Thanks to:
-Melrose4
-MMWillow13

Giles and Willow moved into an apartment on the compound within the week. After the final box had been moved, they both took a walk together to share their "feelings" about the move. Order of one of the witches, and something Willow had grudgingly agreed to after much prodding from Giles. So now they strode down the dirt path, in comfortable silence. Neither feeling up to break the solitude they had found themselves in. Feelings and talking seemed to make everything to real. But of course Giles had to break it.

"How are you Willow?" He asked, his eyes looking to her than back to the path.

The witch sighed, "Nervous," she told him honestly. She'd never been more nervous now, and she knew that everyone could tell. She would fidget with her fingers, shift her eyes everywhere, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead. She hadn't felt like this in years, not since the days she'd had a crush on Xander.

Giles lips twitched upwards slightly, "And that's a normal feeling."

"I've only had one feeling since it happened...well two I guess if you think about it. But this is unusual." She paused for a breath and than continued. "I feel nervous for the future mostly, what if I withdraw? I'm not sure I'm ready for the full fledged emotional range of a young adult."

"What was your original feeling?" He had a few options but he wasn't sure which one it truly was. Was it pain, guilt, denial? Or was she talking about the anger she had felt that followed into nothing. He wasn't sure he knew which was better. He wanted her to feel but something about feeling nothing was better than feeling pain. But at the same time it wasn't better. They were both horrible.

Willow stopped and turned to look at him; the expression she held was dead serious. "Pain." The older man tried not to show the sorrow he held for that one word.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I've felt a few more lately."

Giles sighed at this, being nervous wasn't her first step out. "Such as?" He asked this and had them continue walking towards the compound.

"Need. I've felt a strong sense of need." The witch looked at Giles gauging his reaction. He looked slightly confused, but also in a state of understanding.

"A need for Tara I suppose," Willow shook her head at him.

"I haven't felt a need for her, for some reason I only feel an emptiness because she's gone...but no need." Willow was just as confused as he was at this. He would had assumed that the only need Willow would have would be for her best friend and lover, Tara. "I've just felt a need to connect to anybody. A real connection. Not just some shallow surface thing, but almost like a new lover. And even I don't get it. But I guess I realize that Tara is gone and I need somebody." She finished breathless and a little guilt shone in her eyes.

Giles lead them to sit on a stone before he spoke, "You lost Tara before this. You went through a period of sorrow and than she came back. Finally you lost her before you really got used to having her back. You've been in England for a month, and have gone through more pain and sorrow than a normal break-up. She didn't leave you, she died. Something in your mind has switched. You know deep down that she would still be with you, loving you, if she were here," Giles pressed his hand to her heart. "Your ready to move on because that's what Tara would want you to do."

Willow pressed her hand over his keeping it in place, "I know. But I still feel like I shouldn't need to connect so badly right now." Giles' laughter flowed through the air, Willow smiled along with it.

"Humans connect to humans, it's what we do; our main goal. Boy meets girl..well I suppose Girl meets girl in your case." Willow looked perplexed at him. He'd said that at complete ease.

Willow looked at her fingers once more, "Uh well that's the thing. I don't think I'm gay."

"No?"

The witch looked up at him and shook her head, "No. I think it was just Tara. I loved Tara but in a different way than I loved Oz." Giles felt a hope rise in him but than ebb away.

"It could be the magic," He removed his glasses from his head and started to clean them with his shirt.

"Why the magic?"

Giles continued clean, "Or all you've seen."

"Giles?" Willow tried to get his attention. "Giles?" She rose her voice.

"Hmmm? Oh right." The glasses returned to his face. Willow looked at him slightly confused, and he looked back at her in a way she couldn't place. There was something in his eyes she couldn't place. Hope?

"Care to explain?"

"Of course." Giles grabbed her hand, dwarfing her small one. "You look on the inside of someone, the basic physical properties not mattering to you at first. As soon as your in love with someones soul, you love their outside to. Gender is a physical property, and something you overlook when you see the good shining in someone."

Willow smiled, "That must be true." Giles felt his heart drop, could she see the darkness he held much more than a normal person would? He was darker than anybody should be. Just another reason she could never love him. Leaving him deeper in the rut he was already in. As if reading his mind, she spoke, "I see your light Giles and it far outweighs your dark."

"As does yours." He said followed by a smile that reached his eyes.

"Can I be honest?"

"Of course you can Will." He took a hold of her other hand, encouraging her to go on. She looked away from his eyes and down to their entwined hands.

The witch sighed, "I have feelings for you I can't explain. Feelings I probably shouldn't." What? Giles was surprised and confused at the same time, she couldn't have romantic feelings toward him, could she? He was just an old man who couldn't hold a relationship. How could she love him? How could he be the person she chose to have a connection to. Maybe she'd said it wrong.

Giles coughed, "Excuse me?"

"Sorry...I shouldn't expect you to return it." She started to stand from the rock. But an hand on her arm pulled her back down.

Giles took her chin in to two of his fingers and lifted her face up so their eyes met. "Yes you should. Anyone who wouldn't would be a fool. I'm just confused on why it's me."

"Does that mean you return it?"

Instead of confirming her question with words and leaned down and timidly pressed his lips to hers. He knew the coven was probably frowning at this, as he shouldn't be confusing the feelings of the witch but he had to show her he did return it. He returned it with all his heart had left. It was a chaste kiss, and when he pulled back he hadn't nearly had enough of the witch. It was all they could have at the moment without getting carried away. Her feelings where just returning to her.

"With all my heart Willow Rosenberg." Giles placed a hand on her cheek and let their foreheads meet. "I need you to be sure before we do anything. And I can't know you are until later after this whole process."

The witch sighed in relief, "Why can't you believe it?"

"I'm an old man Willow." Willow opened her mind to protest but Giles cut her off. "I know that's not a problem soul wise, as your soul is an old one. But socially we will never be accepted, people will think you've gone barmy. And I'm not sure this is genuine. I've the only one you've been around and you don't the whole me-"

Willow cut him, "I do Giles, I know the darkness that is in your heart." She placed a hand over his heart this time. "You've been cut up by someone you loved and it's all there loud and clear." He looked at her mouth agape. "But I will prove that I'm not crazy, cause I'm not."

"I'm not ready to start anything."

"Neither am I, but now I know it's there."

Giles nodded at her, and pulled them both from the stone where they had sat during the exchange. Taking her hand he lead her up to the compound, where she would soon start her lessons

You probably hate me now, and I'm sorry.
But you have to love this chapter, I know I do.
I needed a little romance, rough time lately.
Please review!
I'll try to update soon.

- Josie