Willow sat at her computer behind the desk, doing her net girl routine as she searched for something Giles called the 'Secrets of the Mazerictions'. She knew Giles had only set her to work to get her mind off Oz.

At the mere thought of his name, she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Shaking her head she put on her resolve face and set back to work.

Giles stood in the book cage, in a near trance, watching Willow through the bars. He felt torn as he saw the tear; he could strangle that stupid puppy for hurting her.

He watched with pride and admiration filling him as she shook her head and began typing again.

The phone ringing brought him out of his trance. He walked into his office. "Sunnydale High School Library, Rupert Giles speaking, may I help you?"

"Hello, Ripper."

"Ethan." Giles voice was flat.

"Kamia turoku maina kunokeo mity!" Giles felt a blinding pain and heard Ethan laughing as he collapsed.

Willow jumped as she heard something heavy fall. She ran into Giles' office to see if he was okay and saw him on the floor. She fell next to him. 

"Giles? Giles, are you all right?" 

She held her breath, waiting. A moment later, she sighed in relief as she heard his groan but the first words out of his mouth made her gasp in shock.

"What in bloody 'ell 'appened to my head?" 

"G..Giles?" 

He grumbled as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, what?"

"Um, what happened?" 

He glanced over at her and she flushed to the roots of her hair at the look he gave her. His eyes traveled from her head to her feet and back, and he got this pleased little smile on his face.

Willow involuntarily shivered. She had always thought Giles was attractive, even to the extent that she had had a crush on him for a month when he first came to the school, but when he looked at her like that...

Then it hit her at once: his thickened accent, his swearing, the way he looked at her like he was a hungry wolf spotting a nice tender lamb. She flashed to Halloween and last month's incident with the chocolate *Oh my god! He's turned into...* 

"Giles," she said slowly, "do you remember who you are?" 

"Willow," Giles answered, coming back to himself. He searched his memory quickly, trying to place where he had heard those words before, and what he remembered made him groan again. "Willow, Ethan cast a spell on me. He's trying to bring out..." 


"Ripper. I kinda figured that." 

"Yes, but with a twist ...he's now awhole different personality instead of just my violent side. The major effects this type of spell will only last for the night but it could be trouble. I think I can fight it but..." 

"Tell me what I can do." 

"Leave, I'll go home and lock myself in." 

"Giles, Ripper is part of you, he has your memories. If he takes control, the only way you, by yourself, can stop him is to be chained up. That is a two person thing, too. 'Cause how else would you get undone?" 

"Willow, if I'm not myself, I can't stop him from hurting you." 

"Trust me Giles, he won't hurt me," Willow replied, blushing as she recalled the look he had given her. 

"You can't know that ..." 

"Yes, I can. There is no way he would ever hurt me, any more then you would." 

"You know I can't control myself when I change! Think of what happened with Joyce." 

"Trust me Giles, I can take care of myself. Buffy has been giving me self defense lessons." 
Giles opened his mouth to argue when he saw she had her "RESOLVE" face on, and from what Xander had told him... 

"All right. You can come and help." He regretted the words as he heard Ripper in his mind, as if he were someone else, say *My, my, Rupert. She is a pretty thing. I wonder what it would be like to...* ^^You'll do nothing to that girl!^^ *What's this Rupert? I see you've already thought about it. About how her young soft body would feel wrapped around yours, how her mouth would taste, and what it would feel like to...* ^^Enough!^^ he thought, blocking the images that drew forth, 
trying to reign in the desire he felt before it showed itself in a way she couldn't mistake. 

He became aware she was standing holding his keys. 

"I think we should go before someone shows up," Willow said, her mind skittering away from the real reason she didn't want the others to know. 

She watched Giles climb to his feet and couldn't help but think about how good of shape he was in, and how Faith had commented on Giles nice ass. *Hmm, my, she was right about that* Willow thought as Giles turned to grab a small book from the table. That thought was quickly followed by *Ohhh! Bad thoughts!!!* 

Quickly she turned. "I'll meet you in the car," she called over her shoulder and hurried out. 

Willow sat at Giles' kitchen table, sipping tea and reading one of his books. They were doing okay so far, as Ripper had only come out twice. Although those two moments would live with her forever. The first was when she had decided to make tea. 


"I'm going to make some tea, would you like some?" Willow asked softly. 

Giles had gone to a cabinet and pulled out a glass and a large bottle. He poured himself a drink, 
downed it, and poured another. 
"Want one? 

"What is it?" 

"Scotch." 

"No thanks." 

"What's a matter, can't drink with the big boys?" he mocked. 

"Giles, stop it," she had snapped.The second still gave her a shiver. 

She had been standing looking over Giles' books, when he had come to stand behind her. He leaned down and breathed softly on her throat, and putting one hand on each hip, pulled her against him. His fingers continued to massage her hips as he pulled her back. She felt her backside come firmly against him and she felt how hard he was getting. 

He had leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Willow, what would you do if told you I wanted to take you, right now against the bookshelf?" 

She couldn't help it, she shivered and a little moan escaped her. It was all she could do not to press backwards and beg him to do it. 

He had nuzzled her throat and as soon as she felt his tongue flick out and touch her pulse, she knew she was doomed. 

Half of her was thanking heaven Giles had snapped out of it then, while the other half cursed his timing. 

The sound of the shower going off upstairs snapped her out of daydreams. 

A few moments later, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. As she looked up, she froze, *Bare feet, that's all no prob...* Her thought trailed off as her gaze moved up to find his knees. *Bare knees? Oh god, no, don't let him be...* followed by *Towel, towels are good.* 

At least it was good until her eyes hit his chest, she swallowed dryly, her heart pounding as her gaze skittered across his bare muscular chest and the light fuzz that covered it. *Oh god, why me?* She had always had a weak spot about men's chests, especially well defined with a soft dusting of curls. She felt herself shiver and her knees go weak, thankful she was sitting, and realized she had never been this turned on before. 


*This is Giles* she told herself. *The librarian, Buffy's Watcher, the man who's old enough to be your father, the man who makes you shiver, who gives you a warmth you've never known, who looks sooo sexy in just a towel, who asked if he could take you on a bookshelf not an hour ago...Okay those thoughts? Not helping.* 

Meanwhile, Giles'...Ripper's smile was growing and so was an obvious bulge under his towel. "Like what you see?" 

*OhMyGodOhMyGodOhMyGod, help me!* 

She coughed. "Um, why aren't you dressed?" 

"What, you don't like my outfit?" he asked mockingly. Willow gulped again and dragged her gaze back up to his face. Then, with an eyebrow lift and a grin on his face, "In that case, wanna 
help me pick something else?" 
*Willow, don't do it!* 

"Giles. I think you should probably go upstairs and put clothes on." 

"Why? Afraid I might do something? Or afraid you might?" 

Now that cut a little too close. 

"Giles, please?" She wasn't sure if she was pleading for him to go, or to stay. 

"You want me, Willow. I can see it in your eyes and the way you tremble when I even look at you. If I went over there and kissed you right now, you'd melt into a puddle, and if I so much as brushed my fingers across you throat, you'd collapse, wouldn't you? And if I told you I wanted to make love to you right now, what would you do?" 

With each word he spoke, she felt herself respond, and she knew every word was true. She tried desperately to think of something to avoid answering him. She knew if she looked into those 
eyes, she was lost. Suddenly it occurred to her. 

"You know...I know something about you even Giles doesn't realize." 

"And what is that?" 

"That you would never hurt me." 

"What makes you so sure? " 

"Oh, I know you two are different. I mean, you're crazy, you seem to be attracted to me, and you smoke. But you're alike enough that I know you would never hurt me." 


"We're more alike than you realize," he muttered and turned, walking back out. Startled into action, she followed him without thinking. 

"Ripper...." She watched him turn. She took one more step, and then tripped, falling so hard she would have broken her nose if he hadn't grabbed her and pulled her towards himself. She landed hard, cheek and palms against his bare chest. 

Willow inhaled sharply, regretting it a moment later as she realized that all she smelled was his skin and the soap he had used. She pulled her feet back under her, trying to ignore the feel of his hard arousal pressed against her stomach, and pulled away. One glance at his face told her he was as shocked as she was. Turning, she started back towards the kitchen in what, if politely put, would be called a fast walk. 

She was stopped by a strong hand on her arm spinning her around. When she tried to pull away, he grabbed both her wrists and held her tight. 

"Willow," he said as he pulled her closer and stared into her eyes, "if I asked if I could take you here 
and now, what would you do?" 

Willow struggled in his grasp for a moment, then she pulled a very dirty trick. 
"Ripper, you're hurting me." 

He let go immediately and she slid to the floor, knees drawn up to her chest with her forehead resting on them as she shook a bit. 

Ripper collapsed next to her. 

"Willow, what's wrong?" 

She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Don't you understand?" 

He shook his head, wiping a tear off her cheek. 

"Oh god, I want you. I want you so much it hurts, but I want him too." 

"Him who?" 
"I want the man who kicked the shit out of Ethan Rayne's twice in the last year. I want the man who offered me scotch, then teased me because I wouldn't drink it. I want the man who, with a look, can reduce me to a shivering mass. The man who has said ...and proved he wanted me three times in the last hour. I want you, Ripper." She saw him grin and reach out for her but she shook her head. "But I also want the gentle man who keeps me busy when I'm depressed, who comforted me when Xander fell for Cordy. The man who listens when I start babbling about magic, but is too protective to teach it to me. The man I know could never want me, but I want Giles too." 

"Willow, Giles and I are...." 

"Don't say it, 'cause it isn't true. Maybe it used to be, but now...No, I want two different men who 
happen to live in the same body. I realize that it can't happen, I realize that I can't have you both, but I can't have just one of you, either. I need you, Ripper, but I need him, too. I know Giles could never want me. I'm surprised you want me." 

"Surprise, Giles does want you. From his memories, he's been dreaming and fantasizing about having your sweet little body wriggling under him for years; dreaming of hearing you moan his name. You have no idea how often he's tortured himself, imagining you touching him, kissing and licking his chest..." He broke off as he heard a strangled moan. 

He glanced at her, seeing the mix of desire and pain on her face and a fresh sheen of tears in her eyes. 

"That makes it hurt more!"

"Why?"

"You don't understand! I want youboth, you live in the same body! How can I have what I need?"

"We'll share."

"Huh?"

"We'll share ... the body."

"You mean I ...I can have you both?

Ripper nodded, his pulse racing as he saw the pain fade from her eyes and pure hunger flashed in them.

"Did you mean it? He wants me?"

"Of course. I mean some of his fantasies...let's just say you wouldn't believe they could come from him."

"Such as?"

"Well one of my favorites, that even I couldn't believe came out of his head, involved silk ropes and scented oils. His favorite is, now how did he put it? Oh yeah, he wants to touch, and stroke, and kiss you 'till you are moaning his name and begging him to take you."

"Oh, my."

~*~End~*~