A/N: Many people seem to like this story, so here's another chapter!

Destiny: Chapter 2

It's morning.

That was the first thing that came to Willow's mind when she woke up.

Everything that happened last night was a blur to her, but all she knew was that Xander could see into the future. She suddenly remembered more. When she was crying, Xander held her in his arms, and she fell asleep.

She was in bed with Xander, and even though it wasn't very big for the both of them, they both managed to stay on the bed without falling off in the middle of the night.

Willow got up, being very careful not to disturb Xander. Somehow, Willow thought as she looked down at him, he looks very cute while he sleeps. Willow grinned, and went to go get some coffee for the both of them.

When she reached the lobby of the hospital, she saw Buffy and Spike.

"Hey, Buffy!" Willow called out.

Buffy turned around. "Hey." She grinned. "We just wanted to see how Xander was doing." She motioned to Spike, who sighed.

"She dragged me along," Spike pointed out and looked around at the lobby. "Besides, hospitals are bad luck to us. Somebody gets hurt, we send them to the hospital, then more people get hurt the next day and we have to send those people to the--"

"Oh, well, he's asleep, but he should wake up any minute," Willow interrupted Spike. "And last night, he told me that he—" she faltered. She remembered Xander saying that they can't know.

"What happened last night?" Buffy asked.

"He—he told me that he felt better. And that he missed you guys," Willow lied.

"Really?" Spike asked, interested.

"Oh, not you. He still hates you," Willow said quickly.

"Well, I still hate him and I still came here to visit him," Spike muttered. "If he does wake up then, tell him that he should be grateful that I saved his life." Spike turned, grabbed his brown, tattered blanket to protect him from the sun, threw it over himself, and walked out the doors of the hospital.

"Well, he's very cranky," Willow said once she was sure that Spike was gone for good.

"Well," Buffy began, "we all are. We lost two girls, and we almost lost Xander. And I think Spike feels more guilty than the rest of us right now."

"I'm sorry," Willow apologized.

Buffy gave her a questionable look. "For what?"

"Everything, basically. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to save Xander quicker, and the rest of the girls, too."

Buffy sighed. "It's all right. You do your job, and I'll do my job. And your job is to take care of Xander."

Willow smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's see if he's awake."

"Hey, Xander, guess who came to visit," Willow said with great enthusiasm.

Xander, who was awake, smiled as he saw Buffy. "Hey, Buffster. Long time, and no see," he joked.

Willow, sensing that it was Buffy and Xander time, decided to leave to get the coffee she had forgotten.

"Hi, Xander." Buffy smiled. "Um…Spike was here, but he left. He told me to say hi to you for him, so, another hi."

Xander nodded. "Did you give the two girls who passed away a proper burial? Next to Chloe and Annabelle?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. We did. Molly and…I forgot the other girl's name…"

"Chao-Ahn…" Xander said quietly.

"Oh, Xander." Buffy sniffed. "They were so young. They had their whole life taken away from them. They could have been someone more than they were destined for."

"It's all right, Buffy. They're in a better place now. That's all that matters. Away from all the hunger and pain of the world." Then he added quietly, "Away from the end of the world."

Through all the tears, Buffy managed to smile. "You're right, Xander. They must be happier where ever they are. And my mom must be treating them to chicken noodle soup, too."

"Your mother made great hot chocolate back then, too," Xander said, which uplifted Buffy's spirits. "Her hot chocolate was irresistible."

"Yeah, it was." Buffy nodded. "I remember this one time back in LA, it was Christmas, and my mom typed out her recipe on the computer, copied them, and we both went around the neighborhood caroling and passing out her recipe, but no body could make hot chocolate like my mom. She left out one secret ingredient on the recipe she typed out: cinnamon." She laughed at the thought of it. "She added cinnamon to the hot chocolate, which gave it a little spice."

"That must have been some time."

Buffy grinned. "Yeah, it was. Just thinking about that time makes me think that she's still here…with me."

"Hey, guys," Willow came back, carrying three cups with no lids. Steam rose from each of them, giving off a smell of chocolate.

"Hot chocolate, Will?" Buffy asked as Willow handed her cup to her.

"Yeah, they ran out of coffee, so I had to get these. Just as hot, but more delicious. Here you go, Xander." Willow gave Xander his cup.

"Thanks, Willow." He took the cup with both hands and blew on the hot chocolate to cool it down.

Buffy sipped hers carefully. "I was just telling Xander about this time when my mom and I went caroling. She made the best hot chocolate in town, and she copied the recipes to give to neighbors as we went around caroling to them. But she left out the secret ingredient: cinnamon."

Willow smiled. "Wow, that must have been really good."

Buffy frowned. "Which part?"

"Hanging out with your mom. My mom and I, we never really bonded, so we never got to carol that much."

"So," Buffy began, looking at the hot chocolate swirling around in her cup, "do you know when Xander can come out?"

"Oh, tomorrow. If not, Friday the latest."

"Well, that's a relief," Xander spoke up, "the hospital food was getting to me."

Buffy and Willow laughed, which filled the room. Then the laughter got quieter and quieter until it was silent again.

"Hey, guys," Buffy broke the silence, "does anybody have cinnamon?"

They all started laughing again.