we actually created life."

"I know the feeling," he said smiling. "Uh Will?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Can I, I mean, would it be ok if I…" he trailed over. She gently took his hand and laid it on her stomach. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," she said, slipping off into a peaceful sleep. He watched her, his fingers gently tracing patterns on her stomach. He eventually fell asleep with his head next to her side, his hand still on her stomach.

*******************

The next day went smoothly, Willow was discharged from the hospital without incident. Xander insisted on carrying her to the car, and again up to her dorm room. He carried her in, laughing and smiling. They were greeted by a very worried Buffy.

"Where have you guys been?" she asked. "Are you ok? What happened? Willow, are you alright?" Xander carried her over to the bed and gently set her down, then sat beside her before answering any questions.

"First off, calm down," Xander said.

"Right," Buffy said, starting to pace the room. "What happened? When I got back last night you two were gone, no message, no nothing."

"Sorry about that, we were in a real hurry," Xander said.

"Yeah, Xander wanted to get me to the hospital pretty quickly," Willow added.

"Hospital!?" Buffy half shouted. "Oh God, what happened?"

"Buff, it's ok," Xander assured her. "Will just hadn't been eating right lately, and she almost passed out, I wanted to make sure she was ok."

"I would have argued more, but being that out of it, and what with the baby.." Willow started.

"Baby?" Buffy choked.

"I forgot," Xander said grinning. He pulled Willow close and gave her a hug. "Do you want to tell her honey?" Willow just grinned in response.

"Buffy, Xander and I are having a baby," she said with a grin. Buffy sat there in a shocked silence. "Buff, are you ok?"

"Did I just hear you correctly? Did you just say you two are having a baby?" she asked.

"Yep!" Willow said.

"Isn't it great?" Xander grinned. Slowly the information soaked in, and she sat down and began to grin.

"That's really wonderful. Congrats to you both," Buffy said.

*******************

They spent the rest of the morning talking, then packing up some of Willow's things. They had decided that she would move in with Xander immediately. Within a few days they had all her things moved in, a week later they were married in a small ceremony.

Buffy was Willow's maid of honor, and Giles gave her away. It was a wonderful ceremony out under the trees, the flowers forming an almost surreally wonderful scene. The next day Alexander and Willow Harris were curled up in bed spoon fashion.

Xander's arm around wife, hand resting on their still growing child. Willow was still asleep, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand gently grasping his. "This is the way life's supposed to be," he thought. He looked down at her. "My wife, my angel."

The End