Title: One Thing Leads to Another
Author: Jinni (druscilla@cox.net)
Rated: R
Pairing: W/Jeff
Disclaimer: I own nothing. BtVS/AtS belong to Joss. The WWE characters belong to the WWE, of course.
Distribution: A Witch's Love, Near Her Always, Willow's Little Secret, all others who have my previous fics. Anyone else, please ask first.
Author's Notes: This takes place during season 5. Please imagine that there is no Tara. No Spike falling head over heels for Buffy. In the world of the WWE I usually just make things up as I go - so bear with me.
Summary: Just like the title says.

~*~Part One~*~

She had it marked on her calendar, circled in red. There was nothing else besides the big star on that day to give anyone any indication of what was going to happen that day. And that was just how she wanted it. No one else needed to know her dirty little secret. No one else needed to share this with her and Buffy. This was their night out. The one night they looked forward to each year. Tomorrow night was something special that she would share with her closest friend; something she didn't want anyone else to be a part of.

Tomorrow night the WWE was going to be in a nearby town.

Willow shivered in anticipation, her eyes wide. In less than twenty-four hours she would be already in Anaheim, at the Arrowhead Pond arena, watching the show with Buffy. They had purchased their tickets nearly a month ago, when the show was first advertised as being on sale. She could remember waiting in line for nearly two hours to get the damn things. But it had been worth it. Tomorrow night she'd be seeing all of her favorite stars up close and personal.

Okay - so not very up close and definitely not very personal. The seats they had gotten, though not the worst, were also not the best in the house. Definitely not front row and not even first tier. They'd still be there to see all of the action in person, though; so there was a definite plus to going. And as far as getting personal with them? Well - that wasn't very likely with her sitting a few dozen seats away from the ring and aisle. She wouldn't be close enough to even try to reach out and touch one of the men she fantasized about in her wildest dreams.

But at least she'd be there - in the same building with them. It was spine-tingling just to think about it all.

Not that anyone knew where she and Buffy would be tomorrow night. No - they all assumed that the two of them were headed to LA to do some clubbing. Have a little single-girl type fun. Xander had even offered to let Dawn stay with him. It was understood that for this night Willow and Buffy just needed to have some fun. No one knew about their obsession with the entertaining 'sport' of professional wrestling. They had, looking back over the past two years, managed to keep it a secret pretty well. The first time they had watched, at Xander's house, they had both made fun of the action, the petty feuds.

But hadn't they tuned in a few nights later to watch again. And then again? To the point where they even ordered the pay-per-views once a month? She would never admit to anyone else that she watched the WWE. You couldn't drag it out of her with a hot poker. It was, in effect, hers and Buffy's secret - kept strictly guarded away from their friends and family. It was nobody's business but their own.

The phone rang, causing her to jump. "Hello? Oh! Hey Buffy." She paused, her forehead wrinkling with concentration as she tried to understand what her friend was saying. It was hard, with her speaking so rapidly; only years of translating hyper-Buffy-speak gave her that edge she needed to digest what the Slayer was saying. "You're joking, right? You're not?!?! Oh goddess! Buff - you're the best! Front row. I can't believe it. Ok. Yep. Resting now. Sleep good. Long drive. Uh huh." The red head found herself tripping over her own words in her excitement. The click in her ear told her Buffy had disconnected; she hung up the phone, grinning.

Buffy had won front row tickets for tomorrow's night show.

Willow felt like she was flying. This had to be the absolute best news ever. She walked slowly towards her bed, trying to get down from the high of the news. It was almost ten o'clock at night - time to rest if she hoped to be awake for the trip tomorrow. Anaheim was easily a four hour drive; with Buffy this meant even longer since the blonde insisted on stopping for snacks and drinks at every rest stop. Nothing mattered as long as they got there in time for the show. Especially now that they had front row tickets. Reservations had been made at a hotel near the arena, somewhere for them to crash after the show so that they wouldn't risk themselves driving back in the dark.

She closed her eyes, picturing her favorite wrestlers one by one - as though she were counting sheep to get to bed. First there was Edge, and right behind him his brother, Christian. They were adorable in that blue-eyes, blond hair kind of way. Canadian, too; so they even counted as 'foreign men'. Then there was Jericho and he was, of course, in the same category as Edge and Christian. They were all amusing to watch, even when playing the part of the 'bad guys'. Triple H was nothing but eye candy, not that she minded one bit - she would have better things on her mind that idle conversation if she ever got *him* alone.

Last, but definitely not least, were her two absolute favorite wrestlers in the entire history of wrestling. No one could hold up to them in her mind. They were the epitome of perfection. She did like one more than the other, but that was inconsequential. They were, without a doubt, the greatest tag team of all time. And tomorrow night, she'd have a front row seat to watch them. If she was lucky they'd get close enough for her to touch them, if only for a moment. In all other things she was so mature, but when it came down to this she was no better than a silly teenager. They brought that out in her.

Matt and Jeff Hardy.

Jeff was, of course, her favorite - with his long colored hair and wild moves. He was a daredevil - spectacular to watch and a pleasure to just stare at. She smiled, carrying the picture of him into her dreams for the night.

Maybe she'd get up close and personal after all.

~*~Part Two~*~

"I feel like I'm going to explode." Buffy gasped, practically bouncing up and down where she was standing. Her head twisted from side to side, as though she expected to see someone she recognized at any moment, even though the show hadn't started yet. "This is too much excitement for me - almost."

Willow laughed, leaning against the barrier between her and the walkway around the ring. Things definitely looked different from this angle. She'd be able to look up into the ring, see every kick and punch, each throw and suplex. Her own heart was pounding in her chest; she knew exactly what Buffy meant about it being too much excitement. She swallowed, her eyes darting over the ring, the mat, the people right across the way from her that were doing the exact same thing. At least she wasn't the only excited one in the crowd. She grabbed at Buffy's hand, giving it a hard squeeze, the anticipation she was feeling building to a resounding climax.

And then the lights went out, the music blared, smoke and fireworks. It was RAW. And she was there. Her heart fluttered with excitement and she was sure at any moment that she would just pass out from the entire thing. She was screaming - cheering, if it could be called that; everyone around her was screaming, Buffy was screaming. It was heaven and agony all at one time. The bittersweet buildup of anticipation before a heart wrenching climax. It seemed as though the cheering was going to go on forever and she didn't care. It was fun - a release of emotion. Cathartic in a way. She had no idea what the first match of the night was going to be and didn't really care. Seeing any of her favorite stars would be a dream come true.

But when the first intro music of the night began - that rocking, pulsing beat that haunted her in her dreams at night, she knew the night was off to a bang. She hardly heard the announcer introducing the tag team making their way to the ring. It didn't matter. She already knew who they were. Green eyes stared fixedly at the TitanTron, watching as her number one favorite wrestlers made their way to the ring. The Hardyz accompanied by Lita.

She watched as they slid in the ring, the boys running from corner to corner, playing up to the crowd, while Lita stood in the center, all smirks and grins, just watching them. Willow grabbed at Buffy's arm, the smile on her face enough to light up a dark room. "This is real, right? Not a dream?"

Buffy laughed. "If it's a dream I pity the person who wakes me up."

The lights went down again, strobes piercing the crowd in dizzying arcs. The phrase, "You think you know me" echoed through the arena and everyone went nuts again. Willow found herself clapping despite the fact that these were going to be Matt and Jeff's opponents for the match. Edge and Christian just had that affect on her. They slid into the ring in a blur of blonde hair, attacking Jeff from behind before the match began. The bell rang, the arena lights coming up enough for the fans to see the action - and the match was underway.

Willow watched as Jeff quickly recovered from Edge's blow, turning to deal out some heavy punches himself. Christian and Matt retired to their corners, with Lita standing on the floor near the Hardyz corner. It seemed as though every time one of the Hardyz would get the upper hand either Christian or Edge would interfere to push things back into their own favor. Matt entered the ring, helping Jeff complete their tag move, Poetry in Motion, on Edge. The red head gasped as she saw Christian enter while their backs were turned. But Lita was quicker. Already on apron, the female wrestler went to the top rope, delivering a devastating hurricanrana to the blonde haired wrestler. The fans went wild, making it clear who their favorites in this match were.

And then, the climax Willow had waited all night for. With Christian out of the picture, Matt set Edge up for a Twist of Fate, the Canadian wrestler hitting the mat hard. Jeff climbed to the top rope, saluting the crowd as a million camera flashes went off. This was a picture moment, for sure. Then he was in the air and her heart stopped, as it did every single time she saw this move. Would he pull out of his turn in time or would he hit his head? She almost couldn't bear to watch. But - there! He landed perfectly. She released the breath of air she had been holding in her lungs, cheering along with the rest of the crowd as Jeff pinned Edge for the one, two, three. The referee raised the boys' arms in victory and then they slid out of the ring. The first match of the night was over - but that alone had made it worth coming.

And the night just got better.

As they were leaving the ring, making their way back to the ramp, the tag team walked along the side of the ring that Willow was sitting on, reaching out to touch the fans that were sticking their hands out at them. Willow couldn't resist, she held out her hand, hoping to just get that one touch that would make this night the best of her entire life.

And she did.

The red head squealed, clutching her hand to her chest as Matt and Jeff continued along their way, Lita trailing behind them. "This was -so- perfect, Buffy." She yelled above the crowd, giving the blonde a hug.

"And to think, we still have more than an hour and a half left." The Slayer grinned.

The rest of the night was one big blur to Willow, though she enjoyed it all immensely. It was just that nothing could hold up to what she had witnessed in the very first match of the night. Nothing was as good as getting to reach out and touch Matt and Jeff Hardy. When the lights finally came back on after the last match, Willow found that her throat was sore from the screaming she had done. The air still crackled with that same excitement it had held before the show, though it was noticeably dimming now. She exhaled, still smiling. "Wonderful. Absolutely the best night of my entire life."

Buffy nodded her agreement, settling into a chair while they waited for a majority of the crowd in the higher seats to leave. It would be crazy to try to get out of here now, with all of those people heading to the doors at once in a mass exodus. They sat there, in blissful silence, each reliving the best moments of the show in their own mind until the arena had emptied most of the way. Only then did they stand up, making their way slowly out of the arena, still caught up in the excitement of everything.

"Wanna go get a drink?" Buffy asked, finally back on the road and headed towards their hotel. "I need something to calm me down."

Willow nodded. She knew exactly how Buffy felt; there was no way she was going to be getting to bed anytime soon. "Sure. How about that place near the hotel?"

Buffy nodded, turning down the street to their hotel. She pulled into the parking lot of the small bar across the street from where they were staying. "Wasn't it great when Triple H came out?" Buffy giggled, making small talk as they walked from the car to the entrance of the bar. She felt in her back pocket, making sure she hadn't lost her ID during the night's excitement. They stepped into the bar, both girls giggling and sat down at a table. Buffy ordered a bloody mary and Willow a tequila sunrise. Hopefully it would be enough to take the edge off of their crazed emotions so that they could get at least a little sleep before they had to drive back to Sunnydale the next day.

'Mine will be enough to knock me flat on my ass.' Willow snorted, taking a sip of her drink and grimacing at the taste. She wasn't a heavy drinker and was, in fact, what her friends called a 'lightweight' - she could scarcely drink a wine cooler without getting drunk.

"Oh. My. God." Buffy breathed, shaking Willow's arm so hard that some of the red head's drink sloshed out of the glass and onto the table. She pointed discreetly to a table across the bar, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Willow turned, peering through the darkness of the bar in the direction Buffy was pointing. Her heart stopped as she saw who was sitting there, casually having a drink as though they weren't totally hot and famous.

Edge and Jeff Hardy.

~*~Part Three~*~

While he should have been used to cute girls staring at him all the time, Jeff Hardy just couldn't get over it. Take now for instance. Though they were trying not to be too terribly obvious about it, there was a red head and a blonde that had been looking his way for the past thirty minutes. They were laughing and giggling, apparently having a good time. But they wouldn't quit staring at him.

'Or maybe they're staring at Edge.' He reminded himself. 'Or possibly even both of us. They could just be fans.' He picked up his glass, taking another sip of the bitter tasting drink. He wasn't even sure what he had ordered and sincerely doubted that this was it. He couldn't even name any drinks that tasted this awful.

"They're turning this way again." Edge snickered. His eyes scanned the crowd, coming to rest on the pair of women that had been ogling them off and on. "Think we should go over and say hi?"

Jeff shrugged. He turned to look over his shoulder, staring flat out at the table and giving the red head a wink when she caught his eye. Even from this far away he could tell that she was blushing now, her eyes staring down at the table while her blonde haired friend laughed outright at her reaction. "Sure - why not?"

The two men stood as one, weaving their way through the mostly empty tables and stools, until they stood at the table the women were occupying. This close up it was possible to see how very pretty the women were. One was a delicate looking red head, her skin so white she looked like she was made of porcelain. The other was a typical California blonde - all tan and smiles.

"How are you ladies doing this evening?" Edge asked, leaning on the table. He gave the blonde to his right a dazzling smile, noting in the back of his mind that Jeff seemed to have taken a fancy for the red head already. Maybe their boring boys' night out was about to turn around, after all.

Willow felt like her tongue was tied in knots. Jeff Hardy was standing at her table - standing only a few short inches away from her. He was every bit as handsome as he looked on television, too. She longed to reach out and run her fingers through the multi-colored hair that looked so clean and soft right now. Her eyes darted back down to the table and her drink. "We're fine."

"More than fine now that you're over here." Buffy drawled, giving Edge a hungry look. "Pull up a chair?" She leaned close to Willow as the wrestlers turned to grab two more bar stools, hissing, "Try to be a little more friendly, Wills."

The red head nodded, swallowing around the lump of pure nervous fear in her throat. She tore her eyes away from her glass and hands, giving Jeff a brave smile as he sat down next to her. "Nice match, tonight." She offered up, delighted when he gave her a lazy grin.

"So you're both fans? I was wondering why ya'll kept looking over at us." The Hardy brother grinned.

"And here I thought it was because of my dazzling good looks." Edge smirked.

"Oh no - it was some of that, too!" Buffy assured him, resting a hand lightly on his arm. She could feel the muscles under his shirt. It didn't take much for her imagination to run wild and, within seconds, her body felt flushed with the heat of desire.

"Buffy!" Willow gasped, kicking her friend playfully under the table. By now the alcohol in her drink was beginning to kick in and she didn't feel quite so uptight about the entire situation. "You're not supposed to say that when the hotties are sitting at the table with us."

"Hotties?" Jeff shook his head, chuckling. "The two of you lovely ladies are sitting here looking stunning and you are calling -us- the hotties?"

"Uh huh." Buffy shook her head shamelessly.

Edge laughed, motioning to the waitress. They ordered some more drinks in an already companionable silence. Once the waitress had moved on the Canadian wrestler turned back to the women at the table. "So - who's your favorite wrestler?"

"Edge." Buffy replied promptly.

"Jeff Hardy." Willow smirked. She blushed, realizing she had gotten too caught up in the moment and had admitted that one rainbow haired daredevil was her favorite while he was sitting right next to her."

"Really?" He asked, genuine flattery filling his voice. "Thanks. Usually it's Matt that people adore. Or Lita."

"Can't see why. I mean - Matt is great and all. He's my second favorite. And Lita is a close third. But you?" Willow chuckled. "You're the kind of high flyers. You're a top wrestler with or without those other two."

Buffy looked back and forth between her red haired friend and Jeff, grinning. A song began to play on the tinny old jukebox and she held out a hand to Edge. Her head was swimming, already giddy from the alcohol. "Dance with me? So I can go home and tell all my friends I danced with the best wrestler in the WWE?"

"Well - when you put it like that, how can I say no?" Edge smirked, winking at her. He took her hand, leading her out into the tiny bare floor area that the bar called a 'dance floor'. From this vantage he could see Jeff and Willow talking, their faces animated as they discussed whatever they had landed on for the moment. His arms encircled the blonde in front of him, noting for the first time how very small she was. Almost too small. She was still beautiful.

They didn't notice when that song went off, or the next, or even the next. It took Willow coming up and tapping Buffy on the back for the two of them to realize how long they had been standing there, swaying to the music, though the songs had been neither slow nor sway-worthy.

"Me an' Jeff are gonna go take a walk. Wanna come?" Willow drawled, her words slurred slightly. She had drank too much. But she felt good. Very good. And Jeff wanted to take her out for a walk. It was just perfect.

"No - you go. I wanna dance some more." Buffy giggled, waving her friend away. She paused, giving Jeff a stern look. "You make sure she gets back to the hotel, ok?"

The wrestler smiled softly. "I'll take good care of her. See you later." He gave Edge a little wave and started off, leading his red haired companion out into the slightly cooler air of the city. They walked along, enjoying the silence of each other's company. He was sure that, given enough time, Willow was someone he could really fall hard for. But that wasn't going to happen. In the morning she'd be going home and he'd be leaving for the next city - somewhere far away from here. It just wasn't smart to try to start a relationship with someone. Especially not someone as special as this woman was.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, enjoying the way she moved. She was spectacular, to say the least. Small and undeniably feminine, she was everything that a woman should be. He reached out, grabbing hold of her hand and holding it in his own as they continued to walk.

It didn't take long for them to reach his hotel, though that hadn't been his intention at all. He stared up at the building as though it were something foreign to him.

"This where you're staying?" Willow asked, noting that the walk they had seemed to be taking 'forever' had, in fact, only been across the street and down a block. It was the hotel she was staying at.

"Yeah."

"Me, too." She smiled. A thought struck her - something infinitely more pleasing than walking around in the too-chilly night air. "Wanna go up? Talk some more?" She bit her lip, waiting shyly for his reply. What would Buffy say if she knew she had just invited a man up to their hotel room? Did it really matter? Willow had no intention of doing anything illicit with Jeff Hardy. She just wanted to talk to him, get to know him better.

"Sure. We can go to my room if you want - I think Matt is still out with Lita." Jeff smiled at her hesitant nod, thinking the exact same things the woman across from him was thinking - though without the so honorable intention of nothing more than talking happening. He was hoping for some kissing, at the least, and maybe some cuddling. Nothing more than that.

Neither one of them really needed a one night stand in their lives.

~*~Part Four~*~

One night stands, as a rule, generally end with one, or both, parties to the event feeling bad. This was to be no exception Willow found as she slowly opened her eyes. At first she didn't remember where she was or who she was with. Then it came back to her, and she blushed. A slow turn of her head revealed that she was, in fact, still in Jeff Hardy's bed. The light pouring through the crack in the hotel room curtains told her it had to be at least past seven in the morning.

'Oh Goddess. What have I done?' She scrunched her eyes shut, sending up a prayer that she would open them and this would all have been some sort of odd dream. Green eyes slowly opened and, nope, Jeff was still there, sleeping soundly.

She sighed. 'Ok. Way to go, Wills. Run into one of your fantasy crushes and what do you do? Turn all skanky ho like. Way to fucking go.'

Buffy had to be frantic about her. There were no memories in her mind of calling the blonde the night before to let her know where she was. In fact, the only memories she did have were of her and Jeff all over each other from practically the moment they had made it into his hotel room. Heat crept into her face at the images flashing through her mind. It was the heat of desire but also of embarrassment. She should never have gone out drinking last night. Then she wouldn't have had sex with Jeff. Certainly wouldn't have had it three times in a row.

There was, actually, only one thing to be done at this point - get out of bed and out of the hotel room without waking up Jeff. Moving so slow that it was almost painful the red head slid off the edge of the bed, kneeling on the floor for a moment to orient herself. Her head was pounding and the little light that was in the room wasn't helping. Hangover anyone? She looked around the room, noting to herself that the second bed was empty. The infamous Matt Hardy appeared to have never made it back to his room last night. Or had he walked in, seen her asleep in bed with Jeff, and found somewhere else to stay? That was always a possibility as well. 'Or he could have shacked up with Lita for the night. Doesn't matter. At least I don't have to sneak past him, too.'

She found her underwear, conveniently located next to the bed, and slipped on the light blue piece of cotton. They had been the last thing to go the night before, as she and Jeff had fumbled their way to the bed. Again the heat rose in her, unbidden and unwanted. She had enjoyed her time with the rainbow haired wrestler and would no doubt cherish the memory forever, provided she made it out of here without further embarrassment. Her bra was laying on the nightstand, tossed there in a moment of heated passion as Jeff had cupped her breasts in his hands. She could remember clearly the feel of his mouth, warm and wet, on each of her nipples.

'Gotta get dressed soon or else I'm never going to get out of here…' She thought, irritated with the betrayal her own body was currently dishing out to her. It took all of her restraint not to crawl back into the bed with him and give him her own, personal, wakeup call. But she didn't want that. Didn't want to see his face if he woke up and was regretful of the time they had spent together. He had been just as drunk as her. Maybe even more so since he had obviously been at the bar longer than her. It was quite possible that he had not been in full control of his facilities last night when he had invited her up to his room.

Her pants were nearby, on the floor halfway to the door, and her shirt was right next to them. She slipped them on without another thought of the foreplay that had gone into getting them off of her body. Not that there had been a lot of foreplay going on in this room the night before. No - that had been all about sex, short and to the point the first time. The second time had involved much touching, fondling and groping. And the third had been an adventure in oral stimulation culminating with some of the most mind-blowing sex she had ever experienced.

She pulled on her socks and shoes, tying them quickly and then looking back at the bed. Jeff hadn't moved so much as a single muscle. His light breathing still filled the room, a steady sound against the backdrop of the air conditioner. She couldn't just leave like this. Without saying…something. Her eyes swept the room, landing on the small desk against one wall, next to the television. A small pad of hotel paper was lying there, matching pen off to one side. She leaned over the desk, writing hastily.

Jeff,
What can I say? Thank you for the memories. Last night was beautiful and I will cherish it for the rest of my days. You made a fan's wildest dreams come true all in the space of a few hours. You'll be my favorite wrestler for the rest of your career - promise. Needless to say, it was just a one night thing, and I'm sure you feel the same way. I wish you the best of luck in life and in the ring. Remember me as I remember you - with fondness.
Love,
Willow

She bit her lip, looking over the wording one more time. It was short, to the point, and said everything she felt in her heart. This had indeed only been a one night 'thing' and she would remember it for the rest of her life. True - he would have been her favorite wrestler all the way to the end of his career even if he hadn't slept with her. But now it was pretty much guaranteed.

Feeling her back pocket to make sure she hadn't lost her room key in all of the excitement of the night before, the red head slipped out of the hotel room, gently shutting the door behind her so that it didn't make too much noise. The elevator seemed to take forever to come and she found herself looking over her shoulder, hoping that she didn't see Edge or Jeff walking up behind her. They were the only two that stood any chance of recognizing her. When the doors finally slid open to reveal an empty car, she sighed in relief. Pressing the button for the floor she was staying on, the red head thought back over the night's events, finally allowing a smile to play across her lips. While it was embarrassing to a degree how she had acted the night before; the things she had felt and experienced had still been wonderful.

Stepping out of the elevator, Willow made her way down the hallway, her eyes scanning the doors until she got to the one she was sharing with Buffy. She braced herself, knowing the blonde would have tons of questions. The drive home to Sunnydale would certainly be interesting, to say the least. The door swung open with a twist of the handle and she peeked into the room. Her friend was sitting on the bed, watching television, as though nothing was wrong.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Buffy smirked, flipping off the television and turning on the bed to face Willow. "Did you enjoy yourself last night?" There was another smirk and a wink.

"How did you know?"

The blonde grinned. "Edge ran into Matt Hardy on his way back to his room last night. Matt said something about a red head sleeping in bed with his brother and begged for Edge to let him stay with him and Christian. Since he had walked me back to my room he knew where I was staying and thought he should call and let me know where you were - so I wouldn't worry."

Willow blushed. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No biggie." Buffy shrugged. "Now tell, tell. I want details, girl. You got a lot more from Jeff than I got from Edge, I take it."

The red head glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. "Don't we need to check out and start back to Sunnydale?" When the blonde opened her mouth to protest, Willow shook her head. "I'm not trying to get out of telling you. I'll tell you -some- stuff on the way home, okay? I just want to get out of here."

Buffy nodded, agreeing to what her friend was saying. They -did- need to get checked out within the next twenty minutes; and Sunnydale was a few hours drive away. "Do you want to change clothes before we leave?"

Willow looked down at her clothing, each piece reminding her of the night before. She nodded, grabbing her overnight bag from the floor next to the bed. "I'll be right back."

"And then we leave - and you tell!" Buffy called after her - grinning mischievously.

"Yes, Buff! I'll tell - promise!"

~*~Part Five~*~

Willow took a deep breath. Her eyes closed and she tried, for just a moment, to get a handle on the nausea rolling through her stomach. She leaned back against the side of the bath tub, the cool porcelain penetrating the thin fabric of her shirt and chilling her back. How many days had it been since she came down with this stomach virus? Three? Four?

"Wills?"

The red head sighed, reaching over to flush the toilet so Buffy wouldn't be forced to see the former contents of her stomach. "Come in." She called, weakly. The door opened slowly and Buffy peeked her head in. She saw the blonde's face fall and knew she had to look just as bad as she felt. She heard her friend sigh and knew what was coming.

"You need to go to the doctor."

"Okay."

Buffy stopped short, the argument she had been prepared to have with Willow falling short on her lips. "Ok? You're not going to fight me on this?"

Willow shook her head, groaning as the movement brought a fresh wave of sickness roiling through her body. She breathed deeply, sucking the air through clenched teeth as she fought to keep whatever may be left in her stomach where it belonged. When at last she felt stable again for the moment, she turned watery green eyes to her best friend. "I've been sick like this for days. I think I just need to go ahead and go. Maybe he can give me something to settle my stomach."

"Good!" Buffy chirped. She frowned, glancing at her watch. "I have a test in thirty minutes. Once that's done with I can drive you to the doctor."

"I can drive myself." Willow whispered. She just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible and back to feeling good. She had already missed most of her own classes that week and knew she was behind in two of her classes because of it. All the more reason to go ahead and go to the doctor.

"You sure?" The Slayer questioned, looking down at the red head in front of her. Willow looked anything but okay at that moment. Her face was pale and sweaty and she looked exhausted.

"Positive." The young witch managed to smile. "I'll be fine. Go on to your test. "

"Okay." Buffy agreed hesitantly. "But I'm taking my cell phone. You call if you need me for anything. Anything at all. I'll leave in the middle of my test if I have to."

Willow nodded mutely, giving her friend a weak smile. "Sure thing, Buff."

"C'mon, let me help you up before I go." The blonde held out her hand to Willow, helping steady the witch as she slowly crawled to her feet. She could tell by the look on the other woman's face that she was still feeling sick. Pity ran through her. She held onto Willow's arm, getting her to her bed before letting go. "Remember - If you want to wait until I get back from class I'll take you, k?"

Again Willow just nodded, giving the blonde a small wave as she made her way out of the door. The witch laid back, closing her eyes for a moment. It was awful to feel like this - so helpless. She sighed, rolling over and grabbing the phone on her nightstand. She dialed the number for her doctor from memory, waiting with eyes closed for the receptionist to pick up. Hopefully they could work her into their morning appointments.

She wasn't sure how much more of this she would be able to take.

~*~*~

The doctor's office was quiet when Willow arrived. The receptionist had told her that this was her lucky day - it was a 'slow' day. Apparently slow meant practically no business at all. She checked in at the desk and then settled into a chair, leafing idly through one of the annoying magazines that seemed to populate most doctor's offices. She wondered if they had some sort of master list - if you were a doctor you must receive copies of National Geographic and Reader's Digest. Maybe it was a rule to being allowed to keep your medical license even.

"Miss Rosenberg?"

Willow looked up at the nurse, giving her a small smile. She set down the magazine and grabbed her purse, following the nurse back into the hallways of the doctor's offices. They passed two exam rooms before the nurse stopped at a third, gesturing for her to go inside." The door clicked shut behind them and Willow climbed up to sit on the edge of the exam table.

"Ok," The nurse began opening the chart on the woman. She gave Willow a smile. "You've been seeing Dr. Thomas for a long time, huh?"

"Almost six years." Willow grinned. She liked this nurse much better than the coldly irritating woman that had been employed with her doctor the last time she had come in, almost six months before.

"Well, what brings you in today?"

Willow told her how she had been feeling that week. The nausea, the exhaustion, the little aches and pains that were making her life a living hell. She watched the nurse make notes on her chart; the important points of their conversation that the doctor would need to know in order to determine what was wrong with her.

"Any fever?"

Willow shook her head. "I've taken it a couple times since I got sick and nothing."

"Mmm Hmmm." The nurse raised her head from the chart to give Willow a look. "And when was your last period?"

Willow blushed, as usual the question so personal that it brought out feelings of embarrassment in her. "Um…" She counted back in her head. It had been three weeks before she had went to see the WWE live. Three weeks before she had slept with Jeff Hardy.

Which made her almost two weeks late.

She felt the color leave her face and she clutched at the sides of the exam table unthinkingly. "It's been six weeks. I didn't even realize I was that late. I've been busy. It slipped my mind."

The nurse nodded. "What we're going to do first is give you a pregnancy test, then. It may be nothing. Or -" She paused. Willow was obviously disturbed, maybe even frightened by this possibility. It didn't take a genius to realize that meant this was unplanned. She sighed and gave the red head what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "C'mon. I'll take you to the restroom."

Willow followed behind the nurse, her stomach churning now more from fear than from sickness. It all made sense to her now that she had realized how late she was. What was she going to do? School was only two months from being over for the year. She could take classes next semester, too. But then ---

Then she'd have to drop out for at least a little while.

'You don't know for sure, yet.' She reminded herself, listening only half-heartedly to the instructions the nurse was giving her. Pee in a cup. How hard was it? Why all the instructions? The room was cold, sterile, when she went inside.

It only took a moment for her to fill the cup and then place it on the little rotating tray that would take it into the next room, the lab. She washed her hands off, looking in the mirror. Dark circles under her eyes only added to her already pale complexion, making her look like a ghost under the harsh neon lights overhead. She took a deep breath and wiped a cool paper towel over her face, trying to wash away some of the worry she felt.

But water couldn't do that.

No amount of washing in the world was going to be able to cleanse this from her if the nurse was right in her speculation. She walked back to the exam room in silence, sitting into one of two chairs against the wall. Her mouth was dry and her palms were wet with sweat. She wished now that she had just waited for Buffy to take her to the appointment. Goddess only knew how much she needed a friend right then. Someone to hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay.

She knew from the second the doctor stepped into the room that nothing in her life was ever going to be the same again. His face told her everything she needed to know - that soft mix of regret and clinical professionalism.

And then she cried.

~*~*~

She didn't know how she made it home. The drive from the doctor's to Buffy's house was one big blur. Looking back on it in later years, she would be surprised that she didn't cause any accidents or hit a pedestrian. She certainly wasn't in her right mind.

The house was quiet when she got back. Her doctor's appointment had gone so quickly that Buffy hadn't even had a chance to come home from classes. She had considered calling the blonde to pick her up from the doctor's, but what was the point? There was no sense in worrying Buffy unnecessarily. Not that the blonde wasn't going to completely freak out when she did come home and Willow told her.

She was pregnant.

And, since she had only been with one man since Oz had left her more than a year ago, she knew exactly who the father was.

Jeff Hardy.

A sob escaped her lips and sat down on the couch, kicking off her shoes before pulling her legs up next to her. She would have to find a way to contact him, of course. Find a way to tell him about this glorious mistake they had both made. A little computer work would get her, at the very least, his home address. And a letter would be easier anyway. She couldn't imagine telling him in person, or over the phone, that she was pregnant. What if he got mad? What if he told her it wasn't his when she knew damn well it was? It could all end so badly. At least, if she wrote it in a letter, she wouldn't have to be there if he got upset. And if he wasn't upset? She'd be sure to leave an address and phone number where he could reach her at.

She put a hand over her stomach, very much aware that there was a new life growing within her. A mistake, maybe, but not something she'd ever regret. There wasn't a single iota of herself that would ever regret the creation of a new life. When her doctor had suggested earlier that there were ways to arrange it so that she wouldn't have the child she had nearly zapped him right then and there, turned him into the kind of pig he really was.

"Willow?"

The red head turned to look at Buffy, her tears falling even harder now that she was faced with telling her best friend exactly what was wrong with her.

~*~Part Six~*~

"Look at it this way, Wills, at least your morning sickness went away."

Willow glared at her best friend, silently praying that one day the Slayer would know the 'joys' of pregnancy for herself. The blonde certainly seemed to be enjoying it from her current position of 'on the outside, looking in'. Maybe she would look through her spellbooks later and find a way to give Buffy some very real 'empathy pains', something to give her a little taste of what it was like to carry around all this extra weight. "Great. Now I don't throw up all the time - I just eat all the time."

"You're eating for two!" Buffy protested, giving her friend a wink. "Can't stunt the baby's growth before it's even out of the womb. And what better way to nurtue a child than with a half gallon of rocky road ice cream?"

"Riiiight." Willow smirked. She looked down at the nearly empty ice cream container in her lap, sighing. The doctor had said she was putting on just the right amount of weight for this stage in the pregnancy, but that didn't make it any easier. She was watching her once small body get rounder and rounder as the days went by - and she was helpless to stop it. Tonight's round of ice cream binging had been brought on by the beginning of her fourth month of pregnancy.

That - and the realization that Jeff was apparently never going to return her attempts at contact. She had written to him four times so far, once for every month she had been pregnant. So far there had been no response from him, even though each time she left him her phone number and address.

"Want me to go kick his ass?" Buffy offered, reading the witch's mind. Maybe it was the fact that she had been around Willow since day one of the entire 'Jeff debacle' that she had come to spot the sad look the red head got on her face every time she thought of the rainbow haired wrestler.

"No - what's the point? You can't -make- him want this."

"No - but I can -make- him support you and the baby. Or - the courts can."

Willow shrugged. "Why? I make enough money doing that programming from home. More than enough. Me and this little one won't be wanting for anything. He doesn't want to be a part of our lives and I can't force him to want it, Buffy. What good would hurting him do? Other than, well, causing him pain."

"Great point!" The blonde grinned. "Can't I hurt him just a little?" She asked, her voice whining but her eyes sparkling with amusement. There was something else, too, just behind the laugher and playing, a realism to her words. If Willow said for her to go put the hurt on Jeff, then Buffy would be on the first plane to the East Coast to get it done. She'd leave the boy so broken and battered he wouldn't be able to move for weeks, if ever again. She had been forced to watch Willow already deal with the realities of being a single mom. There wasn't a day that went by that Willow didn't come up with something else to worry herself about.

It was for all of those worries, and all of the times Willow had been sick during her hellish first two months, and all of the little aches and pains Willow experienced each and every day. It was for all of that, plus what would come after the birth, that Buffy wanted to hurt Jeff Hardy. She wanted to hurt him physically just as much as he had hurt Willow emotionally by not being there for her. They had never expected the wrestler to just throw everything aside and get all chivalrous and ask her to marry him. Nothing so medieval.

No - they had just hoped he would at least make an attempt to be a part of the baby's life.

"No, Buffy. No hurting. Just leave him be."

Buffy sighed, nodding and giving Willow a mock-pout before turning her attention back to the television. She picked up the remote, flipping through the channels. It was a Monday night, though, and that meant manually skipping over one channel - the channel that would be showing RAW. Neither of the two women had watched wrestling since they found out about Willow's pregnancy. It didn't hold the air of excitement it had once contained. Once they had realized Jeff was never going to contact Willow back, they had studiously set their sights on ignoring the WWE and all it stood for altogether. After all, if it hadn't been for their love of that show, Willow never would have met Jeff and wouldn't be in the situation she was in now.

Xander still watched, though he had learned after a sound berating from Buffy that he could never watch it in front of either herself or Willow again. The blonde almost felt bad for their sole male friend. He had no clue about what had happened with Willow and Jeff. He had accepted Willow's story that the baby was from a one night stand and had, smartly, backed down when she begged him not to question her ever again on who it had been. She didn't want Xander to know for the simple reason that he wouldn't have Buffy's willpower to stay in one place and not go hurt the younger Hardy brother. The dark haired young man had known Willow almost his entire life and would never tolerate someone disrespecting her the way the wrestler had and, it seemed, would continue to.

Dawn was thrilled about the upcoming arrival. She spent a good part of each day hunkered down in front of Willow, speaking to the unborn child and telling it all about all the 'good' things in the world. Willow would only smile, amused, as she listened to the teenager ramble. In many ways Dawn rambled better than Willow ever had, and it seemed as if the Summers sister could talk for an hour at a time without taking a single break. The things she said were sometimes insightful, sometimes just plain facts, and, at other times, just downright odd.

Like the day she had told the baby she would be the first one to teach it to make peanut butter and Doritos sandwiches. Unfortunately, for Willow, that nauseating comment had sparked a craving and she had soon found herself consuming large quantities of the Dawn-created delicacy. That had been a very bad night for everyone except Willow and Dawn. Even Xander had ended up leaving for his own apartment, the sight of Doritos sticking out through layers of peanut butter too much for even his odd sense of taste.

"It will be okay, Buffy."

The Slayer looked over at Willow, a sad smile on her face. "Aren't I supposed to be the one telling -you- that?"

Willow just shrugged. "You need to hear it, too, sometimes." She reached out, grabbing Buffy's hand and giving it a squeeze. "I don't need him Buff. Nor do I want him in my life if he doesn't want to be there. Just let him be. Karma will catch up to him eventually." She put on her bravest smile, hiding the hurt she was feeling. It sucked to know that the father of her child was so immature that he wouldn't even acknowledge her letters. But that didn't matter anymore. She was through with it. She'd continue to send the letters up until the point her bundle of joy was delivered. If he didn't contact her by then, well -

Like she had told Buffy - everything would be okay.

~*~Part Seven~*~

Willow placed the letter she had just spent the better part of an hour writing, her eyes filled with tears. How had her life come down to this? Today marked her ninth month of pregnancy. The baby was due any day now. And she still hadn't heard from Jeff, the father. She hadn't really expected, after sending off the first letter and getting no response, that he would just magically show up on her doorstep one day and promise to take care of her and their unborn child. And yet, despite knowing in her heart he wasn't going to respond, she still had sent the letters to him, once a month, on the dot.

She licked the stamp, setting it into the upper right hand corner of the envelope and then added a second one just because. This letter was thicker than the others she had sent. This one included copies of the ultrasounds she had had taken over the course of the pregnancy. It would be the only set of baby pictures he ever got unless he -did- finally contact her. She wasn't going to write anymore, not when it was so much a waste of her time. She was going to try her hardest not to dwell on the fact that someone she had once idolized and thought of as a wonderful entertainer was now nothing more than a deadbeat dad in her mind.

"Wills? You ready?"

"Just a minute, Xan." The witch called back, smiling despite herself. Xander had turned out to be the best friend a girl could have, tied with Buffy even. He had volunteered to take her to every doctor's appointment that he could and had, amazingly, lived up to it. She knew he'd make a great Uncle to the baby when it was born. He hadn't wanted to be her Lamaze coach, though, for reasons she was pretty sure ran along the lines of being in the delivery room with all the blood and feminine stuff. So that had been Buffy's role in all of this.

She picked up the letter and leveraged herself out of the desk chair, waddling her way to the stairs. "Xan? Come help?"

Xander chuckled, taking the steps two at a time to stand next to her. He took hold of her elbow, guiding her down the steps and to the first floor. It was difficult for her, he knew, not being able to see the ground in front of her because of her stomach. He put his hand on her belly, feeling a kick from inside. "How's my little niece or nephew today?"

"She or he is doing fine. A little active this morning. But still fine."

The young man gave Willow a smile. "Come, then, m'lady. Your chariot awaits to take you to the doctor."

Willow smirked, allowing him to lead her to his car. She winced as a cramp coursed through her abdomen, the pain sudden and sharp. This had been happening all morning and, as far as she could tell, was due to the strawberries and peanut butter the baby had demanded the night before.

"You okay?" Xander asked, settling into the driver's seat.

"Yeah - just a cramp."

"It isn't -time-, is it?"

Willow laughed. "I think it's more like indigestion, Xan. I'll tell the doc about it at the appointment, though, promise."

The trip to the doctor's office only took about fifteen minutes, like everything in Sunnydale. That was one of the few good things about living in such a small town - you hardly had to step outside your door to be wherever you needed to go.

"OW!" Willow moaned, almost doubling over in pain. She was aware of Xander's hand on her back, rubbing her gently. "Ya know…I'm thinking maybe this isn't indigestion." She gasped as the pain receded.

"Okay." Xander said, a slight touch of concern in his voice. "So what do you think it is?"

The red head turned bleary pain-filled eyes to him. "I dunno, Xan. I'm nine months pregnant. What do you -think- it could be?"

"Oh! Oh damn!" The young man completely lost his cool then, hopping from foot to foot nervously. "What do we do, Wills?"

Willow took a deep, calming breath, letting it out before answering him. "We walk me to the front desk and ask the nice receptionist what she would like us to do. The hospital is right next door. K?"

~*~*~

It took less than two hours from that point for Willow to be put into a hospital room and to give birth to a healthy baby boy. Xander had come through in a pinch, acting as her moral support since neither of them had been able to get Buffy on her cell phone until it was far too late. He had mopped her forehead and held her hand, even when it looked as though she were about to squeeze his own to a bloody pulp.

"Here you go, Miss Rosenberg." The nurse smiled, holding up the now-blanket wrapped baby.

Willow smiled, holding out her hands.

"Just for a moment and then we need to get you cleaned up and into another room, okay?" The nurse gently handed the infant over, watching in awe as a mother greeted her child for the first time. The baby's head was covered in a thin spattering of dark brown hair, totally unlike his mother's own red. She wondered idly if the man sitting next to the patient was the father; then decided it was none of her business. He certainly wasn't acting like a proud father, more like a happy friend. "Have you decided on a name?"

The tired mother nodded, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. "Jakob. Jakob Alexander Rosenberg."

~*~*~

Willow slid the letter she had written only two days before into the mailbox, accompanied by one other. The second included pictures of Jeff's son. It had been sent against her better judgment, with only her conscience to back her up that it was the 'right' thing to do even though she wanted nothing more than to rip Jeff's head from his shoulders and beat him with it. She made her way slowly back into the house, giving Dawn a soft smile.

"Hey Dawnie."

"You shouldn't be up." The younger Summers sister whispered. "You need to be in bed. Resting. You just had a baby for God's sake."

"I'll be okay, promise. I just needed to mail that… Wanted to make sure it went out today."

Dawn nodded. She wished she could take away the pain in Willow's eyes. How could she be this all powerful key when she couldn't even make this right for someone as sweet and wonderful as Willow. She had no clue who the father was, only that he had made the choice not to be a part of Jakob's life. "Do you need anything?" She offered quietly, her face a mirror of the sadness she saw on Willow's.

"No." The red haired mother smiled softly. "You guys have given me everything I need, Dawnie. Don't worry about me, okay?" She laid a reassuring hand on Dawn's shoulder, moving past her and up the stairs to her room. Jakob was still asleep which meant she'd be able to rest a little, too. She could see Buffy conked out on her own bed through her open bedroom doorway and smiled. The blonde had been so apologetic about not being there for the delivery that she had stayed up all night to watch over not just Jakob, but Willow as well.

Willow crawled onto her bed, glancing at the crib across the room. She smiled, pulling the blankets up to her chin, and let sleep overcome her. Just a little nap before going back to being a mother.

~*~Part Eight~*~

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Ja-kob. Happy birthday to you." Willow cooed, holding her one year old son up in the air and spinning them both in circles. He giggled, the sound light and full of innocence.

"Starting the party early?"

Willow looked towards the doorway of the living room, giving Buffy a grin. "No - just felt like singing. Isn't everyday my little man turns one, you know."

The Slayer shook her head, chuckling. It was hard to believe that nearly a year had passed since Jakob had been born. And what a whirlwind year it had been. All thing Hellmouth-y had been relatively quiet, with only the occasional nest of vamps popping up needing to be staked. It had been odd those first couple times, leaving Willow at home to watch the baby, and going out to slay with only Xander by her side. But they had coped. They all had coped. Xander had taken a more active role in the slaying, learning martial arts at night after work to the point that he had become an actual help and not so much of a hindrance.

Dawn was one year closer to graduating, the which they were all very much glad of. The younger Summers sister was a great kid, but she really did hate high school. Willow had made her promise already that she would go to college, though she told the young blonde that she should take her time with it, pointing out that it was better to finish in six years than not finish at all. Dawn seemed to agree with that theory, for now at least.

The 'adults' in the household, Willow and Buffy, were both currently living the life of singleness, with Willow living the much more difficult life of single-mom-ness. They weren't really trying to find anyone, though. Life was good as it was.

'She's grown up so much.' Buffy thought, saddened for the millionth time by the loss of innocence her friend had been forced to experience. 'We all grew up a lot. But Jakob is worth it.' She reached out, grabbing hold of one of his little baby feet and tickling. She laughed as he squirmed in his mother's arms, trying to get away.

"Nooooooo….." He yelped. 'No' being one of the very few words in his ever increasing vocabulary. He was going to be a brain, just like his mom. That was no bad thing, though.

"Better that than to be a jock like his asshole of a father." The blonde haired woman snarled mentally. She had given up on asking Willow for a chance at beating the living Hell out of Jeff Hardy. Willow was never going to agree, and it only ended up upsetting her. The urges to strangle him had slowly faded until they only cropped up once every couple of months.

Like today.

His son's birthday.

Looking at Jakob's face it was hard not to see the resemblance to the wrestler. His hair was a dark shade of brown, what Buffy could imagine Jeff's would have looked like if he hadn't dyed it all the time. And Jakob's face? That was the real kicker. One look at the baby side by side with a picture of the wrestler was enough for just about anyone to see the familial features. He was, in reality, the spitting image of his father. A constant reminder of the man who had chosen to abandon Willow to deal with this all by herself.

'Except she's not going to ever have to deal with it by herself.' Buffy reaffirmed. 'She has me, and Xander, and Dawnie. There will be no alone time for her.'

"Lost in your thoughts, Buff?"

The blonde looked up, blinking innocently at Willow. "Nah - what makes you say that?"

"You've spent the past five minutes playing with Jakob's big toe."

"Oh." Buffy blushed. She shrugged. "Just thinking of what I still need to get from the store for Jakob's party. Speaking of which," She looked at her watch. "I'd better get going if I want to have time to go before class."

"'K. Me and Jakob are gonna go to the mall and by him some more prezzies. Ain't that right, little man?"

"Mama? Prezzie?" Jakob questioned, his eyes wide. He knew very well what that word meant. It was one of his favorites, after all.

"Yes, sweetie, prezzies all for you."

"I'll see you after class, then. Be safe."

"You, too."

~*~*~

The parking lot of the mall was unusually crowded for a Thursday afternoon. Willow drive up and down the lot for nearly ten minutes before finding an empty spot. It was a good distance from the entrance and she was at once glad that she had brought Jakob's stroller instead of that little front-harness-like thing that Buffy had insisted she use as a stroller alternative.

They made their way into the mall, going immediately to the second floor and Jakob's favorite store. Kaybee Toys. Unlike most children his age, he didn't reach for or grab at any of the toys on the shelves. He was content just to look around and stare, enraptured by the sight of so many brightly colored bits of plastic. Willow pulled a few soft books from the shelves, the kind with colors and shapes to teach young children, and carried them to the front.

"Why is the mall so crowded today?"

The salesgirl tilted her head to the side. "Some sort of autograph thing down near the food court."

"Who's signing?"

The girl shrugged. "Dunno."

Willow nodded, curious. She took her bag from the girl and wandered out into the mall corridors, making her way to the elevator. Her first real look at the first floor made her gasp. The line for autographs stretched nearly half the length of the mall. 'Must be someone really popular.' She chuckled. There had been a time in her life where she would have been more than eager to wait in line to see her favorite stars. No longer. Things had changed; though, she conceded, looking down at Jakob as she maneuvered past the line and towards the food court, they had only changed for the better.

Her first indication that this autograph session was something she really didn't want to see any more of came when she rounded one of the mall's many corners. To one side the line for autographs was still there, blocked off by makeshift rope barriers. At the very end of the line, still so far away that she couldn't see who was actually signing autographs, was a table and, above that, a banner.

World Wrestling Entertainment.

Willow felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. She recovered quickly enough, shaking off the unease that one little banner had brought to her. Despite the fact that she had sworn off watching the show, Willow found herself making her way closer and closer. She wanted to see who was there, just for old time's sake. After all - there was little chance in hell that it would be -

Jeff Hardy.

At the first sight of the rainbow streaked hair Willow thought she might very well pass out here and now. She took a deep breath, attempting in vain to calm her raging heart. Here he was, after one year and nine long months he was right there. Only twenty feet away, if that. His head was bent over the picture he was signing and, when he looked up, Willow felt her stomach flip.

It was so easy to want to go over to him and make a scene, tell all his little fans exactly what she thought of him. But she couldn't do that. Not with Jakob sitting there in his stroller, quietly staring at the books she had just bought him. She felt tears prick her eyes and knew she was crying.

"You see that man, Jakob?" She whispered, too softly for even the baby right next to her to hear. "That's your daddy. Take a good look."

~*~

Jeff scribbled his name on the picture the fan had laid on the table, giving the girl one of the smirking grins he was so known for, and sent her on her way with a wave to the next person in line. He was tired. Edge, Christian, and himself had been at this for nearly two hours. Two long hours of doing nothing but smiling and signing. Sure - it was a good promotion with them having a show that night in LA. But still, it was boring. He yawned.

"How much longer of this, guys?"

"Until everyone that's in line now is gone?" Edge smirked. "Then we get to go do some -real- work."

"Joy." Jeff grumbled good-naturedly, flashing the fan in front of him a smile and handing her a signed picture of himself and Matt.

Matt - the brother who had somehow managed to get out of this whole signing gig, how he envied him.

The wrestler frowned, looking out over the line of fans. He could almost feel two eyes boring into him, though he knew there were probably more than just two in that line of people. This felt different, as though someone was staring right at him. Then he saw it, out of the corner of his eye. Red hair.

He turned, looking straight at the young woman standing over next to one of the stores, far from the line. She had her hands on a stroller and a look of - sadness? - on her face. His brain whirred to life, throwing images at him. She was the one. The one he had had his first and only one night stand with. The one he hadn't truly been able to get completely out of his mind for almost two years.

Willow.

~*~

The red head gasped in surprise when Jeff made eye contact with her. She tried to look away but couldn't. Her feet might as well have been glued to the floor because, as he stood up from the table, with clear intentions to come over to her -

She couldn't run away.

~*~Part Nine~*~

She watched him move towards her, unable to even think straight, much less turn around and head rapidly in any direction but his. Her mouth was dry, her palms sweaty and she couldn't muster anything other than anxiety at seeing him again. Why was he acting like he was happy to see her when he hadn't even been able to return the letters she had written to him? When he hadn't called her a single time to check on her during the time she was carrying -their- child. Or afterwards?

Something wasn't adding up.

"Willow?"

She closed her eyes, praying to her Goddess for strength as he crossed the last few steps towards her. His fans were watching, their mouths open, no doubt curious as to what had caused him to come running up to some chick with a baby. They all knew Jeff Hardy as a single wrestler. No familial ties other than those to his brother.

So who was this woman?

"Willow?" Jeff asked again, looking at the woman with eyes wide from shock and curiosity. He saw her eyes open and knew immediately that this was the right person. He knew those sparkling green orbs. They were the ones that haunted him in his dreams; she was the one who had got away. The one he'd only had one night with yet knew she had been special.

"Hello, Jeff." She managed at last, her voice tight with emotions she couldn't name. Sure, grief and anger. But there were others, too. Like confusion and an underlying happiness at seeing him again. She bit her lip, waiting for him to say something, anything, as an excuse for why he hadn't been there for her when she needed him the most. Why he hadn't been there for the first year of Jakob's life.

Jakob chose that moment to kick out with his little foot, nailing Jeff soundly right below the knee. The wrestler kneeled down in front of the stroller, taking one of the baby's small hands in his own. Willow felt her heart catch as he looked into the baby's face. And then - then he turned to her and said the last thing she had ever been prepared for.

"You got married and had a kid? Wow… seems like only yesterday you and I … "

"What?" She whispered. How could he not know that this was the child she had written to him about countless times over past year and nine months? Couldn't he see that this was his son? "Jeff… I'm not married. I haven't been with anyone since that night."

Now it was Jeff's turn to look confused. His brown eyes moved from the baby's innocent face to the red head standing over them, and then back. He nearly fell over at the implication of her words, hardly heard the next thing out of her mouth.

"I wrote to you once a month for the first nine months of my pregnancy. Did you just throw them away? Even the one I sent when he was born? Did you never even read them? I know the address I sent them to is your home - I double checked it and then triple checked it before sending anything." She felt sick to her stomach. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. He was supposed to be arrogant, cocky, and claim that she was making it all up. He wasn't allowed to be clueless.

"Letters?" He heard the words come out of his mouth, though he could scarcely breath. He held onto the little hand in his, looking into the eyes of the baby seated before him. If what Willow was saying was the truth, and he didn't doubt her for one single moment, this was his -son-. His child. He closed his eyes, trying to place anything since that night that triggered a memory of a letter from Willow. He had looked, of course, hoping that their night together would prompt her to write. But there had never been anything -

And then the memory hit him, like a wave crashing against a rocky cliff.

~*~Flashback~*~

Jeff walked into the kitchen of the house he shared with Matt, grabbing a bottle of juice from the refrigerator and making his way slowly through the house. He could hear Matt in the back office, their 'computer room' as it were.

"Fan mail here?" Jeff smirked, walking through the door.

"Huh?" Matt's head jerked up from the letter he had been reading, his eyes glancing frantically at his brother's. "Yeah, yeah. It got here while you were out. Listen," He said. "I'm gonna take some of these to my room and start answering them. Not feeling too good."

"Sure." The younger Hardy brother muttered, giving his brother an odd look. "If you see any from a girl named Willow - give them to me, k?" He turned to the stack of mail on the big, wooden desk, his confusion only growing when his brother seemed to tense up and then leave the room, letters in hand.

~*~End Flashback~*~

And hadn't he thought he heard the sound of the shredder later that night, when Matt was supposed to be sleeping? And hadn't Matt made sure to be the one getting the mail for almost forever now? Jeff felt fear creep into his heart. A fear that his brother had kept this from him deliberately.

"I didn't know…" He whispered, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he looked up at Willow. He didn't know what else to say. Apologies would sound weak. She had been a single mom to a child he would have welcomed with open arms for the past year. Alone she had went through the pregnancy. He had no idea how she was surviving, how she was supporting both herself and the child, though they seemed well enough off. "I swear to you, Willow. I didn't know."

Willow nodded, her throat tight. "I believe you." And she did. She could tell, just by the confusion on his face, that he had no idea about her letters, about their child. "You didn't get the letters?" The question was repeated. She needed to know what had happened to her letters. Had he thrown them away without reading them or just never got them?

"No. I never got them." His voice was strangled, heartbroken. "I know what happened to them, though… Damn it. Matt." He was crying now and didn't care that his fans were only a few yards away or that Edge and Christian were watching him, confused. He didn't care one bit. All that mattered was that he felt like a failure for not being there for her, for his child.

And that Matt had been the one to cause it all.

There was a part of him that still hoped his brother would give him a knockout excuse for it - something that made so much sense that he couldn't help but say - 'you were right'. He knew in his heart that there was no such thing, though. There would be no reason in heaven or hell to keep this from him. All he was going to get was a lame excuse form Matt, the same as he had been getting from his brother for various things throughout their life.

Willow bit her lip. She didn't want to disturb Jeff in this, a moment she was sure was difficult for him - but they were causing a scene. The fans were shifting in line, looking anxious and nervous. It's hard to see your hero cry; hard to see them fall from glory. She knew how they felt - it was the same way she had felt about Jeff from almost two years now. "Is there anywhere we can go? More private than this?"

Jeff looked up at her, then slowly turned to look blearily at the people staring at him. Edge and Christian had gone back to signing autographs, trying to turn attention back to themselves and away from Jeff. He was sure they'd have questions for him later. Questions he didn't know if he'd feel like answering. "Sure. There's an employee room in the back they gave us to put our stuff in." He led her away, down a hall near the food court, and into a door marked 'staff only'. She pushed the stroller in behind him, thankful that Jakob was at least behaving himself.

"What's - " Jeff paused, shaking his head. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. "What's his name?"

"Jakob Alexander Rosenberg."

The wrestler nodded. He hadn't really expected the child to have his last name. Especially since Willow had pretty much assumed he was a deadbeat dad. How far from the truth was that, though? If he had only known she would have been the most pampered, cared for women ever to go through a pregnancy. And Jakob? Jakob would have been spoiled rotten by now. "He's how old? A year?"

"One year exactly - today." She smiled. "And he got the best present of all - he got to meet you." She paused. "Will you stay in contact now that you know?"

Jeff snorted. "I would have been there all along. If I had known." He turned, slamming his hand into the stone of the wall so hard that it hurt. "I'm going to hurt my brother."

"Matt? What does Matt have to do with this?" She had heard him say the name earlier, when they had been out near the lines, but hadn't placed it as having to do with him not knowing about Jakob.

"He made sure I never got your letters."

The red head gasped, sitting on the edge of one of the beat-up sofas the employee rest room offered. "But…why?"

"I don't know." He said, after a moment's pause. "But I'm going to find out. And then I'm going to make this right… Or as right as I can make it. Do you have a number where I can reach you at?"

She nodded dumbly, fishing through her purse to find a spare piece of paper and a pen. She scribbled down the number for her house, handing it to him in silence.

"I have to go to the arena. But - believe me. When things are over tonight we are going to talk. And I'm not going to run away." He looked down at Jakob, smiling sadly. "He looks like me."

"That's what Buffy says." Willow snorted. "Our friend Xander is the hugest WWE fan ever, though. And he doesn't see it. That's good, though. Only Buffy and I know it was you. I didn't want everyone to know -"

"That I was a deadbeat?" He shook his head, furious with his brother. "I promise I'm going to make this up to you. To him. I just have to go deal with Matt first, okay? I promise." The last words were whispered, pleading. He needed her to understand, to realize that he would have been there for her the entire time.

And so, for the second time that night, Willow found herself reassuring the man she had never thought she'd see again. "I believe you."

~*~Part Ten~*~

Jeff Hardy was a man on a mission when he entered the arena. His eyes were cold, his body was tense. He was ready for what he had to do, though that didn't make it any easier. The thought of his son, at home with Willow, was enough to support him in what was about to be done.

He passed by a few of the other guys, ignoring their questioning looks. They'd all know what was going on soon enough. For now he had something to do. Something that took precedence over everything else. He turned down a hallway, eyes scanning the temporary signs on each of the doorways, until he found the one he needed.

"Commissioner?"

Debra looked up, surprised to see Jeff Hardy standing in her office. She set down the stack of papers she had been looking over in preparation for the night's show, motioning him inside. It didn't take a psychic to see that something was off with him - something big. "How can I help you, Jeff?"

The rainbow haired Hardy brother frowned. "I need two favors. And they're big ones, Debra. But trust me that its all for the best."

The blonde arched an eyebrow and leaned back in her chair. She motioned for the agitated wrestler to take the seat across from her desk and then opened her mind and heart to the young man.

~*~*~

It took, all told, twenty minutes for Jeff to get everything straight with Debra. By the time he left she had already set things in motion for not only that night, but also what would come after. He had his match with Matt. The entire world was going to see what a royal jackass his brother was. They would know before the night was over how much of a loser the dark haired man was.

No turning back now.

He made a beeline for the locker room he was supposed to be sharing with his brother, hoping that his sibling would already be there. He didn't want to put this off. It all had to end now - everything needed to be in the open. Taking a deep breath, Jeff prayed for strength, and opened the door.

"Hey!" Lita smiled, giving Jeff a grin as he stepped through the doorway. She noted the look of pure rage on his face and felt her heart speed up. It wasn't like the younger Hardy to get upset - and from the look on his face he was far past upset.

"How could you?"

The words were soft, deadly, and directed totally at Matt. Lita looked back and forth between them and then stood up, distancing herself from whatever was about to happen. The last thing she needed was to be between one of her best friends and her boyfriend if they came to blows - it wouldn't be safe.

"Huh?"

"I'll give you a hint, Matt - though you should be -well- aware of what you've kept from me for almost two years." He licked his lips, the next world snarled. "Willow."

Matt blanched. He couldn't help it; the response to that name was automatic. "I don't know what you're talking about."

From where she was standing Lita could see her boyfriend go pale. She could hear him denounce the accusation Jeff had yet to even fully make, though she recognized the name as being the girl Jeff had engaged in a rare one-night stand with so many months ago. She waited, wondering what had brought this on.

"Don't give me that, Matt." Jeff whispered. "Just tell me why. Tell me why I saw my SON for the first time today? Tell me why you hid or destroyed, whatever, all those letters she sent to me? Tell me -why-?"

"Oh, God." Lita whispered. She felt her knees go weak. Jeff was a father? Jeff had a one-year old son? And Matt had - She turned to him, disbelief trying hard to overcome the sense of finality she felt. "Tell me this isn't true, Matt. Tell him it's not true. Please?"

Matt shook his head. "You want to know why, Jeff? Fine. I'll tell you why. We had just retained the titles for the fifth time when you took her to bed. -Five time champions-." He emphasized every word, oblivious to the fact that his own girlfriend was crying silently in the corner. "And what did you do? You fucked it up! You went and slept with her and got her pregnant. What would you have done if you knew? Ran off to play daddy and put your career on hold? -My- career on hold?"

Jeff shut his eyes. Even though he had known there would never be a good enough reason for what Matt had done, he had still hoped for better than this - something more than petty selfishness. There it was, though. "The fact that you were an uncle didn't mean anything to you? You kept me from knowing I was a -father-, Matt. What do you think is going to happen to our career now?"

It hit Matt then. Despite everything he had done it was over now. His brother would likely never speak to him again. He sat down heavily on the bench, just staring up at Jeff.

"How about I tell you what happens now, dear brother." Jeff whispered, his voice full of venom. "Tonight you fight me - one on one - Debra already agreed. And then - then I walk out of the WWE. We forfeit the tag titles, of course."

"You can't do that." Matt whispered, seeing his hopes and dreams go dashing out of his life.

"No, Matt. I can do it and I -am- doing it. Just as easily as you did what you did. You'd better get ready. We're first up tonight." He gave his brother one last, sadness-filled, look and then left the locker room. Maybe Edge and Christian would let him share with them. And he needed to call Willow, make sure she watched the match. It was as much for her as it was for him. A way of starting the process of making things right. Sure, it was brutal and barbaric - but he was a wrestler and that's just what he did. Matt would get his ass kicked for what he had done and then Jeff would leave and Matt would be left alone. It was fitting - Willow had been forced to be alone because of him and now he would be all alone. Someone else would pick him up as a tag partner; there was no doubt about it.

But it wouldn't be Jeff. No - never again.

Lita watched Jeff turn, saw his blonde-streaked hair shake as he pulled himself together before walking back out into the halls. She turned her eyes to Matt, then. There were no words for how she felt about him at that point - nothing left to say and certainly no way she could forgive him. So she did what any good friend would do.

"Jeff - wait up."

The younger Hardy turned; taking in the tear-streaked face of the woman he had always considered a sister. This had to be hard on her, too; though not in the same way it was for him. She had just discovered how cold and cruel her boyfriend really was. She loved him, true. But there was no blood between them. Jeff had both gained a son and lost a brother all in the same day. He put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"So - tell me about your son?"

Jeff smiled at the mention of his child. "Well, his name is Jakob…"

~*~Part Eleven~*~

Buffy's eyes opened wide with surprise as the door to her house was flung open, a very flustered looking Willow entering, Jakob in her arms. "Wills? Something wrong?"

"Yes - No. Yes. I mean no." She groaned, passing the baby off to the worried Slayer. She flopped into a chair and put her hand over her eyes, looking up at the blonde through cracks between her fingers. "I don't know."

"Well…why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Da-da."

It was truly amazing that Buffy didn't drop the one year old right then and there. She looked down into his baby brown eyes, her mouth open in shock. That was the first time she had ever heard Jakob say that particular word, though others such as momma, Buffy, and Xander were commonly on his lips. Given that and the obvious emotional state of Willow she put two and two together. "You saw him?"

Willow nodded once, her teeth worrying her lower lip.

"DAWN!"

Footsteps on the stairs signaled the impending arrival of the teen. She looked from Willow to Buffy and then back again, keeping her mouth shut when her sister shook her head once, sharply. The meaning was clear enough - 'don't ask'. "Can you take Jakob upstairs and get him ready for his party? Xander will be here soon…"

Dawn took Jakob without a question, her eyes curious. Buffy would tell her later if it was anything that she needed to know. It was clear from the look on Willow's half-hidden face that something had happened to upset her.

"Willow, sweetie, what happened? Where did you see Jeff? Is he still alive? Did you hurt him, maybe some maiming?" There was no way she could imagine what Willow was going through at that moment. No way for her to know how it would feel to meet the deadbeat dad of the wonderful kid upstairs. She sat gingerly on the chair arm, putting her arm around Willow's shoulders.

"He was at the mall. Signing autographs." The red head whispered at last.

"Jackass." Buffy hissed, her voice full of barely leashed hatred.

"He didn't know, Buffy."

"He - What?"

"He didn't know. He never got the letters. Matt destroyed them - hid the entire thing from him." There were fresh tears running down Willow's face now She sniffled, reaching for a box of tissue on one of the end tables.

Buffy was silent for a moment and then, "And you believe him?"

"Amazingly - yes." Willow murmured. "You should have seen his face, Buff. When he realized he was looking into his son's eyes. Or when he realized what his brother has done… I felt so bad for him." She laughed hollowly. "Silly little Willow - always feeling sorry for someone else."

"You're not silly, Wills. You're, well, -you-. And being empathetic is what makes you all Willow-y." She brushed a strand of hair from the red head's forehead, happy to see that the tears had stopped for the time being. "So - what did the two of you talk about? Is he going to be a part of Jakob's life or --?"

"He says he will. We didn't get much time to talk. He had to go to the arena to basically kick Matt's ass. Or, at least, that's what I understood from the entire thing. I gave him the house number to call me later."

As if on cue, the phone chose that moment to ring.

Buffy arched one delicately shaped eyebrow, her eyes full of question. "Do you want me to get it?"

Willow nodded, holding her breath to see who it could possibly be. It was too early for the show to be over, in fact it would be starting soon. Tapings on the west coast were earlier than those on the east coast so that it could air at the normal time in the east.

"It's for you, Wills."

The red head took the phone, giving Buffy a silent thanks with her eyes. The blonde hadn't said anything more than was enough to greet the person on the other end of the line. She could have said so much more, the things she had pent up inside of her from almost two years of seeing Willow suffer. But she didn't.

"Hello?" Willow asked quietly.

"Hey. This is Jeff…"

She felt her lips turn up in a small smile despite the time that had passed between them or the animosity that she had felt for him for so long. It felt good to know that he hadn't been a deadbeat. He hadn't even known. "Hi. Little early for the show to be over, isn't it?"

"Yeah - hasn't started yet. I wanted to call you and ask you to watch. It's me versus Matt tonight. Just for you."

"I don't know…" She whispered. "I haven't watched since - "

"Believe me. This will be good - He's going to get a small taste of what he deserves. It's the first match of the night. You don't have to watch the whole show or anything like that."

Willow nodded, more to herself than to him. Her voice was soft when she replied, "Okay. We'll watch. Nine o'clock, right?"

"Yep. I'll call you when the show's over. Give Jakob my love."

And then he was gone. Willow handed the phone to Buffy. "He wants me to watch the show tonight. He challenged Matt to a match… for me."

"Wow, Wills. He just found out a little while ago and already he's beating up his brother for you - that's what I'd call a good sign." She paused. "Are we going to watch?"

"I told him I would. Jakob's party should be over by then." She gestured absently to the bags she had brought in the house with her. They had the last few things needed for the party, a few small decorations and favors that she had picked up in a daze after Jeff had left the mall. It had been hard to carry on like normal. The chores she had needed to get done took twice the normal time simply because she had not had the willpower to do them any more expediently. "We'll put him to bed and then sit down and watch it - just like old times."

Buffy nodded, fully aware that it wouldn't be 'just like old times'. This time it was different. This time it was Willow watching the father of her baby beat the living hell out of her baby's uncle.

~*~*~

The crowd went wild as the music for Team Xtreme rocked through the darkened arena. The cries of excitement soon faded to confusion as Jeff Hardy came out, accompanied only by Lita.

"Making his way to the ring, accompanies by Lita, Jeff Hardy!"

Lillian's voice echoed through the arena, bouncing off the walls and inciting the crowd back to their previous frenzied state. She watched, concerned, as Jeff slid in the ring, Lita staying on the outside at his corner. She knew who was coming out next - had to know it because of her job; but she had no clue what had happened between the tag team to bring things to this. Jeff held out his hand for the mic.

But he never had a chance to take it from her.

The Titan Tron came to life in its ever glorious fashion. Jeff recognized the scene that was about to play out immediately. It was the one he had been a part of only a half hour before in Matt's locker room. He should have guessed that someone would get it all on camera and, as he watched it play out, he had to admit it was better this way. It told the fans, the guys in the back, what was going on without him ever having to explain a word of it. There was a shocked rustling of cloth as the video footage ended, the fans turning to one another, murmuring in shocked confusion. He took the mic Lillian still held in her outstretched hand, nodding in acceptance at her barely whispered apology for what had happened to him.

"I told you earlier we had a match tonight, big brother." Jeff began, his eyes fixed firmly on the head of the ramp. "Now get your lying, disgusting ass out here so I can beat the living crap out of you."

Their music came on again, this time for Matt. Instead of the cheers his brother had received, the dark haired Hardy found himself greeted by boos and angry calls. He had a mic in his hand and he held it up to his mouth, his tone resigned. "I don't want to do this, Jeff."

"I don't really give a damn what you -want-, Matt." Jeff snarled, pacing back and forth behind the front rope of the ring. "-I- would have wanted to be there for the first year of my son's life! Now get your sorry ass down here before I come and get you!"

~*~*~

Xander turned to Willow, his mouth open. "Wills…is this true? I mean, of course it is. But…?"

Willow smiled sadly. "Yeah, Xan. It's the truth." She held up her hands, shrugging. Upstairs Jakob was sleeping and on the screen his father was dealing out a lesson in pain to Matt. She hadn't wanted Xander to be there for this, but there was no way to get him to leave the house without seeming suspicious. And he was going to find out eventually. Why not in the full dramatic style of the show he loved the most? "Now you know…"

"Now I know." Xander nodded. He laughed, pulling her close to him so that he could kiss her forehead. "Jeff Hardy, huh?"

~*~*~

Jeff slammed Matt's head into the ring post, the dull thud it made music to his ears. The crowd was on their feet, roaring for him to finish it. And didn't he have something to do? Somewhere to be? He let his brother's semi-conscious body fall to the ring, kicking it into place with a violent motion. He climbed up, saluting the crowd for what could be the last time, and then dove. He twisted in mid-air, landing heavily on Matt.

"That's enough." Lita called out from their corner.

And Jeff agreed with her. He had done enough damage tonight to let him sleep a little easier at night. It would be a long time before Matt forgot this. And maybe one day when this whole thing didn't hurt quite as much they could get back to being brothers again. That day would be long in coming, though. For now he had things to do. A son to get to know. Not to mention the mother of his child.

He lay over his brother, letting the referee do the three count. When his hand was raised in victory he hardly cared. This was it. If he ever came back to the WWE it wouldn't be as Matt's partner and it certainly wouldn't be for a long, long time.

And so he motioned for a mic again, and proceeded to tell the fans exactly that.

They'd understand. More so than Matt ever had.

~*~Part Twelve~*~

Willow didn't realize how much time had passed until RAW came to a close. She yawned, stretching her arms over her head, and closing her eyes.

"He didn't call." Buffy glowered. "They should have finished taping five hours ago and he didn't call."

The red head blinked open her sleepy eyes, giving Buffy a stern look. "C'mon Buff. Give the man the benefit of the doubt. For all we know he had some things to wrap up before he was free to call. I mean… he did quit tonight."

It had come as quite a shock to everyone in the room when Jeff Hardy had taken the mic after his match with Matt, telling the live audience and the fans at home that he was leaving the WWE. For good or not, he didn't know yet. But he needed some time off, to take care of some things in his life. He hadn't said what those things were, but it had been obvious. He was a father now. How good of a father could he be if he was on the road all the time?

"Fine. But if he doesn't call soon I'm gonna hunt him down and hurt him badly - whether you give me permission this time or not." Like the red head, she hoped that Jeff had taken the time off to spend time getting to know Jakob. There was still that little part of her, though, that distrusted him. She couldn't find it within her to go from hating him to trusting him implicitly in less than a day. It would take much longer than that and would probably only come after months, if not years, of seeing Jeff treat his son like the little god that he was.

And if he ever hurt Willow again he was good as dead.

Willow smiled, touched after all this time by the way Buffy was willing to protect her. True, her threats usually were of a very physical nature and involved things that would probably get her thrown in jail, but it was the thought that counted.

"Wonder who that could be…" Buffy frowned, glaring at the door. The previous knock came again and she sighed, pulling herself from the comfort of her armchair. The time on the VCR clock read nearly quarter past 11. It was definitely too late for a door-to-door salesperson, or even a Jehovah's Witness. She put her eye to the peephole. "It's for you, Wills."

"Hmm?" The young witch murmured sleepily, twisting around in her chair to stare into the foyer. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes, wondering if the sight would disappear. When it was apparent she wasn't just delusional, the red head smiled. "Hi, Jeff. Come sit down? I'm too tired to get up."

The wrestler smirked, walking into the living room. He sat down in a chair opposite Willow, his eyes wandering discreetly over what he could see of the house. It was furnished nicely, well-kept. It definitely didn't look like the horror images he had had in his mind of a home where a single-mother was raising a baby.

~*~*~

Buffy watched from the doorway, giving Lita a smile. She wasn't sure why the other woman was there, but she held no hard feelings to her. The red haired wrestler had been through a hell of a day all on her own. "Want ice cream?" Buffy offered. "It helped when Riley and I broke up. Besides, I think they need time alone, without us being all watchful-like."

Lita nodded. "I'll pass on the ice cream - but do you think I could possibly see Jakob? Jeff's like a brother to me…"

The Slayer grinned, gesturing with a crooked finger for Lita to follow her up the stairs. "Good. He'll have another auntie to spoil him."

~*~*~

"Was that Lita I just saw or am I really that damn tired?" She turned her head more, trying to see up the stairs, but it was impossible.

"No - it was Lita. But I'm guessing you probably are pretty tired, too." He laughed softly. Lita had come with him rather than stay at the arena or go back to the hotel where Matt could find her. She didn't want to face her ex anymore than Jeff wanted to face him. She had asked for, and been granted, a one month leave of absence. She, too, wasn't sure of where she was going anymore. Matt had been her life for so long and now she didn't have him anymore. She needed to rediscover who she was and maybe this time off would help her do that.

Willow nodded. She stared into the eyes of the man she had slept with only once, so many months before, and became aware of how haunted they looked. "I'm sorry, Jeff… I can only imagine what it was like to find out about Matt…"

"Matt is a jerk." Jeff frowned. "He was always more worried about his career than anything else. This time he went too far." He wouldn't lie to her, though. It did hurt. Like hell, even. Matt may as well be dead for all he meant to Jeff now. "Is Jakob asleep?"

"Unless Buffy and Lita just woke him up." She frowned. "I hope they didn't. He's a little nightowl. Hard to get him to sleep at night."

"You sound just like a mom." Jeff smiled.

"Well - that's 'cause I am, Mister." She stuck out her tongue at him, too tired to be serious.

He chuckled. "You're just as cute as I remembered."

Willow froze, her heart thudding wildly. Was that a compliment he had just given her? She blushed. "Thanks." And then. "Did you really think about me for the past year and, oh, nine months?"

"Yeah. And let me tell you it made it damn hard to get a girlfriend." He snorted. "I've been the most eligible bachelor in the WWE since that night." He sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you and say I love you, Willow. And I certainly don't expect you to love me. But I always thought I'd like to get to know you better and now there's some incentive. Will you give me that chance? I want to make this right."

She looked at him then, really looked, and saw that he was worn out and tired. His eyes were sad, filled with a weight she knew all too well. It was the same pain she had carried on her own since she had found out about Jakob; it was the pain of loss. "Was what you said after the match tonight true? Are you retiring?"

Jeff shrugged. "On the paperwork it says 'long-term vacation'. I may go back. I may not. Right now its not where I want to be."

"And where do you want to be?" She asked, serious as last. "North Carolina is sort of far from Jakob. And we're not really up to moving there. This -" She gestured around her, meaning the house and the city it was in. "Is all I've ever known."

"I wouldn't ask you to move." Jeff murmured. He leaned forward, shortening the distance between himself and Willow by a few inches. "And I don't plan on going back there either - except to get some of my things. I was actually thinking of getting an apartment somewhere nearby. I meant what I said, Willow. I want to get to know you and Jakob. I want to have a shot at a normal life."

Willow almost laughed aloud. There was so much he didn't know about her, about Sunnydale. He would need to be brought up to speed on all things Hellmouthy, but not tonight. Those stories were best saved for the light of day. "Sounds like a good goal." She agreed, a smile tugging at her lips. "It's late, Jeff. And I'm tired. I'm sure you are, too. Do you have a hotel yet?"

Jeff shook his head. "We were just worried about getting here."

"How did you find me anyway?" The red head asked, her brow creased in confusion. She had never given him her address, only phone number.

"Lita called up the phone company and sweet talked some guy into doing a reverse lookup on your phone number." Jeff smirked. "Poor sap handed over the info without even an argument."

Willow laughed. "You can stay in the bedroom. Oh, wait, there's only the one bed and two of you guys."

"Couch is good for me, if that's okay?"

"You're not taking the couch, Lita." Jeff teased, giving the red haired wrestler a smile as she entered the room, Buffy beside her. She looked as though she was at peace and Willow's friend was smiling. Whatever they had talked about had been good for Lita, there was no doubt. "I'm still too much of a gentleman for that." He turned to Willow. "Is it okay if -I- sleep on the couch?"

"Sure." Willow smirked. "Don't be surprised if you get woken up in the morning by Buffy's sister, though. Apparently she was a closet WWE fan this entire time."

"Yeah - suddenly it makes sense why she always wanted to go over Xander's house on Monday nights." Buffy smirked. "I'll go get some extra blankets and pillows from upstairs."

"I'll go get our bags from the car." Lita offered, grabbing the keys from Jeff and heading outside. It looked like things were going to be okay for Jeff and Willow. And, after talking with Buffy and deciding that maybe she just needed to take her own 'long-term vacation', Lita knew things were going to be okay for herself, too.

And Jakob -did- need another Auntie hanging around to spoil him senseless, after all.

~*~Part Thirteen~*~

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Jeff arched an eyebrow at the two red heads standing in front of him. The one on the right, Lita, was like a sister to him. The one on the left was the mother of his child, and someone he had come to care for very much over the last year and a half. He gave them a smile. "Yeah - I'm sure. Why?" His question was directed at Willow. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Willow shook her head, stepping close enough to lay a gentle hand on his chest. "No, sweetie. No second thoughts. Just making sure you were still ok with all of this -" She gestured with a broad sweep of her hand, indicating so much more than just the room they were in. Her green eyes were bright with excitement, the sly twist of her lips hinted at amusement. Their eyes met and she felt her body respond much in the same way it usually did, with desire. It was difficult to believe that not even two years ago she had despised him with all of her heart for leaving her to raise their son by herself. Now she couldn't go a day without him, didn't want to ever be apart from him or their son.

She had, to put it simply, fallen head over heels in love.

It was quite mutual. Jeff had no qualms about showing her exactly how much he loved her at anytime and in anyplace he chose. Dawn had walked in on them 'acting like teenagers' more than once before they had taken the final step and moved in together. Jakob had his own room at the apartment, and her and Jeff shared and bed. Lita lived next door. It was very much like the things she had once pictured for herself - a home with a child and a -

A what?

He was so much more than her boyfriend or even lover. He was the father of her child. The one who not only tucked Jakob in at night, but her as well. He went grocery shopping with her and took Jakob to his checkups. He did all those things a good husband would do, including taking out the trash and helping with the dishes. But he wasn't her husband, just a domestic partner of sorts. They had never spoken of marriage, though Willow assumed that one day, if they stayed together long enough, it would come naturally. Maybe it was the normalcy of everything that had finally driven him to say what she had feared he would say all along.

He wanted to go back to the WWE.

But, not alone. He wanted her with him, and Jakob too. Lita had said if Jeff was coming back she'd be right there with him. Willow envied the relationship the two of them had sometimes. She had never had a sibling, but what she felt between Jeff and Lita was the idealistic representation of a sister and her older brother. He was there for her and she was there for him. They had each other's backs. It was like what she and Xander had, but much closer.

They had discussed the logistics of having a toddler along on the hectic life Jeff would be returning to, and they had decided that it would be no worse than the child growing up on the Hellmouth. At least they could prepare for the things that happened backstage at most wrestling matches - the things on the Hellmouth were another story. Willow could watch Jakob while Jeff was doing his thing. And then they would all go back to their hotel together. It would still be a family setting, just a different one from what she was used to. She had no doubt Jakob would enjoy it thoroughly, especially since he would get to be around Uncle Christian and Uncle Edge more than ever. They were his favorite uncles, second only to Uncle Xander.

And so, here they were, backstage at the arena. No one knew they were there except for Vince and Debra. It was going to be a surprise for not just the fans, but the guys and girls backstage.

"Who are you facing tonight, again?" Willow asked, biting her lower lip worriedly.

"Some new guy named Maven." Jeff smirked. "I gotta work my way back up to getting to fight the veterans." His voice held a slight edge of trepidation. A year and a half was a long time to be out of this business. He had been working out every day in anticipation of this moment. Lita had helped, and even Willow. The first time his woman had gotten in the ring with him had been a hellish moment, but she had shown quickly that she could take most of what he gave, and give back some in return. Years on the Hellmouth had taught her a thing or two about self-defense.

And that had led to the second surprise of the night.

~*~*~

"Making his way to the ring, accompanied by Nidia, Maven!!!!"

Debra looked towards the door of the locker room she had stashed Jeff and company away in, giving them all a big smile. The room was only one door down from the entrance to the ramp, making it the perfect place to hide her little surprises. Jakob was sitting on the floor, watching a children's tape someone had popped into the VCR. He wouldn't be a problem for her. She loved children, after all. "Go on - get out there." She watched them go, listening through the open door as Lillian called out their names.

~*~*~

"And now, making his way to the ring, accompanied by Willow and Lita, Jeff Hardy!"

The fans went wild, jumping to their feet and screaming their appreciation of the treat they had just been given. Jeff Hardy was back in the WWE. And Lita, too. Not to mention the cute new red head.

"King, is that who I think it is?"

"Yes, JR, it's Jeff Hardy. He hasn't been gone that long, are you going senile?"

"Not him, you nimwit. Willow. Wasn't that the woman that caused the breakup between the Hardyz? Isn't she the mother of his child?"

"You know, JR, I think you're right."

Willow smirked, holding her head high as she made her way down the ramp, her hand holding onto Jeff's. He jumped onto the apron, leading her up the steps and then into the ring. She looked marvelous out here, underneath the spotlights. She was glowing, radiant with the moment. "They love you, Jeff."

He grinned, leaving her in the center of the ring. He jumped up onto the second rope in one corner, posing for the crowd. It felt good to be back, out here. He hadn't quite realized what he was missing until just right this moment. To say he was addicted to the cheering, the screaming, wasn't quite right. He could leave it and still be perfectly happy, though there would always be a part of him that felt like something was missing. This was that missing thing - fan adoration. He basked in it, making his way, as though he had all the time in the world, to each corner of the ring. Camera flashes went off, almost blinding in their intensity and frequency. Finally, after the last corner, he stepped back to the center of the ring, winking to the red head standing in his corner and kissing the one standing right in front of him. Again the crowd roared. Many of them no doubt remembered the reason why he had left the WWE. Did they know that Willow was the mother of his child? That she was the most important thing in his life?

They broke from the kiss and he led her to the corner, holding down the second rope so that she could slide out. Once she had joined Lita on the outside the match began in earnest. It was like he had never left. His arms and legs responded as though they knew what to do without his brain to command him. It took, literally, all of five minutes for him to lay Maven out in the ring. Nidia was pissed, but didn't dare try something with both Lita and Willow waiting to jump her ass at any wrong move. The referee did the three count and the crowd went wild. He smirked, letting the referee raise his hand in victory. And, in his corner, Willow was looking at him the way he loved, her eyes full of emotions so deep and strong that they would burn him to the bone if they ever found tangible form. It was the look of passion and pride. He was hers, and she knew it.

He stepped to the far side of the ring, motioning for Lillian to give him the mic.

"I'd like to thank all of ya'll for that warm welcome back." He was speaking to the crowd, but his eyes were for Willow only. "I'd like to do something here, right now, in front of all of you, that I should have done a long time ago." He fished in his pocket, pulling out the little box he had stashed there before the match.

Willow's eyes went wide. Suddenly she could no longer hear the crowd, or the annoying announcers at the table right behind her. All she could hear was the frantic pounding of her own heart as Jeff went down on one knee, in the center of the ring, the box open. She could see the ring gleaming even from that distance. It looked to be a beauty. But that didn't matter to her. She would have accepted a simple band with nothing on it if it meant what he was asking her right at that moment.

"Willow. You are the mother of our beautiful son and now, I was wondering if you'd like to marry me?" His voice was little-boy hopeful.

"Of course!" She screamed. Someone thrust a mic in front of her face, the blonde announcer she noticed absently, and she repeated her response for the audience to hear as well. "Of course, Jeff."

He grinned, sliding out of the ring and picking her up in his arms. Their lips met for another kiss, this one not so nearly as chaste as the one she had given him before the match. And then they walked up the ramp, hand in hand, a smiling Lita behind them. There were people in the back just waiting to pounce on them, he knew. And Debra needed to be relieved of Jakob. Jakob, the miracle that had brought Willow back into his life and changed things forever. He squeezed Willow's hand, clearing the backstage curtains. They were all there, the friends that had been faithful to him 'til the end. Most of them had never met Willow. And, with the exception of Edge and Christian, none of them had ever met Jakob.

Jeff grinned, pulling Willow against him and began to introduce his future wife to his extended 'family', confident in the fact that everything was going to be okay. They had each other and that was really all that mattered.

~*~The End~*~

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