Title: Tumblin' Down 6/?
Author: Elisabeth
Email: dragonydreams@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.dragonydreams.com/
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Willow/Giles
Summary: What if Riley hadn't been there to pull Willow out of harm's way during "Wild at Heart"?
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Joss et al.
Distribution: My site, the usual lists, anyone with previous permission. Anyone else - please ask.
Feedback: Yes please! It makes me happy and keeps me writing.
Author's Note: Thanks to my wonderful Betas for all of your help and encouragement.

The rest of the day passed quickly in easy conversation. Before she knew it, Willow was getting ready for bed again. She was extremely pleased with the conversation she and Buffy'd had that morning. As she fell asleep she couldn't help thinking that it had felt surprisingly good to talk about what had happened with Oz.

Willow Dreamed…

She was in one of the chemistry labs on campus. Her Wicca stuff was spread before her. Liquids in prime colors were boiling in some of the beakers before her as she prepared to cast a spell.

She incanted, "I conjure thee by Barabbas, by Satanas, and the Devil. As thou art burning, Let Oz and Veruca's deceitful hearts be broken. This way. I conjure thee by the Saracen queen And the name of hell. Let them find no love or solace. Let them find no peace as well."

Willow took a photograph of Oz from where it had been resting among the other spell ingredients. Slowly she brought it towards the flame as she said, "Let this image seal his fate, not to love, only hate."

She looked at the photo again. It was one of the few she had where he was doing that cute little half-smile thing he sometimes did. She had been so happy with him. The last words she had spoken of the spell replayed themselves in her head, 'Only hate.'

Willow dropped the photograph. She may be full of anger and pain now, but she can't bring herself to condemn Oz to a life of pain and hate. As the photo hit the counter the beakers (which she hadn't even realized had been floating) dropped to smash against the counter, startling her.

Tears filled her eyes, again, as she berated herself for not even being witch enough to curse the man who betrayed her.

A voice startled her out of her self-flagellation. "Wow. For a minute there, I thought you might actually play rough." Willow spun around to see Veruca standing by the door. "Sometimes you have to, you know? To keep what's yours, sometimes you have to kill." She paused to look out the window. "How 'bout that? The sun's almost down."

Veruca locked the door with an audible click and began to stalk towards Willow. "Can't say I'm surprised you didn't go through with your little hex. You don't have the teeth."

Willow backed away from the advancing she-wolf. Despite her pain she tried to stand up for herself. "You don't know what I have. You don't know anything about me."

"I know what you love. I have his scent on me right now," she gloated.

Oz burst through the door as Veruca continued to stalk closer to Willow. "Don't touch her again," he demanded.

Veruca preened in the presence of her chosen mate. "Come stop me," she purred. "I like it rough, remember?"

Oz wouldn't give in to her that easily. Not again. "You wanna hurt me, hurt me. You leave her out of this."

Willow didn't know what to make of this confrontation. They'd seem so cozy this morning. Granted Oz had thrown Veruca out as soon as Willow had caught them together, but she'd thought that was out of guilt. Now it seemed like he couldn't stand being in the same room as her. Willow crouched in a corner as they continued to circle each other in the small space of the lab.

"How can I?" Veruca demanded. "She's the reason you're living in cages. She's blinding you. When she's gone, you'll be able to admit what you are."

"You don't wanna find out what I am," Oz insisted as his face began to change to that of a wolf.

"You're an animal. Animals kill," she reminded him, her transformation starting as well.

"You're right." Oz agreed, having come to a decision. He closed the distance between them. "We kill."

He fully wolfed out, as did she. They leapt at each other, rolling around on the ground as they attacked each other with claws and teeth. Oz-wolf pounced and ripped out Veruca-wolf's throat with a growl. Veruca whimpered a final time before her body went slack with death.

Willow, who had been watching from the corner, had tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed.

Willow reached a hand out in question, hoping to make contact with her boyfriend, hoping that some part of him remained in the animal. "Oz?"

Oz scented her tears, but in his wolf state he didn't recognize the redhead as his girlfriend… just food. With Veruca's blood still dripping from his jaw he sprang at Willow, only to fall flat on his face.

Willow looked up to see that Giles had grabbed Oz's foot, preventing him from attacking.

"Giles," Willow called out as Oz turned on this new threat, moving to attack, but Giles kicked him out of the way. She called out to him again, in warning, in relief. He pulled the gun that had been hanging from his back into his hands and shot Oz with a tranquilizer. Oz tried to get up, but passed out instead.

Once he was certain the wolf was down, Giles rushed to Willow's side. He pulled the sobbing girl into his arms, offering her any comfort he could give. For the first time that day, Willow felt safe. In Giles' strong embrace her tears ebbed and the intense pain she'd been feeling began to recede.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Giles was awakened by the sound of Willow's voice. She was calling out for him with such fear in her voice. He leapt from his bed and rushed down the stairs to her room, heedless to the fact that he wore nothing but pajama bottoms.

He burst through the door of Willow's room, rushing to her side. "Willow?" he softly spoke.

He realized that she was dreaming, and not pleasant ones at that. Tears were sliding down her cheeks as she whimpered and called out to him again. Giles brushed the tears from her cheeks and her hair from her face.

Soothingly he coaxed her to wakefulness. "Willow, I'm here. Let me help you, just follow my voice."

In her sleep-addled mind, Willow recognized that the threat was gone. With one last look at the drugged wolf-form of the man she loved, Willow allowed Giles to pull her to her feet. With an arm wrapped around her, he led her out of the room – out of the dream – and into reality.

Willow opened her eyes to see Giles once again leaning over her prone body, worry in his soft green eyes. A wide smile spread across her face.

Before he could say anything, Willow pulled him down on top of her, embracing him in a tight hug.

"You saved me," she gushed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Giles automatically replied, his confusion evident in his voice. Afraid his weight would become too much for her, and afraid of his body's betrayal at her breasts being pressed against his bare chest through her nightshirt, he pushed himself off of Willow.

"What did I save you from?" he asked the sleepy girl. He resumed stroking her face and hair as she wrapped one of her hands around his forearm, keeping him beside her.

"Oz," she whispered, frowning slightly.

"What was Oz doing that you needed to be saved?" he warily asked.

"Veruca," she spat.

Giles coughed in embarrassment.

Realizing how she'd answered him, Willow expanded on the topic as best she could. "He killed her. In front of me. I tried to curse them, but I couldn't go through with it. She attacked me; said Oz was hers. Oz stopped her from attacking me and they went all wolfy. But after she was dead, he…" Willow felt the tears well up again. "He turned on me." She took a moment to compose herself as Giles digested what she was saying. No wonder he'd heard fear in her voice when he'd woken.

"And I saved you?" he prompted.

"Yeah," Willow smiled slightly. "You came in and pulled him away when he started to attack me. Then you shot him with a tranq, at least I think it was a tranq. I hope so because as much as he hurt me I don't want him dead, even in my dream."

Giles couldn't hold back the small smile that spread across his lips. Even half asleep and talking about a frightening dream, Willow was babbling.

"Well, I am very happy to have been of service."

"You made me feel safe," she whispered, as if confiding some deep dark secret.

Giles' eyes widened a bit in surprise. His wonder was quickly replaced with contentment. He gave Willow a self-deprecating smile. "I am honored."

Willow could still feel that overwhelming sense of comfort and safety being here in Giles' presence. She didn't want that feeling to end.

When she didn't speak, Giles assumed that it was out of tiredness. He began to stand, to allow her to get some more sleep.

Willow grasped his arm harder, refusing to relinquish her hold.

"Where are you going?" she desperately asked, eyes wide with anxiety.

"I was going to head back to bed. You probably want to get back to sleep."

"Don't go," she pleaded. "What if he comes back? What if he attacks me again?" Her voice began to take on a hysterical edge. "What if he doesn't come at all and SHE attacks me again? You can stop them. Please don't leave me alone."

Giles immediately sat back on the bed with her first desperate plea. He gently lifted her into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her. Willow buried her face in his neck as he soothingly ran a hand over her hair.

"I'm right here," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll watch over you while you sleep."

Willow's hands clenched on his bare back, pulling him closer to her body. "Promise?"

"I promise."

She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. "You'll keep me safe," she quietly stated.

Giles was amazed to see such trust in her shining emerald eyes. Even though it hadn't been a question, he answered her. "Always."

Giles eased Willow back down until she was once again lying on her back, her face turned slightly away from his. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around him, as if she were afraid that he'd leave if she let go.

Giles moved to place a kiss on her cheek as she turned her head to face him. Their lips brushed against each other's in a ghost of a kiss.

Giles froze. His entire body was tingling from that brief contact. His brain was screaming at him to move away, distance himself from temptation. Yet his body was straining to lower his head that fraction of an inch and take her mouth in what was sure to be a mind-numbing kiss.

As always, his brain won the argument. He tried to push himself back, prepared to start apologizing.

Instead he found himself in heaven as Willow raised her head that same fraction of an inch to press her lips against his. She softly brushed her lips against those of the man above her, barely touching them to his. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, wetting his as well, so small was the distance between them. Her tongue was barely back in her mouth when she pressed hers firmly against Giles'.

While he had been debating whether or not to pull away, Willow had been having a similar mental debate. Sure she'd fantasized about kissing Giles for years, but she'd just lost her boyfriend. He was only in her room now because of her nightmare. Yet he'd saved her in her dream. He'd made her feel safe. For some reason her subconscious had chosen Giles to be her savior, not Buffy, not the slayer. She decided that her subconscious must know what it was doing, so she pressed her advantage, so to speak.

Giles moaned into her mouth, giving in to his deepest desire. He moved his lips against hers; reciprocating the pleasure he was receiving. He pulled her bottom lip between his, sucking gently, earning him a moan in return. He felt his body thrumming with heat and desire. Reluctantly he released her lip, offering one more solid kiss before pulling away.

His eyes searched out Willow's, nervously looking for any sign of regret, or worse, repulsion. He found only desire, contentment, and a hint of disappointment for having had it end. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Willow, I…" he started to say.

Willow cut him off by placing a finger against his lips. She smiled at him. "I'm not sorry. And I don't want to analyze it yet. Let's just get some sleep."

Giles returned her smile, not really wanting to ruin this moment with talk either. "Alright."

He stood and prepared to return to his bed, but Willow's voice stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

Giles turned back to her. "Bed?" Willow shook her head. "But you said…"

Willow patted the empty space next to her. "Here."

Giles' eyes opened wide. "Are you certain?" he choked out.

"Just to sleep. You'll keep me safe."

Even as he crossed to the empty side of the bed Giles wasn't certain that statement was true. Who would protect her from him? What if he couldn't keep his hands off her? 'She's still injured you prat,' he told himself. 'You aren't going to try anything in your sleep.'

He slid under the covers, pulling them up to his chin. Willow wished she could roll over and snuggle into him, but she could barely roll onto her side. She smiled as she remembered what her PT told her about sleeping on her side.

"Can you hand me that extra pillow?" she asked her bedmate. He looked at her quizzically, but reached behind his head for the spare pillow. He started to hand it to her.

"Wait, put your hand on the bed first." He did, still unsure of what she was doing. Willow grasped his arm and pulled herself onto her side, facing him. She winced momentarily as she adjusted to the new position. "Okay, now hand me the pillow."

Giles watched as the pillow disappeared beneath the covers. He saw her upper leg lift a bit under the covers and stay there. He guessed that it was between her legs. He couldn't help but envy that pillow.

"Now come here," Willow requested, holding her arm out to him. Giles raised an eyebrow at her request, but found himself unable to refuse. He inched his way closer to Willow, lying on his back next to her.

Willow shifted a little closer until she was able to rest her head on his chest. She draped her arm over his chest and he was forced to settle his around her shoulders. Willow sighed contentedly, ruffling the hairs on his chest with her breath.

"Good night, Giles."

"Good night, dear Willow."

Giles felt Willow's breathing slow as she returned to sleep. He felt her breasts pressing against his side and the pillow that was between her legs against his. He was grateful that Willow was able to sleep so easily. At least one of them should get a good night's sleep after all.

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