Who, What, Why, Where, When?

CHAPTER 24

The sweat was gathering on her top lip again and she tried to ignore it as she willed herself to focus and concentrate on the spell. “Blast” she muttered as she felt the power drift away from her like sand running through her fingers. She hung her head for a moment before reaching for the towel that was draped over the arm of the sofa.

Giles returned to the apartment an hour later and found her sitting in the courtyard, her eyes closed and her face turned towards the sun. “What took you so long?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“I stopped off after the magic shop to pick up a present for you” he smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “How did your practise session go?” he asked as he moved past her into the shade of the apartment.

He heard her sigh and groan slightly as she stood up to follow him. “I can’t believe that sitting still and concentrating can make so many different muscles ache at the same time” she grumbled and sat at the breakfast counter, watching him unpack the grocery bags he had carried in. “Did you get everything we need from the magic shop?”

“And a bit extra” he grinned. “They were having a sale” he showed her several bags of herbs and she smiled at him.

“That had better not be my present” she suggested and tried to peek into the last bag that he hadn’t opened yet.

“Ah, ah, ahh” he muttered and put the bag behind his back before heading out of the kitchen. “We’ll spend the rest of the afternoon practising then you can get your present”

She pouted a little but didn’t have the strength to argue with him. “I’m pooped, I don’t think I could practise any more today”

He looked up at her and frowned. “You really do look quite tired” he nodded. “Why don’t you go back out and enjoy the sun while I make you something to eat, perhaps you’ll feel better after that?”

She took a deep th ath and sighed. “OK” she murmured and headed outside again.


He watched her leave and shook his head with a worried look on his face. She had been working flat out to perfect the spell and the concentration needed to control it for a long period of time. None of them knew how long it would take him to disrupt the transference and they had to be ready and prepared for the spell to last for several hours if necessary. He had marvelled at the ease with which they had taken to performing the spell together. He remembered that they had worked magic together before but he had been teaching her then and they hadn’t undertaken any serious spells together during that time. Over the previous two days they had managed to perform the joining ritual and hold it for nearly an hour on two separate occasions. Willow had agreed to work on her side of the incantations to try and prolong the joining but he was worried that she was draining herself too much befthe the spell had to be used in anger.

Ten minutes later he emerged with a large plate of sandwiches and two glasses of ice-cold lemonade. She smiled at him as she reached for a sandwich. “Did you make the lemonade yourself?” she asked as she lifted her glass.

“I opened the bottle myself, does that count?” he asked and settled onto a chair next to her.

“Good enough for me” she mumbled around another sandwich and sm at at him. “I didn’t realise it until just now but I’m starving” she giggled as she picked up a sandwich in each hand and quickly demolished them both.

“Would you like something else?” he asked as he poured her some more juice. “I could make you a proper meal” he suggested.

She shook her head and sighed as she finished the last piece of bread. “That feels much better already but I think I might have a nap before I try any more practise sessions” she yawned before she could get to the end of the sentence.

“I think we’ll give up practise for today and just relax, we’re ahead of the schedule we set ourselves anyway and there is no sense in tiring you out” he stood up and gave her his hand. “Perhaps madam would like to adjourn to the lounge to receive her present”

“Madam would” Willow smiled and let him lead her back indoors.


He settled her on the sofa and returned a moment later with a paper grocery bag that he presented to her as if it were the crown jewels. She giggled and pulled open the scrunched up top of the bag to peer inside. “If you got me salami from the deli as a present you are in big trouble” she mumbled as she gave up all pretence and ripped the bag open. A small picture frame fell out onto her lap and a large envelope landed at her side. She picked up the picture frame and stared at it for several minutes before turning to him. “Where on earth did you get this?” she asked and pointed to the picture. “I don’t even remember it being taken”

He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Oz took it and gave it to me before he left” he gasped a little as she hugged him tightly. “I’ve been carrying it around in my wallet ever since because it is the only picture I had of all of us together”

Willow looked crestfallen. “I can’t take it from you if it meant that much” she began but he pulled his wallet out and showed her a copy of the picture in pride of place.

“I got it copied but I wanted you to have the original because it was the picture of you that I always turned to whenever things seemed to be getting overwhelming” he smiled and traced her face in the small frame.

“And Jenny?” she asked. “You don’t mind me putting up a picture of her here?” she indicated the room they were sitting in.

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t have carried it with me if I wasn’t able to look at her and remember the good times” She sighed and leaned against him as he put his arm around her. “Don’t forget the card” he murmured as he kissed the top of her head.

She gently opened the envelope and pulled out a card with a red rose pressed onto the front of it. Before opening it she sighed and then turned to face him. “I haven’t forgotten another anniversary have I?” she asked plaintively.

“No” he smiled. “I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me” he said quietly and leaned down to kiss her gently.

She sagged against his arm as he deepened the kiss and it was several moments before she could pull herself away to open the card and read the message inside. She shook her head in puzzlement and looked to him for a clue. He took the card from her hands and read out the inscription in flawless Italian.

“Ohhh” she sighed and gazed at him. “Don’t tell me what it means just keep saying it while we walk up the stairs” she suggested and stood up.


He laughed and kissed her hand as she led him to the bedroom. He was whispering in Italian how much he loved her and what they were going to do to each other for the rest of the day when she turned round and kissed him fiercely.

He lifted her off of her feet and quickly walked them both to the bed before putting her down again. Her hands held his lips against hers as he quickly removed his clothes, thanking heaven that he had worn a shirt. When he was naked he pushed her onto the bed and quickly removed her clothes as well.

“You’ve stopped talking” she mumbled as her hands ran over his shoulders and chest. “The foreign talkias das definitely helping”

He stopped kissing her abdomen and looked up at her, one hand idly playing across her hip. “I can either tell you what I’m going to do to you or do it” he suggested. “Which would you prefer?” he asked as he stopped touching her altogether.

“Don’t you dare start multiple choice pop quizzes in the middle of seducing me” she glowered and wriggled out from underneath him. “Now you will have to be punished” she grinned and straddled him. She waited for him to protest and stared down at him until she realised that he most definitely wasn’t complaining.

He grinned up at her. “What are you waiting for?” he asked slyly as he put his hands on her hips and manoeuvred her closer to his groin. “I can cope with a few minutes of this kind of punishment before my back gives out”

She giggled and lifted herself up to rest just above his erection. “Are you sure” she asked slightly breathlessly. She met his eyes and lost herself for a moment before she noticed his raised eyebrow. “Sorry” she mumbled. “Got a bit distracted there” she sighed as she lowered herself down and took a couple of seconds to steady herself before beginning. When she opened her eyes she watched him watching her. His hands were steadying her hips and his hips were gently rocking in time with her movements but he looked incredibly relaxed and at peace. “Why am I the only one doing any work here?” she asked and increased the pace a little. “This was supposed to be your punishment” she tried to scowl but couldn’t quite bring it off.

“Oh I am suffering” he grinned lazily at her. “This is definitely a torment worthy of Torquemada himself” She stopped her movement and closed her eyes. After a moment she gently moved off of him before lying down next to him. “Is something wrong loo looked worried as he turned on his side to hug her. “Did I do something..”


She put her fingers on his lips to stop him. “I only just realised how weird it is to finally have you back and how much I missed you” She cuddled against him and he looked down on her completely bemused.

“I think I understand the sentiment but I have to argue with the timing a little, darling” he frowned as she lifted her head to look at him.

She smiled and used her hand to smooth out his frown. “Well you will mention ancient Spanish Inquisitor Generals in the middle of sex. How am I supposed to concentrate on the sexy new you when you remind me of the old Librarian?”

“But I thought you wanted this with the old me as well?” he seemed confused and bd ofd off a little to concentrate on the conversation instead of her warm body lying against his.

“I did, I mean I do” she was getting frustrated at not being able to explain to him. “If you had said yes before you were injured I would have jumped you there and then, you know that” she began and he waited for her to make her point. “But you didn’t say yes until afterwards and you’ve always been…” she ground to a halt. “Dammit” she grunted as she stood up to pace at the side of the bed.

He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head as he watched her stride purposefully back and forth. A smile slowly crept across his face as he realised the ridiculousness of the situation. “If I promise not to mention any famous historical figures will you come back and have raunchy sex with me please?” he asked in his politest voice. “We can work out your psychological problems with this later on”

She stopped pacing and turned to face him, handsands on her hips. “This is important” she said seriously. “I need you to know that I want you and….why are you grinning at me like that?” she asked slightly peeved that he was laughing at her while she was trying to be serious.

“You are standing naked in my bedroom with a very attractive blush of indignation, giving me a lecture about our relationship, when you brought me up here to ravish me!” he smirked. “Am I not entitled to be a little amused?”

“You are incorrigible” she smiled at him and slowly crawled back onto the bed. “Shut up and kiss me, then make me forget all of this nonsense with wild, sweaty sex” she nodded and settled into his arms. They kissed for several minutes before she pulled back and looked seriously at him. “I’m sorry but it’s just a bit disconcerting when you channel old Giles while I’m doing rude things to new Rupert”


He sighed and pulled her into his arms again. “When we have dealt with Bolak oand and for all we should go away for a few days to try and sort this out” he suggested. “We really need to decide how to deal with my apparent change in personality before it completely ruins my sex life”

She pulled him closer and let her hands roam over his lower back. “Perhaps we should enjoy what remains of your sex life before it disappears?”

They both woke at dawn next morning and ate a quick breakfast before setting out the ingredients for practicing the joining spell again. Giles settled himself into the lotus position and tried to hide the discomfort emanating from his lower back. He was glad this ordeal was to be over soon and he could finally rest his back, although he knew it would be difficult with Willow around. The object of his affections sat cross-legged in front of him, closed her eyes and held out her hands. When she felt his hands in hers she began chanting slightly under her breath and he closed his own eyes to enable him to focus on the energy building within him. He felt her presence inside his mind as she completed the initial stages of the joining and opened himself to her energy. After a couple of minutes he felt strong enough to take on Frasier and Ali together and opened his eyes to focus on the pile of cards lying between them. The exercise seemed deceptively simple, he spent the next few hours building and demolishing card houses, one card at a time, using his mind instead of his hands. He could have managed this without Willow’s assistance for perhaps five minutes, however, with her strength augmenting his he lifted and placed the cards wincrincreasing speed and accuracy until they were a blur of colours and numbers.

Willow was staring straight at him and the small part of her mind that wasn’t engaged in keeping the spell going was wondering how she had managed to think of him as only a friend for so long. Her mind was starting to wander a little and she closed her eyes and pulled her energy back together to keep the joining in place. After ten more minutes she began to pull back from the spell slightly and felt his recognition that it was about to end. When she opened her eyes again he was sitting with his head in his hands and his t-shirt was sticking to his chest with sweat. She groaned as she tried to stand and glanced across at the clock on the table. “Three hours” she murmured. “Way to go Rupert” she sighed as she finally managed to steady herself and put her hand out to help him up.

“Are you OK?” he asked as he stretched his shoulders and rotated his neck.

“I think so, just a little stiff” she suggested as she started to stretch as well.

“You guys ready for some breakfast?” asked a voice from the kitchen, causing Giles to jump and Willow to gasp. “What?” Buffy asked as they stared at her. “You’ve never seen me make eggs before?”


“These are very good eggs” Giles murmured around his third plateful. “Any chance of another cup of tea?”

Buffy shook her head. “You and I should definitely go for a run later today to work off these calories” she laughed as she ladelled more toast and eggs onto his plate and passed Willow the jug of juice. “I’ll put the kettle on for Giles then you and I should really get going, we have classes this morning”

Willow nodded and finished her juice in a gulp. “I’ll be ten minutes in the shower” she announced and grabbed a slice of toast from Giles’ plate before running upstairs.

“So what’s with the cards?” asked Buffy, motioning towards the cards lying on the floor. “Are you planning on playing the big bad for the hellmouth, because I would have guessed you’d choose Scrabble”

Giles shook his head. “It is an exercise to prove the joining is working and increase my stamina” he smiled at her as he carelessly flicked his fingers at the cards and they neatly stacked themselves on the table. “A little residual Willow power left over” he explained as Buffaredared at him in astonishment.

“Enough with the Mary Poppins clearing up” she begged. “Are you guys going to be ready by tomorrow night or should we be working on plan B?”

Giles ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “We’re not perfect yet but I think we’re as good as we are going to get. This morning was the last work out before Willow and I rest and prepare for the final battle”

Buffy nodded and stood up to gather the dishes. “We only have two classes today so we should be back mid afternoon. I’ve asked Xander and Fraser to join us and we can sort out the fine details as soon as Angel and Wesley arrive later tonight”