"It's such a hardship, isn't it? Not to mention the fact that it apparently turns you into Xander."

"Xander's complained about getting out of bed to you?" She squeezed his hand. "Is there something you need to tell me about you and my best friend?"

"Xander always complained about doing anything." He squeezed her hand in return. "But most especially walking anywhere." He pushed his way underneath a branch then stepped aside and held it out of her way. "But if it makes you feel any better, you're not going to have to walk the next leg of the trip."

Willow joined him in the clearing, catching her breath at the sight in front of her. A small, private helicopter was sitting there, its propeller silent. "What is that?"

"And I thought you were the smart one."

"Giles…"

"It's our transportation for the next leg of our trip."

"And we're going where?"

"That, my love, is part of the surprise."

"Surprise is right."

He walked over to the door on the side of the vehicle and tossed the bag into the pilot. "Come now, Willow, have I disappointed you yet?"

Her smile, which had been surprised, instantly became lustful. "Not yet."

"Well, I don't intend to start now."

They didn't talk at all as the helicopter rushed them from the outskirts of town to the nearest airport. Instead, Willow simply looked at the man she was married to, seeing things in him she'd never noticed before. Seeing so many of the things that he hid behind his job.

His eyes sparkled at the secrets he was keeping from her, delighting in her expressions every time the next one was revealed. He'd seemed younger and happier as they explored the woods as they made their way to the landing pad, showing her things she might not have noticed or understood.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought of him teaching her things for the rest of her life, sharing everything with each other as they found new information or ideas. She reached out and touched his cheek; careful not to touch the headset he wore to keep out the noise of the helicopter. He turned to look at her, a smile lighting his face.

She couldn't wait to see his eyes when some nameless, faceless nurse placed their children in his hands. She couldn't wait to be beside him as he knelt down to show their child something it had never seen before. Tears sparkled in her eyes, dancing in the sunlight, as she realized that he was hers for a lifetime now. Knowing that he wouldn't hear her, she smiled a watery smile and mouthed the words "I love you."

He nodded, his eyes telling her more than words could ever say. "And I you," he said. Willow knew that there was no way she could hear him over the rush of air, but somehow she felt as if she had.

Giles took a deep breath as he settled back into his seat on the plane. While the helicopter ride had been exhilarating, the thought of doing nothing but relaxing for a couple of hours was a bit like heaven. They'd rushed from the helicopter landing pad to the terminal, making it to their plane just moments before they were finished boarding. Fortunately, he'd reserved first class seats, so they'd slipped easily into place.

Now, as they waited in line for tower clearance, he let himself stop worrying. He'd spent the past few weeks plotting and planning without telling anyone of what he had in store for Willow on their honeymoon and then the past few days, he'd regretted every single decision he'd made. But so far, she had eagerly accepted them all, if the delight in her eyes was any indication.

She shifted in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. He reached over and smoothed her hair back from her cheek, affording himself a view of the soft blush of sleep on her skin. He was a very lucky man.

She was like a light in his life, bringing out the child and the young man in him, allowing him the space he needed for himself that, before her, had been swept up in being a Watcher and, before that, in being Ripper. With Willow, he allowed himself to be all three.

He closed his own eyes; the image of her burned in his mind years ago. He saw her as she was, sleeping contentedly, feeling safe in his presence. The thought of her safety brought to mind the things she'd told him that morning. His wife and his Slayer were safe. His family was safe. Opening his eyes, he reached over and touched Willow's stomach. "I haven't forgotten your promise, you know," he whispered.

Willow's voice was a soft breath against his ear. "I haven't either."

Willow stepped off her second helicopter of the day and inhaled deeply. They hadn't had much time at the airport to do much more than rush to the landing pad to catch the next leg of their flight, but now she slipped her hand into Giles' and simply breathed.

"It smells amazing."

"Still not as good as you." He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her. Pulling her close, he easily fell into step with her as they walked to the waiting car.

"Where are we again?"

"Washington."

"And we're going?"

"Snoqualmie Falls." He opened the door for her as the driver loaded their bags into the trunk. He slid in beside her. "And I'm not telling you anything more. You're just going to have to wait."

She snuggled against him, sighing contentedly. "I can do that."

Giles watched Willow's face carefully as they walked inside the lodge, delighting as her eyes brightened and her cheeks flushed. Guiding her to the front desk, he placed his hand at the small of her back and pushed her forward.

The concierge smiled. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," she glanced back at Giles and smiled. "You have a reservation for Mr. and Mrs. Rupert Giles?"

His grin widened. "Ah yes, the newlyweds. Of course. The honeymoon suite is waiting for you." He raised his hand for the bellhop.

Giles stepped forward to sign the bill. "We'd like to check into the room later and explore now, if that's all right?"

"Certainly, although the view of the falls is particularly stunning at night."

The newlyweds shared a look. "We'll keep that in mind." Giles leaned down. "Wait here a moment?"

Willow nodded as he disappeared into the gift shop. He returned a few moments later, carrying a small bag.

"Ready?"

She laced her fingers with his as they started for the doors. "Not to mention willing and able."

"Even better."

Willow followed the sidewalk along the fence until she reached the viewing gazebo. Stepping onto the platform, she caught her breath and stopped, not even noticing as Giles barely avoided running into her. "It's beautiful."

The sound of the falls echoed through the valley, as gallons upon gallons of water plunged hundreds of feet down to the waiting river below. Giles put a hand on her shoulder and guided her to the edge. "It is, isn't it?" He watched her watch the falling water, not caring if he ever saw another thing. "There's a hydro-electric plant nearby that uses the falls. The lodge uses it to lure tourists here and I believe it was used in a television series. That's what they told me over the phone, at least."

"It's amazing. Can we…" She stopped, looking around at all the people taking pictures and talking. "Never mind."

He smiled and read her mind. "There's a trail that leads down to the water. Would you like to hike down it? It would require more walking."

She nodded enthusiastically. "I'd very like." Glancing at the bag in his hand, she narrowed her eyes. "What exactly is in there?"

"A picnic. I thought you might want to explore, so I came prepared."

"Did you actually bring something edible or is it all sexually motivated?" She whispered as they walked past a couple with two young children.

He coughed, trying to hide his laughter. "I got crackers and cheese, a bottle of wine and some napkins. I suppose that could be construed as sexually motivated."

"Darn right." She nodded again. "And I love you for it." They reached the start of a set of cement steps. "Is this it?"

"I believe so."

"Excuse me, folks?"

They stopped and turned to face a young man. "Yes?"

"It's starting to look like rain. You might want to be careful going down there. The stairs can get a little slippery."

"Thank you." Giles smiled at him. "We'll take care."

"And it's not lit after dark. We try and discourage people from going down to the water after dark."

"We'll be back long before then," he promised him. "Thanks again."

Twenty minutes later, they reached the bottom of the steps and both looked up. The falls seemed huge from this angle, filling the entire horizon. Willow turned her attention to the gazebo, which was practically hidden from their view by the foliage. "Where to now?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "Shall we just walk until we find some place nice and flat to eat our lunch?"

"Is that really why you want a flat surface?" She started off, walking toward the falls before he could answer. Giles followed her, a wide grin on his face.

"We'll see, won't we?"

They walked for several minutes until Willow came across a small clearing at the base of the falls. It was far enough away that only a fine mist drifted through occasionally. "This is nice?" She bent down and touched the ground. "Not too wet."

"Good thing I dressed down."

She raised her eyebrows at his jeans, T-shirt and the long sleeved shirt he wore over it. "A very good thing. You look yummy."

He returned her stare, sweeping his eyes over her jeans and tight T-shirt. "As do you." He sat down next to a stump and pulled the package of napkins out of the bag he'd carried. Spreading them out on the stump, he pulled out the other packages as well. The bottle of wine was small, but perfect for just the two of them. "Shall I get you drunk and take advantage of you?"

"Would you please?" She walked over to him and knelt behind him. Her hands rested on his shoulders, massaging them gently. She leaned forward just a bit, her breath warm against his ear. "We could make love here, the waterfall bathing us in its mist."

He closed his eyes and released the breath he was holding. "You're not hungry?" His voice was like liquid heat in her veins.

"Not for cheese and crackers."

He took her hand and pulled her around into his lap. "I guess that just leaves the ravishing, hmm?"

Willow barely had time to nod before his mouth met hers. He teased her, licking her parted lips before letting his tongue slip inside. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close to her. Arching her back, she rubbed her breasts against him, feeling more than hearing the low growl that escaped from him.

His hands went to work, easing her T-shirt from her waistband and tugging it up so that he could slip his hands underneath it and touch her soft skin. Willow pulled back to catch her breath, showering his face with soft, sweet kisses as she did so. He lifted her shirt, forcing her to pull away even more so that he could slip it over her head.

"You're too good to me," he whispered as he tilted her body back against his hands and lowered his mouth to her bare breasts. His tongue and teeth teased her left breast, nipping at the bud hardening in the cool air. The mist from the waterfall was lighting on her skin, giving it the presence of dew-kissed flowers.

Willow struggled for breath, unable to do more than make short, shallow pants. She tried to push his shirt from his shoulders, almost crying in frustration when she couldn't. Giles forced himself away from the delectable treat of her breast to change his hold on her so that he could slip both of his shirts off.

"Oh," she cried as he bared his chest. Crushing herself to him, she swept her breasts against his chest, ruffling the hair and causing his own nipples to harden to match hers.

Giles shivered from her touch, his hands working their way between them. Catching her hips, he pushed her away. "Just a moment, love."

"No. No moments." She moved forward again, kissing her way up his neck before nibbling on his earlobe.

"This will be much easier if we're both wearing less." He managed to say before closing his eyes and tilting his head, giving in to her hot mouth.

Willow, trembling from desire, pulled away and moved off his body. She nodded. "Right. Practical. Must be practical."

Giles lunged forward, pinning her to the ground. "On second thought, screw the practical." His lips were hot as they found her throat, sucking on the warm flesh. He kissed his way along her collarbone then moved back to her breasts. Willow dug her nails into his shoulders as he devoured her body, tasting as much of her as her partially clothed state would let him.

Her whole body was weak as his hands unfastened her jeans and tugged them down. In the rational part of her mind, she was grateful that he'd managed to pin her to a nice cushioned grassy part of the clearing so that she was comfortable on the ground. The rest of her mind was a swirl of lust and love, desire and need.

Rolling off of her, Giles fumbled around for his shirt. Finding it, he slipped a hand under her waist and lifted her off the ground. Moving the shirt underneath her, he smiled weakly. "Better?"

"Not yet."

He looked worried until he felt her hands at his belt. She managed to undo it then unbutton the fly of his jeans. He stilled her hands and stood. He moved between her legs, guiding her own jeans and panties down a little lower then slipped his own down before he knelt between her thighs. The clothing restricted her movement and Willow wiggled against the restraint.

He braced himself above her, using one hand to guide himself to her wet opening. The lack of mobility made entering her that much tighter. He felt his cock respond to the constriction. This was going to be a test of his endurance, if he intended to last long at all.

Willow let out a contented sigh as he slipped inside, and he felt the quick release of her first orgasm. "You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. "Nope."

"Then I'll return the favor." Taking a deep breath, he began moving. Slowly and deeply, each thrust seemed to last for an eternity, yet she whimpered with disappointment every time he pulled back. Her whole body was on fire as he dipped his head to kiss her or lick her skin, salty with sweat and the mist from the falls.

Then suddenly, as a roar of thunder filled the sky, his pace increased and he pumped inside her hard and fast, filling her fully before withdrawing almost completely then plunging in again. She wrapped her legs around his knees, making the passageway that much tighter until he could barely move, except to slam his hips to hers.

Rain began pouring down around them, soaking them both as Willow's thighs tightened against Giles and she shuddered, her climax overtaking her without a sound. Giles waited until it had subsided and she relaxed her legs, easing them back to his side. Only then, when her body was almost completely still, did he begin thrusting again, burying himself as deeply inside her as he could.

She moaned, bracing her feet on the ground and forcing herself up to meet his every thrust. "Just…a…a…bit more…" he panted, changing his rhythm to slow, deep thrusts. Willow arched up, meeting him and refusing to move. Giles moaned in relief as his orgasm filled her, letting his head slump forward as the rain continued to beat down on his back.

Giles watched Willow, as she stood naked, letting the rain wash any dirt away from her body. He held her clothes close to him, trying to keep them relatively dry, although he wasn't sure why, since they had a least a twenty minute walk up the steps in the rain. But it was an unconscious thing, as his whole being was focused on the curves of her body as she stretched, her body elongating gloriously.

"If I ever doubt why I married you, Willow, just do that again."

She dropped down from her tiptoes and looked at him, worry in her eyes. "What?"

"Just stand naked in front of me and stretch and I'll see the error of my ways."

She laughed and moved forward. Tugging her clothes out of his hands, she dropped them on the stump and moved into his arms. "What if I hug you naked?"

"That would probably work as well." He held her tightly before stepping back and taking her clothes. He shook out her shirt and offered it to her. "Come on and dress. The last thing I want to do when we return is explain how we both managed to catch pneumonia while staying in a luxury hotel."

"I think they might be able to figure it out."

"That doesn't comfort me, I have to admit." He waited as she dressed then gathered the picnic things they'd never eaten. "So in an effort to keep from having to hear their innuendo and insinuations, I was thinking it might be a wise idea to go back to the hotel and spend the rest of the night in front of the fire, keeping warm."

"You know," Willow started walking, casting a quick glance back at him. "I hear body heat is even better for keeping warm."

He caught up to her and slipped his flannel shirt over her shoulders. "Well, we'll have to put that theory to the test as well."