Author: M. Jade
Title: One Night
Email: m_jade34@hotmail.com
Summary: Giles reflects on one unusual evening
Rating: PG-13, to be on the safe side
Feedback: Don’t be lazy gits and bring it on
Disclaimer: As we all know, the idea for BtVS belongs to Joss, and I only
own the plot
Distribution: Strange Brew, Bite Me…Please?, the willowgiles list, and those
who ask
Notes: Written during a break from my long winded “Unexpected” series
because I needed to focus on something besides that
More Notes: This was written after listenting to way too much Sarah
McLachlan, so if it seems too angsty, bear with me

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Rupert Giles lay in his bed thinking about what had happened the night
before. It had come as a shock and a surprise, but in the end it had been
one of the greatest nights of his life. He only wished he could say the
same about this morning. It had started shortly after eight o’clock the
previous evening, when he heard a knock at his door. He opened it to find a
haggard and slightly disheveled looking Willow Rosenberg standing outside.
“Willow,” he greeted her, “What’s wrong?”

“Can I come in?” she asked softly. It looked like every last bit of energy
and light had been stolen from her lovely face, and Giles’ heart went out to
her.

“Of course,” he said as he let her in and closed the door behind her.
Willow walked in, made her way to the couch, and sat down. Giles joined
her, wanting to see what had troubled her.

“What happened Willow,” Giles gently prodded after he sat down. She
sniffled a little before she answered.

“Tara,” she admitted. “We had a huge fight tonight,” she explained. Giles
gave Willow a curious look.

“What about?” he inquired. Willow’s admission had piqued his interest, and
he wanted to know what had hurt her so badly.

“She’s been lying to me,” Willow declared. “This whole time she lied to me,
about who she is,” she finished. “She’s half demon, Giles, and she never
bothered to tell me until tonight. Tara thought it would scare me to know
that about her, but I dated a werewolf, for God’s sake,” she cried and then
began to sob.

“Oh, Willow,” Giles said soothingly as she placed her head on his shoulder.
He soon began to stroke her fine red hair in an effort to comfort her. She
continued to sob for a few more moments until she was able to calm herself.

“Why couldn’t she tell me, Giles? Am I such a horrible person that she’d
think I’d drop her over a thing like that?”

“Only Tara can answer that question, Willow,” Giles pointed out. “Perhaps
she’s never been in a relationship with a human before,” he suggested.
Willow looked up at him.

“Don’t try to defend her right now, Giles. I’m too upset to even think
about why she did it.” Giles once again stroked her hair and she eased back
into his embrace.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I’m only trying to help.” She looked back up and
gave him a wane smile.

“Why do you think I came to you in the first place,” she told him and turned
back to where she had been before.

“Why did you come here, Willow?” he wondered aloud. “I would have thought
you would go to Buffy or Xander,” he admitted. Willow shifter her weight a
little before she answered.

“Because right now they’re both too busy with their own lives to care. I
couldn’t say the same about you,” she finished. His heart soared at the
simple sentiment. That Willow would turn to him at a moment like this meant
more to him than he could ever have said.
They sat together in silence for some time, just in a quiet reflection
before Willow spoke again. “Why does this always happen to me? Can’t there
ever be any happy endings?”

“If I could give them to you Willow, you would always have the happiest of
endings,” he whispered. For the first time that evening, Willow genuinely
smiled. Giles was just glad he could give her some small amount of comfort.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “That means a lot to me.”

“It’s the least I could do for you, Willow,” Giles told her. “I only wish I
could do more.” She turned to face him with a serious look in her eyes.

“How much more?” she questioned. Giles was taken aback by it, but he still
answered her.

“Whatever it takes,” he declared gently. She slowly leaned in and caught
his mouth in a kiss. It startled him at first, but he soon found himself
returning the kiss in kind. After they broke from the kiss, Willow reached
up and removed the glasses from Giles’ face and placed them on the table
beside her, then reached over and placed her hand along his face. “Whatever
it takes,” he repeated before Willow kissed him again.

*****************************************************************
He awoke the next morning to find Willow already up and getting dressed. As
soon as he stirred, she turned her attention to him.

“Good morning,” she told him as she smiled and he smiled back.

“Indeed,” he told her. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.
“Do you have to go so soon?” he asked her. Willow nodded as the look on
her face changed.

“Tara’s probably looking for me by now,” she explained with a touch of
sadness. The look on Willow’s face spoke volumes to Giles.

“You’re going to go back to her, aren’t you?” It was more a statement than
a question, and Giles was sure he already knew the answer. He dreaded
hearing her answer the inevitable, but he would be fooling himself to think
that he didn’t need to hear her say it.

“Yes,” she said quietly and Giles’ heart fell. “I love her,” Willow
explained gently as she placed her hand on his cheek, which he promptly
brushed aside. “Giles…”

“You don’t need to say another word, Willow,” he bit out harshly. “I think
it’s all very clear.” Giles cringed at the hurt look on her face, but he
couldn’t take back what he had said. She silently gathered the last of her
things and headed for the stairs. Before she left, however, she turned to
face him one more time, a single tear slowly falling down her face.

“Please believe me when I say that last night with you was something I had
wanted for a long time. But I can’t lie to myself and say that I don’t love
Tara. That wouldn’t be fair to any of us. I never meant to hurt you.”
With that Willow rushed out of the apartment, leaving Giles stunned. They
had spent one night, one almost magical night, together, and it was almost
as if it had never happened.

Giles was sure Willow hadn't meant to hurt him, and he knew that she had
told him the truth as she left, but he was alone once again, and Willow
would soon be with Tara. Giles was sure that whatever problems they had
would soon be worked out and he would be little more than a dim memory for
her. He also knew that it would not be the same for him. For the first
time in some years, he felt like crying.