Part 7

James had been a particularly tough interrogation. Ethan hadn't put him in the position he was in for nothing. It took quite some time but in the end he did tell them what they wanted to know.

Willow had seen aspects of her Spike and Faith as she had watched them question James. She even saw aspects of Giles as Rupert questioned him. She remembered her Giles quietly talking about killing Ben and knowing that Buffy didn't have what it took to do 'everything necessary' in the battle.

She slightly jumped at the feel of a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't. I was just lost in my thoughts."

"Thinking of your home?"

Willow smiled slightly up at Rupert. "Actually I was thinking about what we learned from James."

Rupert winced at that. He had been particularly rough with Ethan's wizard when he disclosed that he had gone after Willow to 'earn his stripes' so to speak.

Faith had smirked at him when he drew blood and told him that she wasn't cleaning it up. He hoped Willow wouldn't think badly about him.

"I'm sorry. Normally interrogations don't get that intense."

Willow smiled, it was sweet actually the way he blushed and wouldn't meet her eyes.

She gently laid a hand on his arm until he looked at her. "You forget I killed a man with my magick and almost destroyed the world. I'm thinking what I saw was pretty tame compared to that and bonus we got the information we needed."

Rupert smiled at her. She had a way about her that put you at ease. She knew the right things to say to make you feel comfortable. Wesley said that his Willow had that same ability. She had been here just a short amount of time but already it felt like she was part of the group. Except for William of course. Rupert thought that it was more out of habit than actually not liking Willow. He had no doubts that Willow would worm her way into William's heart like she had the others. The only two he wasn't sure about were Xander and Jesse. From what little Willow had told him and from what Wesley said those three were immensely close. It seemed that was a truth in both realities.

Angel had gone to LA to tell Xander and Jesse the news in person. It had been a stroke of good luck, if you can call it that, when Xander called and asked for Angel's help with a particularly hard to kill demon.

Angel had decided that it would be better to tell the news in person and it would be best coming from him rather than William. Though William was closer to the three of them Angel didn't want Xander and Jesse to be biased against this Willow.

Willow was getting nervous with as quiet as Rupert had gotten. She had hoped to put him at ease but maybe she just put her foot in it. When the silence stretched she softly asked, "A penny for them."

"W-what? Oh sorry. Now it's my turn to be lost in thought. I was just thinking about Angel."

"Worried about the Zalanes demon?"

"No, I was worried about you."

"Me? Why?"

"Xander and Jesse."

"Oh. I keep telling myself that they're not my Jesse and Xander. I know here" Willow pointed to her head, "that if they don't like me it's because I'm not their Wills but" Willow pointed to her heart, "here I'm not sure what I'll do and how I'll feel if they're like William."

Giles sat next to her and gently put his arm around her. It was instinctual and felt right. He smiled slightly when Willow didn't pull away. "I can't promise you that everything will be okay but I can promise you that I'll do everything I can to make it all right."

Willow smiled slightly as she put her head on Rupert's shoulder. Just like her Giles he had the ability to make everything seem better. She could sit like this forever with her head resting on Giles' shoulder and all her worries not such a burden. She was starting to see Rupert and not see Giles. It was like being with an identical twin. The same but not. Of course the little tinglies she got when he sometimes looked her way was another indication that this wasn't her Giles.

Oh sure she'd had a crush on Giles in high school and truth be told a little after but Giles had never given her tinglies. Well okay that time she saw him singing at the Espresso Pump had given her tinglies but that didn't count. He was all sexy and singing and stuff.

The shrill ringing of the phone interrupted their silence. Rupert really hated having to get up and seriously considered letting the machine take over. As much as he would like to he didn't. He reluctantly stood up and smiled an apology at Willow.

"Hello?"

"Rupert? Is the witch with you?"

Giles furrowed his brow. First, why was William calling and second, why did he care where Willow was?

"Yes, she's right here. Did you want to talk to her?"

Willow creased her forehead in thought. Who would be calling for her? Certainly not Dru or Darla they usually just showed up or they finalized their plans when patrolling. Faith and Tara though friendly were uncomfortable around her not that she blamed them she was a little uncomfortable around them as well.

"No Dru just wanted to make sure she was there. She and Darla are on their way over. Word on the street is that Ethan is coming to Sunnyhell for a visit. I think it might have to do with a certain red head. I think he wants to see for himself what she's capable of. The word is that he's 'inspecting' the troops."

Rupert's mind was whirling with this new information. Ethan usually stayed away from the trenches and sent the 'cannon fodder' to do the recon. He'd never heard of him 'inspecting' the troops. Usually he sent a high-ranking wizard for that.

Rupert began to pace and talk to William, "He wouldn't risk himself going against you and the other vampires. True his magick is powerful but he's too much of a self-preservationist. Why isn't he sending some lackey or Gwendolyn for that matter?"

"Dunno I'm just the messenger. You want more information talk to Dru and Darla when they get there." William practically growled. It had taken a lot of convincing on Dru's part to even get him to call. He'd done what he said he'd do and the soddin' wizard was asking him questions like William cared.

Mumbling thanks and hanging up Rupert tried to calm his racing heart and his anger but he knew this news was NOT good. He knew Ethan almost as well as he knew himself which is one of the reasons the coven entrusted him with the mirror and guarding the Hellmouth.

If Gwendolyn was coming as well Ethan very well might pit the two of them together to see how matched they were. Oh he wouldn't sacrifice Gwen . . . yet but it would give him a good indication of the power of Willow.

He would have felt her power and heard about her helping him but he wouldn't know what she was capable of and Rupert doubted he would trust anyone to tell him the truth.

If it had been Ethan that was sent to report on a powerful witch, that no one knew about until recently, to his superior he would not tell everything he found out.

DAMN this was definitely a complication.

"So? Good news?"

Rupert was brought out of his thoughts by Willow's question. He saw the worried look but the slight smile.

"That was William. Darla and Dru are on their way over. It seems Ethan is coming for a visit. He believes Ethan wants to see what you're capable of in person and I agree."

Willow looked scared but determined. "Rupert, I have only done small spells here. I haven't done anything that would tap into the heavy stuff because my connection to the Earth's energies is more intense here. I can control it but if he wants to see what I'm really capable of I'm not sure I can control that."

Willow started to pace, "I mean what if he sets up a trap or whatever to gauge how I handle it and what I can do and then I get all dark and veiney and evil. Trust me when I say it is not pretty. What if I go to the edge and can't come back? Oh god, maybe I should just leave. I mean I seem to be adding more complications than helping. Maybe I should take my chances at the next reality."

Rupert watched in semi-fascination as she got more and more agitated the more she thought about what could happen. And there was NO WAY he was letting her go to another reality. One, maybe it would be worse but more importantly he didn't think he could let her go.

God, where had that thought come from? Sure she was pretty and he was attracted to her. You'd have to be dead not to be but she certainly didn't need his feelings on top of everything else. Plus, she'd had a girlfriend. Not like she was looking for a male.

When Willow paced close to Rupert he put out his hand to stop her and drew her into his embrace. At first she stood there stiffly and then she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest.

"You're not going anywhere. What if the next reality is worse than this one? At least with this one it's the devil you know. I have faith that you can pull yourself back from any edge you'd find yourself and lastly as a last resort if you really did go over the edge and you couldn't come back I promise to bind your powers."

Willow smiled into his chest.

Rupert put a finger under her chin and raised her gaze to his, "I don't really relish doing it but I will do it."

"Thanks, Rupert."

"Besides I'd like to see you kick Ethan's ass."