As you know, I'm naming all of my chapters after the song that I'm listening to as I finish the chapter. I'm starting to do this in all my fics, because I always get stumped on that. Enjoy!!

Chapter Five – Possession (from the Sarah McLachlan song)

Willow had managed to avoid Giles's question for the time being. She had mumbled something about missing Kennedy, which made him drop the question, but she knew he'd ask again. It would be hard to hide her moods from him, especially her depression.

Sitting down in the library, Willow gathered all of the information on Wesley and Faith's link, preparing for a meeting of the minds. Since all of the players were in one place, herself, Giles, Wesley, and Faith, maybe they could figure out a way to break the link. It was becoming stronger. There would be a time that if one of them broke a fingernail, the other could be in terrible pain. Or they could just die from it.

As Giles walked into the room, she fidgeted with the books, trying to find a way to rearrange them and not look into his eyes.

"Ah, I see you've brought Heinemann's Encyclopedia of Demon Aliments. That might have something in it." Giles was all business as he sifted through the contents of the table.

"Good thinking on my part," she answered.

"So have Wesley and Faith returned?"

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago. Wes wanted Faith to eat. I guess she's been eating a lot lately and he was worried or something. So hence the trip to the kitchen."

"I'm glad he is taking care of her."

Willow shook her head in response, settling in a chair and opening another volume of research goodness. When Giles sat down beside her, she kept looking down at the book, but glancing occasionally at him.

"Willow, is there something that you would like to discuss with me?"

He caught her looking. She just was trying to gage his mood, which sometimes was next to impossible. He was very good at covering his emotions, while she sometimes wore hers on her sleeve. Maybe she'd learn how to control the emotions more from him.

"Oh, I was just wondering what you were reading. I'm not finding anything in this one."

Giles sighed, taking his glasses off and cleaning them in a way that looked as if he was angry with her. The wipes were quick and efficient, but almost like he'd break the glass if he pressed just a little harder.

"You're angry," she finally told him.

"No, I am perfectly fine, Willow. It is you that concerns me."

"Hey, I'm fine," her voice squeaked.

"Then look me in the eye and tell me that."

Oh, he could read her so well, not even having to look in her eyes to see the truth. What did she do now? Tell him the whole story, cry on his shoulder and tell him to make it all better? Buffy had tried that a few times, only to be rebuffed by the man that was almost like a father to her. She didn't want him to retreat any time soon back to England.

Willow raised her eyes to look into his. "Look, it's a little rough right now. I'm just worried about things." There, maybe that would solve the twenty questions.

"Things? Being cryptic is not going to help solve the problem." Giles took her hand in his own, squeezing lightly.

Willow's eyes widened in surprise. Giles did touch her occasionally, but only after some large catastrophe that they had survived. She looked down at their joined hands, wanting to pour out her thoughts, but her mouth wouldn't move.

"We, I, we, oh boy."

"Willow, just start from the beginning."

What was the beginning? When everything started going wrong with her magicks? When she tried to kill everyone in sight after Tara died? The challenge of taking the First on had somehow taken too much out of all of them, making her friends spread from one end of the globe to the other. Did she tell Giles that she missed him immensely?

Kennedy had figured out that Willow was not ready to give up her friends for her girlfriend. Willow missed the gang so much that her depression was apparent, even to the point that Willow sometimes didn't want to get out of bed in the morning. But every time one of her friends, whether it was Buffy, or Xander, or Giles was around, she felt herself again. Kennedy didn't understand her moods, her dreams. She just wanted to slay, do her job and that was it. Was there more to life?

"I'm not sure where to start. Things haven't been right since we left Sunnydale."

"I do agree that I have been floundering somewhat also."

"That's what I told Kennedy. She didn't understand my need for . . . ."

"For what?"

Giles turned to face her, taking her other hand in his warm ones. She wanted to cry at the moment he looked into her eyes.

"My friends. The way it once was. I mean, I know it wasn't perfect, and we were always fighting off something, but I miss you guys." I miss you, she wanted to add, but enough of that for later.

"Willow, I miss that also."

"Then why did you leave the first time?"

Giles fidgeted in his seat, not sure how to answer her question. She couldn't believe she blurted it out. That's what she had been thinking at the time.

"Buffy did not need a watcher any more. I thought that I was impeding her progress as a slayer. You all seemed to be managing just fine."

Oh God, she would not cry. But the tears began forming in her eyes, wanting to escape.

"And there's more to this than my bumbling self has realized."

Giles pulled her into an embrace as the first tear rolled down her cheek. When Giles gave hugs, they were bear hugs, not those pats on the back, quick squeeze hugs. And he only reserved them for a few people. She was glad she was one of them. The little circles he was making on her back calmed her emotions somewhat, enough that she pulled back a little to look at him.

His warm, rough hand came up to wipe the stray tear off of her cheek. The look of confusion on his face made her realize that he really didn't know what was up with her. But his comfort and embrace was enough to help her over the first hurdle. She would tell him, in time, when her brain wasn't on overload at being so close to him. The smell of him comforted her, like a blanket on a cold, winter's night.

"Willow, I . . . ."

No talking was what she wanted at the moment. As she placed her finger on his lips to silence him, he stared at her, a bit puzzled. Removing her hand, she closed the distance between the two bodies, to where their heads were almost touching. She closed her eyes, hoping against hope that Giles got the clue. His lips brushed hers just ever so slightly. Both held their breaths as he moved back.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" Dawn called from the doorway.

Giles jerked away, making his chair upend, sending him crashing to the ground. Willow attempted to catch the offending chair, but without success.

"Rupert, are you alright?" she asked him.

Sitting stunned for a few moments, he looked up at her and smiled. "Perfectly alright."

"You told them that we were eating?"

"You were, love."

"Oh, thanks. That's just what we need. Everyone will think that I'm getting fat because I'm eating too much."

Faith lounged in a bathtub full of bubbles, Wes's arms wrapped around her middle. She could feel his steady breathing behind her, comforting her to the point of almost falling asleep. Wanting to get that hospital smell off of her as soon as possible, she had suggested a quick shower and change. Wes had suggested something more relaxing before they had to meet Giles and Willow for research.

Wesley's hand moved to her stomach, lighting rubbing his palm over her. Any time he touched her, she became excited. It wasn't like any other guy she had ever gone out with.

"I can't wait to see you fat."

"Oh, just what you tell a pregnant woman. Jerk."

"The jerk that loves you."

"Damn straight."

"We need to tell them."

"Yes, I guess you're right."

Faith knew that at least Giles and Willow needed to know. And it wouldn't be fair if Dawn and Connor didn't find out too. They had shared the whole experience with them in California.

"When should we tell them?"

Great, he wanted her to make a decision. All she could think about at the moment was how he touched her underneath the warm water of their bath. As his hands moved lower, Faith sighed in contentment.

"And you said I was insatiable?" she told him as he lowered his mouth to her neck.

"I am so sorry for today."

"No guilt, Wes. We should finish our bath. They're waiting."

"Let them wait. I'm not done."

And when they did finish, she was floating on cloud nine. "You really do need to wipe that smirk off of your face," Faith mentioned as she gave him one last kiss.

"I am not smirking. This is my happy face," he commented as he lifted her off of him.

"No, this is your I just got some face." Faith gingerly climbed out of the tub, offering a hand to Wesley.

As he climbed out after her, bubbles still stuck to him everywhere. Faith had to laugh at the sight. Here she was, with a man who she couldn't stand just a few years ago, coming at her with a smile a mile wide.

"Get dressed," he growled as he backed her into the wall.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, I'll not be responsible for my actions."

"You horny SOB," she told him as she smacked at the bubbles on his backside.

"Ow, that hurt," he teased her as he handed her a towel.

As Cordelia and Robin came back from coffee, she noticed him looking around, like he was looking for someone in particular. She wondered whom.

"I really appreciate your time, Robin," she told him as he led her up the stairs.

"So you created this link. That explains a lot."

"Yeah, and now I have to make up for it. Wes and Faith don't deserve what I did."

Cordelia followed the man down a corridor, until he stopped at a closed door at the end of a hallway. Robin turned to look at her, like he still wanted to ask another of his millions of questions. Boy, the man wanted to know everything about Wesley and Faith and their relationship. Cordelia had no idea that there even was a relationship until Angel filled her in on his thoughts.

"So, if the link is broken, things should go back to the way they were?"

"Possibly. I don't know."

"I cannot believe Faith did those things you said she did."

"Lived them firsthand."

She wondered where Robin was going with the inquiry. The questions he asked were strange, like he had feelings for Faith. He didn't believe all of the things that Faith had done, but he regaled in the fact that Wes had not been the Boy Scout that everyone thought him to be.

Robin opened the door, which looked as if it was his office. A man in a dark suit stood as they entered. The man looked familiar to Cordelia, though she couldn't remember where she had seen him. Maybe a client from Los Angeles?

"Oh, there you are Wood. The secretary said I could await your return in here."

The man had an English accent not unlike Giles and Wesley. As his blue eyes looked her over, she shook her head in recognition. And didn't like what she saw.

"Oh, my manners," Robin started. "Cordelia, this is Roger . . . ."

"I know who you are." Cordelia drew her fist back and socked the guy so hard his head snapped back.

"Cordelia," Robin yelled at her.

"Get out of here before I do much worse to you, you sleazy son of a bitch."

"You're the seer. I understand what my son would see in you," he told her as he looked down at her cleavage, which enraged her even more.

She was almost ready to throw her body into him, but Robin stopped her progress forward as he grabbed her around the waist.

"You better leave. If he sees you, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Wait? Cordelia, what is going on?"

Roger nodded his head and started off for the office door. "He wouldn't touch me. I'm his father."

"No, he wouldn't. But I would. Lock anyone under the stairs lately?"

Roger Wyndam-Pryce glared at her, but immediately left without another word.

"I need to see Wes right now."

"I thought you said he didn't want to see you."

"He will now."

TBC

Next: OK, so everything is heating up. We need research time, and Cordelia and Wes have a heart-to-heart. And Connor flirts with the girls, making Dawn jealous. Stupid guys.

Author notes: OK, so I'm moving the relationship between Giles and Willow along. Don't anyone flame me. I just loved how close they were when Willow was in England and Giles was helping her with her magicks. I'm sort of continuing from there. And I couldn't remember what Faith told Robin about her past. I'm hoping she didn't confess to torturing Wes.

Thanks to: all who have reviewed, read, etc. Great!!!!! Tp96, pari106, steph, Insane Sketchbook.

Steph—To answer your question, the link is getting too strong, whereas a couple of weeks before, not so. Gives the story a sense of urgency that at one point it may become too much for either one of them to handle or block. Maybe I was a little too subtle with that info.

Insane Sketchbook—OK, now I'm going to have to go back and watch "Orpheus" again, because I could have swore that Willow was taller than Faith. Wrong? I know that Fred and Cordy are taller than both Willow and Faith. I was surprised how much taller Fred is than Willow. It's going to drive me crazy until I see them together. Thanks for the hint though. I always get something wrong.

And to everyone else out there, please keep reading and reviewing!!