Willow was still over at Giles' apartment early the next morning. The spell had worn off by the pre-dawn hours, but the two had a great deal to talk about that night and had continued on even after the effects of the spell had ceased. They had talked all through the night and watched the sunrise together, simply enjoying each other's company. They discussed all the mundane things they had ever thought of, and more. The spell had opened the doors, and they had passed the night away walking through them. It wasn't until well after dawn that Willow realized something.

"Buffy's probably going to be here soon." When Willow mentioned this, Giles automatically looked at the clock and checked the time.

"Indeed."

"What do you suppose we say to her?"

"Perhaps it's wise if we say nothing at all…"

"Are you suggesting that we pretend that nothing happened last night, Giles?"

"No! I'm not saying that at all. What I am trying to say is that it's only been one night, Willow. I don't think we should be hasty right now."

"Hasty? Are you embarrassed?" Giles took off his glasses as he tried to calm the redhead.

"Of course not, Willow. Don't believe that." Giles placed his hand gently on Willow's shoulder. "I had an incredible evening with you. I'm just not sure Buffy, or Xander for that matter, would understand right now. I think we need more time."

"You think Buffy and Xander would wig," Willow confirmed. She had to agree that Giles had a point. Neither one of her friends would be too pleased with what had happened the night before.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Giles muttered.

"I guess so. It's not every day something like this happens," Willow pointed out.

"I bloody well hope not," Giles muttered. It was then that Willow noticed the telltale coloring of Giles' neck. She quickly moved from his grasp and turned to face him, anger coloring her eyes.

"Giles! You're embarrassed!" Giles gave her a look to dispel her argument, but it didn't have the desired effect. "Don't deny it! You have that blushy look. You think we did something wrong, don't you?" She was clearly hurt by the idea. And upset.

"Willow, we've already discussed this. I do not believe that." Willow was not dissuaded.

"You think we did something wrong and you're too ashamed to admit it! You feel like you've taken advantage of some little girl. Well, I'm not some little girl, damn it! Need I remind you that I'm not in high school anymore, Giles." Giles reaction did little to calm her. "You bastard," she said coldly.

"I am well aware of how old you are, Willow. I'm not sure now is the appropriate time…" By that time, Giles had begun to raise his voice at her, which didn't help matters at all.

"You're afraid of what your precious Buffy will think," Willow hissed. The two combatants were standing by now, the battle in full swing.

"Buffy is very well aware of the fact that I have a personal life, Willow…"

"Yes, she is, but she's not going to feel the same way about her best friend being involved, will she? Not to mention the part where you're old enough to be my father, Giles. You're being a coward," Willow hissed. By this time, voices had been raised to a dangerous level and the two were standing toe to toe with each other. Willow seemed to take notice of something behind Giles, but the ex-Watcher was too upset himself to notice whatever Willow had seen. "Giles…"

"Willow," Giles shouted, "I think you're taking this whole bloody thing out of proportion! The fact that I kissed you last night…"

"YOU WHAT," Buffy's voice shrieked from the doorway behind Giles.

"Bloody hell," Giles muttered under his breath.

"…Buffy's here," Willow finished meekly, in a small voice. Giles took a deep breath and turned to face his Slayer, who stood in the doorway along with Riley. The petite blonde had a vicious look in her eyes, directed at Giles.

"Hello, Buffy," the ex-Watcher stuttered. Buffy didn't respond and Riley chose to stand by quietly and see how the situation went. Finally, after a few extremely intense moments, Buffy spoke.

"What is going on here, Giles, and you better start explaining quickly because before I get testy." The others already knew she had gone way beyond testy by that point.

"Buffy, would you please calm down…"

"You admit to taking advantage of my best friend…" Buffy said with a fire in her eyes.

"I did no such thing!"

"Then what the hell happened here Giles, because that's how it looks from here," the Slayer said coldly.

"What happened here," Giles began. He took a deep breath as he considered his answer. "Stay calm, Rupert. The girl's upset, and you can't blame her. And for God's sake, don't piss her off," he warned himself. He looked the Slayer in the eyes as he found his answer. "Absolutely none of your business," he finished evenly. Buffy shot him her most vicious look in return. Willow and Riley looked on the heated by-play, awestruck, neither willing to step in. They had never seen the Slayer fight this way with Giles, and neither one liked it.

"So getting it on with my best friend, who is easily half your age, doesn't qualify as my business?" By now, it had come to a cat fight between Watcher and Slayer and Willow and Riley could do nothing to stop it. They expected for it to get physical at any moment.

"Buffy, that was uncalled for…" Giles said, trying to reason with the angry Slayer.

"And pawing Willow was," Buffy snapped. Willow had had enough.

"Buffy, it didn't happen that way," the hacker whispered, trying to turn Buffy's attention away from Giles. She turned towards Willow and looked her best friend in the eye.

"How did it happen, Will? Did you guys suddenly wake up yesterday, get that starry look in your eyes and decide to play at being lust bunnies?" The sentence came out far colder than Buffy had intended, but she was too angry to care.

"Buffy, don't think that way! That's not it at all…"

"What am I supposed to think, Will? He's my Watcher! Things like this simply don't happen." Willow had reached the end of her rope. She walked briskly over to the door.

"Sometimes they do, Buffy," Willow said quietly, sternly. She looked up at Riley. "Can I borrow her," she asked the blonde TA. She looked over at Buffy with stern glance. "We have to have a nice long discussion before Miss Slayer here does something she'll regret." Riley nodded in acknowledgement of Willow's request and stood back to let them leave. Buffy had begun to open her mouth in protest, but Willow silenced her. "Resolve face," the witch declared. "We are going home." Willow then grabbed her friend and walked out the door, not bothering to say good-bye to anyone else and leaving Giles alone with Riley. The TA and the former Watcher stood in an awkward silence for some time before Riley finally spoke up.

"So you and Willow, huh" the TA asked tentatively. Giles nodded, not being able to find the words to answer him. "Wow," Riley replied.

Part Four
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