Part 19

Rupert stopped in the doorway that led into the courtyard and just drank in the sight of the late afternoon sun glinting off Willow's hair. It had been days since the night of the explosion and the new direction that their relationship had taken. He missed the quiet evenings of laughter and conversation that they had when she stayed in his apartment over the shop. Willow's laughter at something that Jesse said caused his own lips to turn upward.

Darla silently stood behind Rupert as he watched Willow. "Why don't Angel and I take the others out for patrol tonight. Give you and Willow the night off?"

Rupert turned toward the sound of Darla's voice. "As much as I would love some quiet time with Willow I don't think now is the time to indulge in it. Maybe when the battle with Ethan is over with or at least not as intense."

"As someone that has lived for centuries, take my advice. Grab happiness wherever you can find it. You might not get another chance at it."

"I'm afraid that Ethan will use my growing feelings for Willow against me or her. He has in the past. I don't want my feelings for her to get her hurt."

Darla laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed in comfort. "Rupert, Ethan would be after Willow even if she had never come to us. Her power alone guarantees that he would have gone after her. If not to recruit her than definitely to defeat her. Can you honestly say that if something happened to Willow tomorrow you wouldn't be just as devastated if it happened later, after you had developed deeper feelings?"

He turned back to look at Willow. He was silent for so long that Darla thought he wasn't going to answer her. Finally in a soft voice he said, "No, no I can't."

Darla leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Then grab what happiness you can now. You know there are no guarantees in life. If she goes back to her reality or something happens in this one at least you'll have the times you spent together as wonderful memories."

A noise to her left caused Willow to turn in that direction. Her heart and stomach fluttered at the expression on Rupert's face. She would always love Tara but Rupert had burrowed his way into another part of her heart and she was very much afraid that with very little effort she could fall in love with him.

Faith nudged Xander as she noticed the look that passed between her Watcher and Willow. Xander's smile widened and he mouthed, 'Time for Plan B.' to Jesse.

"Oh good you're all here." Wesley said as he moved into the courtyard breaking the spell between Rupert and Willow.

"I just got off the phone with Amy and the Wizarding Council. It seems when they received word of Oz and Veruca's attack they dispatched the DSN."

Silence greeted Wesley's announcement. Willow looked at the others curiously, "Okay what am I missing here? Who are the DSN and why don't you look happy about the news?"

"The DSN are an elite force of shapeshifters. During the last Wizards' War they were called into action at the very end. They helped us defeat Ethan the first time. Generally they are called in during grim situations."

Willow looked confused, "I didn't think we were in a grim situation."

A muscle ticked in Angel's jaw, "We didn't either. What else did the Council say, Wes?"

Wesley rubbed his tired eyes. "Amy told me that their sources inside Ethan's army told them that Gwendolyn managed to convince Ethan that he wouldn't be able to count on Willow changing sides. He's decided to make an all out frontal assault on the Hellmouth and the mirror."

"Should we move the timetable up on our plans?" Jesse turned to Rupert.

"No, we'll continue according to the plan. We have time as Ethan will have to change his to reflect the new information from Gwendolyn. Contrary to what it appears Ethan is a very methodical planner and strategist. It's one of the things that make him so dangerous. He has a well thought out and strategized plan for every contingency. He doesn't let emotion get in the way of his goal." Rupert turned to Wesley, "Did Amy give you a time as to when the DSN will arrive?"

"They were being summoned from all over so she didn't think they'd get here for a couple of days."

"All right then. I suggest we continue to train, make sweeps, see what the demon community is saying and grab as much rest as we can. When the DSN arrive we'll begin our attack."

Darla smiled at Rupert and winked at Dru, "Good idea. William, Angel, Dru and I will go down to Clem's bar and see what we can find out."

"Yeah and Jesse, Faith, Tara and I will do a sweep plus check out what my magick can do. Kinda got interrupted last time."

"Very well, Rupert, Willow and I..." Wesley began but Xander interrupted.

"Wes, why don't you come with us? I'm the only vampiric wizard that I know of and I bet the Council would love a report from you telling them all about my new amazing abilities."

Wesley had no idea what they were up to but that there was something he had no doubts. He glanced back over at Rupert who gave a small nod. "Right. Let's go see what your amazing abilities can do. See you later Rupert."

Willow raised her eyebrows at everyone's abrupt departure and turned to see a slightly blushing Rupert. "Well, I guess that just leaves you and me. So training?"

"I was rather hoping for relaxing instead." Rupert slipped his arm around Willow's waist and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before he led her inside.

"I can do relaxing. In fact I kinda like relaxing. But before we getg to the relaxing part can I ask you a question?"

"Always."

"Does Ethan have anyone like the shapeshifters in his army?"

"You mean actual shapeshifters or someone that can change their appearance?"

"Either one."

"Change their appearance. Sure there are glamour spells that Wizards can do but another Wizard would be able to tell one is being used so they're not used on other Wizards. But there are the fey folk that have glamour that no one can tell and there are some dark fairies that side with Ethan."

"So what's the difference between fey glamour and your shapeshifters."

"The magick of the fey is just that magick but the shapeshifters can actually change their shape to another person. No one can tell the difference between a shifter and the original person. Weres swear they smell like the original person not the shifter and Wizards and Witches can't detect their differences."

"So how come Ethan doesn't have any, not that I'm complaining."

"When the Wizarding world first split into factions our side sent an emissary to the shifters to join us in the fight. Unfortunately one of the dark Wizards had arrived there first to coerce them to join them. But fortunately for us they refused.  The Wizard in a fit of anger later returned with more of his colleagues and killed some of the shifters. They've been enemies ever since. No shifter will ever aid a Wizard or Witch that practices dark magick."

Willow snuggled into Rupert's embrace on the couch and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye, "Okay can we get to the relaxing part now?"

Rupert didn't answer instead he slowly lowered his lips to Willow's allowing her enough time to pull back if she wanted. Much to his delight she met him half way and threaded her fingers through his hair.

It was a gentle kiss that made the butterflies in Willow's stomach dance. He pulled his head back and looked deep into her green eyes while caressing her cheek, "Are you sure? I know it's been a hard time for you since your Tara's death."

Willow closed her eyes and tried to get her thoughts together. "I had begun to slowly move on since Tara's death. I'd even begun to date some and had a disastrous rebound relationship. No one had ever touched my heart since Tara and I just thought no one ever would." Willow didn't look away from Rupert's penetrating gaze and continued, "Until I came here. At first it was because you reminded me of my Giles. Well not the tingling in my stomach part. Then I got to like you for you and I didn't want to mess up the one deep friendship I had here. The night of the explosion I realized how close I had come to losing you and I had sworn after Tara's death that I would never let those I care about go a day without them knowing how much I cared. I care for you deeply Rupert Giles. In fact, I'm very close to falling in love with you."

Rupert beamed at Willow. "I'm very close to falling in love with you, too."

This time the kiss exploded and a soft moan escaped as Willow tried to get closer. Their hands and lips explored each other learning each other. Rupert thought that he could get addicted to the little sounds that Willow made whenever he hit just the right spot. Willow loved the moans that she could elicit from Rupert when she hit just the right area.