He sat watching her, wondering what she was thinking 
about. He always wanted to know what was going on in 
her mind. He could watch her for hours and never be 
bored by it. 

It was as if she had some power to enthrall him and he 
was powerless to do anything about it. Not that he 
would ever want to. 

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, bringing 
him out of his musings. 

"Oh.. noth... nothing at all," he lied. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Umm... quite." 

"Okay," she said smiling at him, before going back to 
the book she was reading, smiling to herself. 

She often wondered what her husband was thinking about 
when he stared at her for long moments of time. Of 
course there where occasions when she would do the 
same thing. 

She sighed. 

She loved looking at her husbands face was when he was 
sleeping, all the worries he had to deal with, faded 
into memory. She could see how the tension drained 
from his face, and left behind the man she had fallen 
in love with so many years ago. Holding on to her book 
with one hand, she reached out with the other and 
smiled when she felt him take it. 

Making a decision, Willow closed the book she was 
reading and placed it on the coffee table, without 
releasing her grip. She looked at their entwined hands 
and noticed just how different they were. His hand, 
covered hers like a blanket. His hands had held not 
only weapons with a sense of duty and purpose, but she 
had seen them comfort, when it seemed like nothing 
else would help. Felt them trace her body, and send 
her spiraling to heights of passion she wasn't aware 
even existed. 

These hands had and still hold the promise of so many 
things. Had held their children with such reverence 
that it made her catch her breath each time. She 
looked up to the man she called friend, lover, 
soul-mate, peer, husband, and wanted nothing else but 
to be with him. 

Willow got up from the couch and pulled him up towards 
her, wrapping her arms around him, drawing on the 
inner strength he oozed. 

"Are you alright?" he asked. 

"Yeah. I just love you," she said. She felt his body 
shiver with her words. 

"I love you dearest." 

"Rupert?" 

"Yes Willow?" he answered, holding on to the person 
who had shown him what life was supposed to be, not 
the sham he had fooled himself with for so long. 

"Marry me." 

"What?" 

"Marry me," she said looking up. 

He was going to tell her that they were already 
married, then the look on her face changed his mind. 

"Yes, Willow. I'll marry you." 

"Good. Now kiss me." 

"Always dearest, always," he replied before bringing 
his lips to hers. 

***** 

"What are you doing?" Emily asked her older brother as 
they moved away from the door that led to the study. 

"Do you want to see Mom and Dad kissing each other?" 
Ryan answered. 

"I like it," Emily told him as they went back into the 
kitchen. 

"You would you're a girl," he said. 

"Hey squirt, where are they?" 

"Sorry Uncle Xan, they're in the study... kissing," Ryan told his Uncle.

"Again? What is it with them," Xander said smiling. He wasn't supposed to arrive for another hour, but he thought he'd surprise them. "Hey, lets say we go outside, I'm dying to try out the swing," he said.

"Uncle Xander, you'll break it," Emily explained to him as if he were a child, while Ryan shook his head. His sister didn't know their Uncle long enough to realize when he was joking.

"Nah, I'm sure it'll hold up for me," he said, before heading outside and straight for the swing set.

Ryan stared at him. 'He wouldn't, would he?' he thought. "UNCLE XANDER... WAIT... MOM... DAD!!" he cried out as Xander squeezed himself into swing.

*****

"Xander's early I see," Rupert said, as they left the study and went into the kitchen. They both looked out to the backyard and saw their children trying to get Xander off the swing set.

"We better get out there before someone gets hurt," Willow said, making her way to the back door.

"I'm sure Ryan and Emily are alright..."

"I wasn't talking about them," she said smiling and stepping out into the sun.

"You have a point there," he muttered to himself as he joined his family.

The End