TITLE: Viva Las Vegas
AUTHOR: Monique
RATING: R
SUMMARY: Willow wins a trip to Vegas and wackiness ensues.
DISCLAIMER: Joss is God, we are but humble servants

Willow lay stretched out on her bed balancing a book on the soles of her feet. This was a personal record... Nearly 100 Hippopotamuses. The Hellmouth hadn't made a peep in weeks, and the Vamps seemed to be taking a vacation. Trying to alleviate the thudding boredom was everyone's new pasttime. Ignoring Xander's constant "Orgy!" suggestion, Willow had found very little to help pass the time. Book balancing was her latest.

"96 Hippopopatamus," she said her voice tight with concentration. "97 Hippopotamus. 98 ---"

RING RING

She jumped at the sound, and the book went flying off her feet and into the dresser. "Arghhh!"

She frowned and straightened up, grabbing for the phone. "Hello? -- Speaking." Her eyes went grew big with excitement, and she started to bounce up and down. "Oh! Right!" She reached over and turned down the volume on her radio.

"K-C-U-F, plays the hottest hits under the Sunnydale sun!" she screamed.

She couldn't contain herself and climbed up onto her bed again, so she could bounce higher. The phone was swinging wildly. "Really? Really? Really?" She stopped bouncing. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "But you're not kidding me, right? I mean that would be really cruel. I mean I never win anything and if this--- Is this Xander?"

Her face fell, but only for a minute and then re-lit like a flame. "Oh, never mind. You mean... I really, for realsies, won?" She tried to listen carefully, biting her lower lip. "I am?" she squeaked. "You are?!" she said her voice rising in excitement. "I can!?!" she screamed.

"Sorry," she whispered and swallowed hard and tried to regain some semblance self-control.

"Yes, thank you," she said politely. "I'll do just that. In the mail, right? Yes, thank you."

With seeming calm, she hung up the phone and sat on the edge of her bed, the shock finally setting in.

When Buffy finally came back from class, she still hadn't moved.

"Hey, Wills," Buffy said brightly as she came in and set her books down, but Willow remained still and quiet. "Wills?" Buffy asked again, looking sharply at the redhead. Now concerned, she knelt down next to her friend. Her voice rose. "Willow? Willow! What's wrong? Is it a spell? Blink once for no, twice for yes!"

Finally, Willow seemed to break out of her trance. A smile slowly lifter her face. "I won."

"That's great," Buffy said automatically, not sure if she should be relieved or not. "Won what?"

Willow's eyes slowly came back to life and focused on Buffy. "I really won."

"Repeating.. that's great... won what?'"

Willow sprang to her feet, her body instantly filled with nervous energy. "Remember that radio contest thingy we filled out at the mall?"

Buffy's jaw slackened. "Vegas?" she croaked.

Willow nodded, a huge grin covering her face. "Pack your bags! We're goin' to Vegas!"

"No!" Buffy said excitedly, jumping to her feet.

"Yes!" Willow countered, starting to bounce again.

"No!"

"Yes!"

They kept the back and forth as they jumped up and down, spinning around the room. They didn't even notice when Xander joined in, jumping up and down with them, yelling "Maybe!"

His presence finally registered with Willow. She managed to stop jumping. "Xander?"

Buffy stopped, but Xander kept jumping and spinning. "What are we jumping for? And can I stop now, I think my Chalupa's gonna repeat on me soon?"

Buffy put her hand on his arm, and he finally managed to settle.

"So what's with the bouncies?" Xander asked. "And thank you both going braless today, by the way."

Willow hit his arm, but her smile gave her away. "Xander," she chided.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell him," Buffy offered.

"Oh, no fair," he whined. "I'm braless, too." He lifted his shirt to give them proof.

Willow rolled her eyes and grinned at Buffy. "Oh, it's nothing really," Willow said casually. "I just won an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas. That's all."

"No!" Xander yelled.

"Yes!" Willow yelled back, as they all started to bounce again.

"No!" Xander cried and then suddenly stopped bouncing. "Can I go?"

Willow, still bouncing, nodded. "I can take two friends.. One... Two!" she said pointing at Buffy and then Xander.

"We're going to Vegas!" Xander screamed as he resumed bouncing.

Buffy started giggling until she had a bad thought. "Uh-oh."

"No, Buffy. No uh-ohs. Only yays and yippees are allowed. Definitely, nix the uh-oh," Willow said anxiously.

"I just thought of something. Who's gonna tell Giles?"

They all sighed. "Well," Xander reasoned. "What can he say?"

"If I know Giles, it'll be something like.." Buffy pursed her lips and looked down her nose. "Absolutely not!"

*****

"Absolutely not!" Giles stated firmly.

"I knew you were going to say that," Buffy deadpanned. "And I just have one question," she said and then put on her pouty-face. "How can you say that?" she wailed.

"Easily. I'll say it again if you like. Absolutely not!"

"You did say things were quiet, right?" Willow asked logically.

Giles frowned and regarded the three. "Well, yes. I did." Everyone's face lit up. "But that could change at any minute." Their poor little faces fell again.

"Gi-iles," Buffy whined.

"Oh, come on G-Man. Have a heart. Vegas. Women. Money. Women with money..." Xander begged.

Willow knew they definitely had to try a different tact. She got up off the sofa and walked to stand in front of Giles.

"Giles," she said softly. He looked down into her eyes and nearly let a sigh escape his lips. As soon as he'd looked into her eyes, he knew he was lost. He tried to look away, but it was too late. "Please? We're only an hour away by plane. And well," she said looking down. "I've never won anything in my life and..." she let her voice trail off sadly.

Giles' brow furrowed. He found it increasingly difficult to deny her anything and when she looked like this, his heart just melted. "All right," he said softly.

Willow's face brightened. "Really?"

He shook his head, knowing he was going to regret this. "Have a good time."

The trio started to bounce again.

"But!" Giles interrupted.

"How did I know there was a but," Xander said worriedly. "You've always got to stick a big but in there somewhere."

Giles rolled his eyes and sighed as Buffy and Willow stifled a giggle. "You have to promise me you'll check in," Giles said sternly. "Often."

Willow nodded enthusiastically. Forgetting herself, she hugged him.

Giles awkwardly hugged her back, trying futilely to push down his true feelings. He couldn't tell them the real reason he didn't want them to go. He didn't dare reveal how he felt about Willow. But the thought of her in that Sodom and Gomorrah!! It was going to be a very long weekend. Very long indeed.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on a tricycle!" Xander exclaimed as they were shown into their suite. "Would you look at this!"

"This is one sweet suite, Wills," Buffy said in awe, but her eyes kept straying to the very cute bellhop.

"Are you sure this is the right room?" Willow nervously asked the young man.

He smiled. "Sure thing, Miss Rosenberg. The radio station's taken care of everything," he said as he took their bags off the large cart. He held up a particularly large one and asked, "Which room?"

"Oh," Buffy said brightly. "That's mine. I don't know? Willow, which room do you want?"

Willow just shrugged, letting it all sink in. She still couldn't believe she'd actually won. And it wasn't like she won free tickets to a movie nobody wants to see. I mean, this was big - free airline tickets to Las Vegas, a huge suite at a really nice hotel, and a thousand dollars cash. There was only one thing missing, but she figured it always would be. Giles. She sighed sadly.

Xander saw her and threw his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, no sighs. This is Las Vegas, baby!"

She giggled and nodded. There was no use in crying over things that could never be. Xander was right, this was Las Vegas - Fun City, USA.

"And besides," Buffy added. "I think he likes you."

"What? Who?"

"I put your bags in the master suite, Miss Rosenburg," the bellhop said as he re-entered the large living room.

Buffy elbowed her and gave her a waggley eyebrow. Willow just giggled.

"Thank you. Oh!" she said rummaging in her purse.

"S'all been taken care of," he said. "There's champagne compliments of the management in the fridge and if you should need anything - anything at all -just ask for me. Name's Carl. Don't hesitate to ring," he said with a grin. "I hope you enjoy your stay here at Caesar's Palace."

"Thanks!" Willow said with huge smile, as the bellboy left them to their own devices.

"I think I heard something about champagne!" Xander said as he ran into the kitchen.

"It's only two in the afternoon," Willow scolded him.

"Wills, first rule of Vegas. Time is irrelevant. Once you're in the casinos, which should be mere minutes from now, you won't know if it's day or night. And you won't care."

She sighed. "I guess so."

"There is no guess so. We're here to cut lose. No 'rents, no teachers, no Watchers. Just three friends out on the town. Footloose and hellmouth free!"

"Oh, that reminds me... Weren't we supposed to call Giles once we were checked in?" Willow said looking for the phone.

Xander sighed and shook his head. He leaned over Buffy who had joined him in the kitchen. "We're gonna have to work on this Miss Responsibility thing."

"I know. Be patient," Buffy said. "It's up to us to show her how much she needs this break. Trust me inside that level head is a sex-o-matic venus freak."

Xander nodded as he watched Willow dial Giles' number.

"Giles?" Willow said into the phone. "It's Willow, calling from Las Vegas."

Xander shook his head and pulled the champagne out of the fridge. Buffy grinned in anticipation.

Willow smiled as she told Giles about the plane ride, the limo drive, and the trip up in the elevator. "Oh, we will," she said sincerely.

Xander popped the cork loudly, earning a scream of delight from Buffy.

"Hmm? Oh that was just the champagne," Willow answered Giles, as he couldn't help but hear the ruckus. "I know it's only two," Willow said a frown on her face. 'He thinks I'm such a child.' "I'm not a child you know! This is ---"

She listened to him lecture for a long moment, the frown growing on her face, before she interrupted him. "Well... I plan on... well.... doing things..." she said indignantly, "Things! Bad things, maybe. I-I-I might even... debauch!... I can too debauch. I know how. I've seen Showgirls!"

Xander arched an eyebrow. Reverse psychology, the G-man was good. Even if he didn't know it. Xander nodded in appreciation and then frowned. "When did you guys rent Showgirls and why wasn't I invited?"

"Oh, yeah!" Willow said angrily. "Well, fine! Fine! Good bye!" She said as she slammed the phone down. "How dare he? I am never speaking to him again!"

"Okay," Buffy said carefully.

"That man---" she said struggling for a word. "He's so---- poopy!" She spied the champagne and marched into the kitchen.

"I'll show him who's childish!" She grabbed the bottle and drank a long swig. She coughed little and then slammed it down on the counter. Buffy and Xander watched in wide-eyed shock.

Willow turned to them both and wiped her mouth delicately. "Oh yeah.. we have to call him again at six."

*****

"That woman!" Giles growled to his empty apartment. He shook his head and then huffed, falling heavily onto his sofa.

He sighed deeply. An innocent like Willow in place like Las Vegas, well - no good could come of it. And with Buffy and Xander along, there was sure to be trouble.

Willow, liquor, men. He groaned. Men. It didn't bear thinking about. And yet, somehow, was all he could think of.

And he'd done a fine job of shoving her down the path of depravity. "Don't be so childish. I expect you to behave responsibly," he said savagely imitating himself. 'Oh, bloody brilliant!'

What was a Watcher to do? He was deeply, madly, truly in love with Willow, and if he'd had an ounce of courage - he would have told her. He could avert the apocalypse, but face a beautiful young woman that made his knees weak? Pathetic did not even scratch the surface.

He suddenly wondered how Anya and Riley, who had actual claims on two of the parties involved, were dealing with this little sojourn.

Misery loves company. So, Giles dialed Anya's number. Nobody shared misery like Anya.

The sounds and smell of sex and money were in the air. Figuratively speaking. The only thing you could actually smell was cigarette smoke and the slightly arid sense of overly oxygenated air.

The three young travelers walked through the giant casino. It seemed to stretch on forever. One large, opulent room leading to another. Suffering from sensory overload, all they could do was drift through the crowds.

The electronic sounds bubbling out of the slot machines sang a siren's song, echoed by the cheers from groups at the gaming tables. Everything about it was inviting, calling to the visitor to pull up a chair and stay for a while. And then stay a little longer.

A cocktail waitress, dressed in a very short roman toga, her breasts spilling out, passed by giving Xander smile and a wink. Without thinking, he turned and started to follow her, until Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"D-d-did y-y-you see that?" he gasped, eyes practically popping out.

"I saw them," Buffy said, unconsciously pulling on the neckline of her blouse.

"Wow," Willow said softly.

"That's what I was thinking. Why would you..." Xander started.

"He's beautiful," Willow interrupted as the object of her gaze came closer.

"Holy crap," Buffy said in awe.

A young man, absolutely, positively, drop-your-drawers gorgeous, was approaching them. He too was dressed in Roman regalia - Vegas' version of a Senator. His toga was also short, showing off some mighty fine, tanned, muscular legs. His hair was short and wavy - hints of blond touching the darker brown. He was tall, just over six feet, and walked flanked by two centurions. His eyes searched casually through the crowd, until he saw Willow. He smiled, flashing a broad white smile, said something to the soldiers and headed straight for the trio.

"Oh -- my --- God," Buffy whispered. "He's coming over here. Is my hair all right? How's my breath?" She blew into Xander's face.

"So *you* ate those olives? Cause I thought they were just garnish," Xander said making a face.

Willow stood frozen in place, her mouth slightly open, head titled back and lips barely parted.

The Senator came to a stop in front of them, bowed gallantly and smiled again. It was even better close up. Somehow behind the performance smile, was genuine pleasure.

"Forgive my impertinence, but are you Miss Rosenberg?" he said in smooth baritone.

Willow took a deep breath and licked her suddenly dry lips. Xander frowned at the innocent sexuality, coughed and nudged her. "Wills?"

"Hmm?" she said dreamily. "Oh, you're forgiven."

He chuckled smoothly and bowed again. "May I introduce myself? I am Sextus Aurilius. And I am your humble servant."

"Sex-tus," Buffy whispered.

Willow giggled. "Hello."

Xander frowned, although he did move to stand a bit behind Buffy. "How did you know who she was?" he asked suspiciously.

Sextus grinned back, addressing himself only to Willow. "Word of your coming was brought to my attention."

"The radio contest," Willow said realizing this was part of the royal treatment. And how!

He nodded in confirmation, but maintained his pleasant charade. "May the fates continue to bless you with good fortune as you enjoy the gaming tables of the palace."

Willow giggled again.

"I am afraid I must leave you now. Pressing matters in the senate. I'm sure you understand," he added with another disarming grin.

"Oh, of course," Willow said sincerely.

"Perhaps we can share a glass of wine later? After the feast perhaps?"

"Perhaps," she said shyly.

He nodded again, and with a final bow, he waved to his companions and continued through the casino.

"That was -- so very strange," Xander said as they watched them disappear into the crowd.

Buffy elbowed Willow gently. "Willow, Vegas agrees with you. You are now officially a babe magnet."

"He's just doing his job. He does do it very well though, doesn't he?" she said with a bright grin.

"Well, if you two are finished," Xander said impatiently. "I think it's time we spent some of Willow's money!" Xander said excitedly.

"How right you are!" Buffy chimed in and turned to Willow. "Well, what'll it be?"

Willow reached into her pocket and pulled out a quarter.

"Last of the big spenders," Xander grumbled.

Willow ignored him and walked over to one of the slots. She took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes." She slid the coin into the slot, crossed her fingers and pulled the arm down. The rolls spun wildly for a moment, then the first stopped on a large firecracker, then the second roll stopped - firecracker. Finally, the third stopped - firecracker.

"Is that good?" Willow asked. There was a slight pause and then the light on top of the machine started spinning and a loud bell started ringing. The gamblers nearest them all turned to look, before sighing and returning to pump quarter into their own machines.

"Oooo-oooo!" Xander screamed. "Jackpot! You-you hit the jackpot!"

"I did?" Willow asked numbly staring at the machine.

Buffy and Xander did a little snoopy dance until the attendant arrived.

"Congratulations," she said as she pulled a key from her waist and put it into the wailing machine. Abruptly the cacophony stopped.

"How much?" Xander screamed from behind her.

"Are we rich? I mean is she rich?" Buffy put in.

"Well, two thousand dollars isn't bad," the woman said with a smile before turning back to Willow. "If you'll wait here, I'll get your money."

Willow nodded. Xander hugged her fiercely, then turned to hug Buffy and then hugged Willow again. He raised her hand above her head and started to chant. "Will-ow! Will-ow!" The crowd was less than enthusiastic, and he finally stopped. "This is so great," he whispered loudly.

*****

"This is so lame," Anya said bitterly. She and Riley had joined Giles to commiserate.

Riley nodded sadly.

Giles continued to brood quietly, punctuating his lack of conversation with grunts and few grumbling incoherent invectives.

Riley looked at Anya and then back to Giles. "Not that it's any of my business, Mr. Giles. But I know why I'm less than thrilled, and I know why Anya is -- unhappy, but why--"

Giles glared angrily at him. "You're right. It's none of your business."

Anya sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "He's in love with Willow. Idiot."

Riley's mouth fell open, but he had the good sense to close it quickly and keep it shut.

"Don't be absurd," Giles hissed.

Anya made a disgusted sound. "Men. You really are so pathetic."

Giles was about to rebut that, but just sighed heavily.

"So you and Willow are-are together?" Riley asked carefully.

"Please!" Anya said shifting in her seat, flinging her legs over he arm of the chair. "If they were together do you think he'd have let her go off alone to someplace like Las Vegas."

"We did," Riley said.

Anya frowned. "Good point."

"What time is it?" Giles asked tersely.

"Six thirty, "Riley answered.

Giles stood up and started pace. "She was supposed to call a half hour ago. What the hell could they be doing?"

*****

"Another cocktail?"

Willow stopped spinning on her stool and faced the waitress, a sloppy grin on her face. "Yes, please."

"Yes -- uhm. Willow Rosenberg's room please?" Giles asked anxiously as he checked his watched yet again - nearly nine o'clock.

He paced back and forth as far as the short cord would allow.

"Well?" Riley said impatiently.

"It's ringing." Giles frowned as he waited for someone to answer.

"Yo! Joey's House of Funk and Chicken. Joey speaking!" said a slightly slurred male voice.

"E-excuse me?"

"Whaaazzzuuup?"

"Whazzup?" Giles echoed in confusion.

"Just ask for Willow," Riley interjected.

"Right," Giles said. It was hard to hear over the thrashing party sounds in the background. "I'm trying to reach Will-ow Ro-sen-berg! Is this her room?"

"Who?"

"WILLOW ROSENBERG!!" Giles screamed.

"Oh, cute redhead? Fine little number?" Joey asked.

"Yes, yes fine. Is she there?" Giles asked struggling to contain his temper.

"Yeah. She's here."

Pause.

Giles sighed. "May I speak with her?"

"You from England?"

"Yes. Willow. Would you put her on the phone?" Giles bit out.

"Jeez. Take it easy. Freakin' limey."

Giles could hear the phone being set down and Joey's voice calling out. "Hey Red! Phone! Some prissy dude's calling from like England or something!"

"Well?" Riley asked coming to Giles' side.

"She's coming, I think."

"Hello?" Willow said cheerfully.

"Willow," Giles sighed in relief.

"Giles? What are you doing in England?"

"I'm not. I'm still.. oh, nevermind. Are you all right? You were supposed to call hours ago," Giles said worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I guess we just kind of lost track of time. There aren't a lot of clocks here."

"Ask her about Buffy?" Riley prompted.

"Ask her about Xander?"

"A-are Buffy and Xander there with you?" he asked, but the reply was muffled. All he heard was something about you'd be surprised what floats in a hot tub and mirrors on the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Willow. You'll have to speak up."

"What? I can't hear you! You'll have to talk louder!" Willow yelled.

"Yes," Giles sighed. "Yes! A-are you having a s-some sort of party?"

Willow giggled and then gave a small scream. "Sextus!"

"What?! S-sex what?" Giles yelped. "W-willow?"

"Buffy?" Riley asked leaning in toward Giles.

"Xander?" Anya put in, straining to get her ear next to the phone too.

"Giles?" Willow called out a bit breathlessly. "I can barely hear you -- Stop that!"

"Are you all right?" The vein in Giles' forehead was starting the throb.

"Put me down!" Willow cried. "Sextus! Can you... Oh!"

Giles heard a bit of a scuffle. "Willow!"

"Giles? I've gotta go. We'll call you tomorrow. Bye." And the line went dead.

"Willow? Willow!" Giles called uselessly into the phone before setting it back into its cradle. A deep frown covered his face, his eyes darkening.

"Well?" Riley asked impatiently. "What happened?"

Giles ignored him and pursed his lips. He took a deep breath and grabbed his car keys off the counter.

"Where are you going?" Anya asked, as Giles took his jacket from the rack.

"Las Vegas."

"I'm going too," Riley said quickly as he strode for the door. "Let me get some stuff."

"Oh, that's a good idea," Anya said sarcastically. "That'll really show them how much you trust and respect them."

"Xander was in the hot tub," Giles said plainly.

"Meet back here in 15 minutes?" Anya asked.

*****

"Hey Wills, who was that on the phone?" Buffy asked as Sextus set her down on the kitchen counter. "And where can I get one of those?" she added with a grin a Sextus.

The young Senator smiled, but turned his attention back to Willow. "You all right?"

Willow smiled a bit wanly. "Fine."

"I'll make sure he's off the list," he said. "You having a good time?"

"Oh, yeah," she said with manufactured enthusiasm.

He smiled gently. "I've got rounds. But I'll check in again later."

"Great!"

Buffy watched Sextus leave with a frown. "Okay, give Willow. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Giles," Willow said softly.

"Come on," Buffy said as she put an arm around her friend's shoulder. "Don't let it get you down."

Willow sighed. "I know. I just wish-"

"Your wish is my command?" offered a nice looking drunkard with a courtly if wobbly bow.

Willow hesitated.

"Come on, Wills," Buffy urged her.

"Okay. Uhm. Another human pyramid?" Willow said with a small smile.

"Pyramid!" he called out.

"That's the spirit!" Buffy said brightly.

*****

"I still think we should have taken my car," Giles grumbled as he and Anya struggled for shoulder room in the cab of Riley's pick-up truck.

"No offense, Mr. Giles. But your car -- Well, it's a piece of crap," Riley said bluntly.

Giles snorted.

"Would you move over? I'm the one straddling the hump here!" Anya wailed in Giles' ear.

Giles took a deep breath, ready with a wicked rejoinder, but swallowed it. They still had four hours to go. Four, long, excruciating hours.

"Does this thing have air conditioning at least?" Giles asked, pulling on the collar of his sweater.

"Uhm, no," Riley said sheepishly.

"Piece of crap," Giles mumbled.

"Well, roll down the window!" Anya commanded. "Why do men smell so badly? It's a wonder women ever want to get sweaty with you."

Four, very long hours.

"...and then after sex, we both get really hungry. Which makes sense, but I mean sometimes Xander just kind of lies there and I kneel--"

"Please!" Giles interrupted her again. "Please, Anya. I am *begging* you not to finish that sentence."

Anya frowned and sighed. "Is Xander going to be this repressed when he gets old or is it just a British thing?"

Giles closed his eyes and tried to remain civil, but after an hour of Anya's stories, he was ready to go mad.

"As I was saying," Anya continued and then frowned. "No wait, I've lost my place. Let's see. Okay, did I tell you about that time," she started to giggle. "That he barked like a dog, right in the middle of-"

*****

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Riley asked nervously, as he climbed back into the truck.

Giles took a deep breath and closed his door. "She'll be fine." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder into the bed of the truck.

Anya was tied up and covered with tarp, just her head sticking out, a gag in her mouth.

"We've wasted enough time, "Giles said impatiently. "Let's get going."

Riley started the truck and pulled out.

Giles sighed contentedly. "Ah, much better."

"She was getting pretty annoying," Riley admitted with a smile. "I mean the way she could just keep talking and talking. I've never met anybody that could keep going and going like that."

Giles turned a suspicious eye on him.

"We couldn't even get a word in edgewise."

Giles watched him for a second, but he didn't say anything else. 'Finally, some peace and quiet,' Giles thought.

"I mean Buffy can talk a blue streak," Riley started up again. "Not that I need to tell you that. You probably know her better than anybody. But sometimes we'll be sitting there and... Well take last Saturday night for instance, we were-"

Giles groaned and leaned his head out the window. Maybe a cactus would knock him out.

*****

Buffy saw Willow heading for the door, so she quickly pushed through the crowd. "Wills! Where are you going?"

Willow smiled a bit wanly. "Just gonna get some fresh air."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it is a bit much in here isn't it?"

They both turned and observed the party. People, some conscious, some not, some alone, some... not, were scattered all over the room.

"It's a good thing they let us move the party here. I found some guy trying on my clothes," Buffy said distastefully.

"Really? That's icky."

"Yeah, he looked better than I did in them," Buffy said with a frown. "You wanna go back to our room now?"

"Naw, let's just--"

One tightly packed group gave a loud yell and suddenly a body was birthed from their ranks.

"Xander!" Willow cried as he stumbled toward them, his hair wet and his eyes a bit wild.

"What happened to you?" Buffy asked as he tried to catch his breath.

He shook his head, then nodded. "I -- do -- not -- know."

"We're going for a walk, wanna come?"

Still gasping for air, he managed a nod. Buffy and Willow giggled and each took an arm. Straightening, Xander ran a hand through his hair.

"You have a--" Willow started as she reached up. "A cherry in your ear." She took out the small berry and handed it Xander.

"A cherry? Oh. OH!" he exclaimed as his eyes went round with realization. "Walking is good," he said nervously with quick glance over his shoulder.

"Where's my cocktail?" came a deep voice from the crowd as a huge female pro-wrestler pushed her way to the edge.

"Running is better!" Xander squeaked as he pulled Willow and Buffy out the door.

*****

"Here we are," Riley said brightly as they pulled off the freeway and onto the strip.

"Thank God," Giles muttered through clenched teeth. He was ready to kill. After four hours with these two, he was sure no jury would convict him.

They finally found a parking spot in one of the rear structures of Caeser's and untied Anya.

"You are so going to regret doing this," she warned them.

"What are you going to? Bore me to death? Again?" Giles snorted.

She stiffened. "I spent 1100 years making men's lives miserable - wanna see me do it again?"

"Did you ever stop?" Giles spat out and stalked away. Riley took over undoing the knots. "He's pretty uptight, isn't he?"

"That's because," she answered loudly. "He's too afraid to make Willow an orgasm friend."

"Shh," Riley hissed.

"I'm not afraid of the big, bad Watcher," she said defiantly.

Giles turned around menacingly and grinned.

Anya swallowed. "Much."

"Come on." Riley suggested evenly. "Let's see if we can find them."

Giles grunted and turned started toward the hotel. Riley and Anya exchanged worried looks. Best to stay out his way for a while, they agreed. And so, gathering the luggage, they followed at a safe distance.

A mile and half later, they reached the front desk.

"Willow Rosenberg's room number please?" Giles asked.

The clerk punched in a few commands on the keyboard. Then a few more. "What was that name again?"

"Willow Rosenberg," Giles said with a sigh. "With an e."

That really threw her. "What's with an e?"

"Rosenberg," Giles explained.

"Oh." The girl punched in another long serious of commands, a frown covering her face. "Is the first 'e' the 'e' or the second 'e' the 'e'?"

"Both," Giles said, his patience starting to tear away completely.

"Both?"

"Yes, there are two e's and they're both... e's," he finished lamely.

The clerk's eyes narrowed. "Riiiight," she said suspiciously. She pushed a few more buttons and looked for her supervisor. This guy was not well. "Would you excuse me for moment?"

"Uhm, can't you just -" Giles started, but she was already gone.

After a few minutes an even younger clerk appeared. "May I help you?"

"Please. I'm trying to find Willow Rosenberg. R-O-S-E-N-B-E-R-G," Giles said as evenly as he could.

The young woman typed in a long serious of commands. "Ah, Ms. Rosenberg."

"Wonderful."

"Are you on the list?" the young woman asked.

"What list?" Giles asked in confusion.

She smiled with false solicitude. "Name please?"

"Rupert Giles, but-"

Another long series of keystrokes. "I'm sorry, sir. There's no one with that name on the guest list."

"Guest list? I don't think you understand, I-," Giles started.

"I'll check again. Your name?" the girl said mechanically.

"Rupert Giles," he said tersely. "But I doubt I'm on your list."

"Then why am I looking you up?" the girl shot back.

"I have no idea!" Giles bellowed. Riley put an arm on his shoulder, but Giles shrugged him off. "I just want Willow's room."

"Well, I'm sorry sir. If you're not on the list, then--"

"I just want her room number!"

"Then why did you ask about the list?" the girl asked peevishly.

"I didn't! I don't even know what the hell list you're talking about!" That vein was throbbing again.

"Security!"

"I'm sure that's not necessary," Riley intervened, with his most charming smile.

"Is there a problem?" said a deep voice attached to a gigantic guard-type person.

"No, everything's fine," Riley said, trying desperately to appease them.

"He's not on the list," the girl said pointing to Giles.

"You can take your bloody list and --" Giles started. He'd reached the end of his rope. He reached across the counter and turned the computer monitor. "Just let me---" Before he knew what hit him, he was in a headlock and being physically escorted from the premises. Riley sighed followed them to the door. This was starting off well.

The desk clerk sighed and straightened her hair. "Name please?"

"Me?" Anya said innocently. "Oh, no. I was just -- passing through." Anya slipped off to gleefully watch the big security guard manhandle that uppity Watcher.

This was going to be fun.

Anya watched with barely restrained glee, oh, all right - there was no restraint, just a lot of glee - as the security guard threw Giles out of the hotel. She just loved the way he rolled across the sidewalk.

"Could you do that again?" she asked the burly man as he re-entered the casino.

Riley leaned forward to offer Giles a hand up. Rupert just sneered and ignored it. He brushed off his clothes and stood up straight. "I have never been so--Oof!" His suitcase caught him right in the ribs. He managed to dodge the next bag, but the last one clipped him in the side.

"You've lost my business! I can tell you that!" Giles yelled indignantly.

Anya sighed. "Fall down again. At least that was funny."

Giles glared at her.

"Well, it was." She shrugged.

"What do we do now?" Riley asked.

"We're going to that party," Giles said intently.

"But--"

Giles waved his hand dismissively. "I have a plan."

*****

"Ow," Giles groaned as the held the glass of scotch rocks to his bruised chin.

"Does it hurt much?" Anya asked.

"Not too much," he said.

"Then would you stop groaning? It reminds me of Xander," she grumbled.

Giles frowned at the scary visual place and winced.

"No offense, Mr. Giles, but but *you're* supposed to be the guy with the plans? That first one wasn't so bad, if *she'd* have done her part --"

Anya snorted. "It was a stupid plan."

Riley ignored her and continued. "But those last two plans... you were just making it up, weren't you?" Riley asked as he pressed a tall beer glass to his own eye. He was hoping to avoid the same color spectacular that was occuring on the face of the ex-librarian. Besides, the bar at the Mirage casino was really nice, and he hoped they didn't get thrown out of this place, too.

"Pretty bad?" Anya echoed. "Were you there? Try colossally inane!"

"I didn't hear you spouting any helpful ideas," Giles ground out. "Or doing anything helpful for that matter."

"That's because, if my only idea is incredibly stupid, I keep it to myself."

Giles sighed heavily and threw back the dregs of his drink. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Well, Mr. Giles, I---" Riley started.

"Stop calling me that, would you? Just Giles or Rupert. Please?"

"All right. R-r.. Giles. But I'm afraid you're not going to like it."

"No doubt," Giles sighed. "But... go ahead."

"It's almost four. I think we should just take our losses and call their hotel room in the morning."

Giles snorted derisively.

"Maybe he's right," Anya added. "I mean, we're.. well, *you're* just making an ass out of yourself and as much as I appreciate the entertainment value of that, it's not getting me any closer to Xander."

"You two can give up if you want, but you didn't hear that-- that orgy over the phone. It was --."

"What are you going to do?" Anya asked. "I mean you might as well just stand up on the barstool and yell her name." She cocked her head to the side and then stood. "XANDER! XANDER HARRIS!"

"Shhh," Giles rasped, pulling her back into her chair. He looked apologetically at the bartender and then turned to glare at her. "Are you insane? This isn't some tv show... That never works --"

"Anya?" A voice said from behind.

"Xander!" she said squealed, jumping into his arms. He held her, smiling in confusion. He stumbled back a bit, the hours of drinking and gambling having taken their toll.

"Where's Buffy?" Riley asked quickly.

"She... she... Riley?" Xander queried somewhat drunkenly. "Hey buddy, how are you? How have you been? Long time no see..."

"Good to see ya. Buffy?" Riley was urgent. If Xander was this drunk, Buffy could be...

"Uh, Doing Caribbean Stud," he said absently.

"What!"

"What?" replied Xander.

"What Caribbean Stud? You left her with some guy?! You know we're..." Riley was frantic.

"P-poker. It's a kind of poker," Xander added hastily.

Riley laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Right. Poker." He nodded a few times and then came back to himself. "Thanks," he said with a grin and hearty slap on the back.

"Ow," Xander said with a wincing frown.

"Really, thanks. I'll see you guys later," Riley said as he left and started scanning the room for the poker tables.

"What are you guys doing--"

"Willow," Giles said insistently.

"What?" Xander said confused again. And Anya's wandering hands weren't helping his concentration any.

"Where is she?" Giles asked anxiously.

"I don't know. I lost her about--"

"Lost her!" Giles cried grabbing the boy by the shoulders.

"Hey!" Anya said slapping at his hands. "He bruises easily."

"Lost her?" Giles repeated angrily.

"N-not l-lost-lost. She's here," he said quickly and Giles loosened his grip. "Just follow the sounds of victory. Can't miss her. All she does is win," he said with a sigh, turning to Anya. "Win. Win. Win. And I'd be pretty jealous, if she didn't give me all this money!" he added showing her a fistful of chips.

"Ohh," Anya cooed as Xander pulled her back into the casino.

"Wanna watch Daddy lose someone else's money?" Xander said with a grin.

Giles sighed heavily and threw back the last of his Scotch. He heard a bell ringing and headed for the flashing light. The closer he got to the sound, the thicker the crowd. He managed to push his way towards the winning machine. There in the midst of it all was Willow, his Willow.

"Willow!" he called out.

She smiled dreamily to herself and sipped her latest Midori sour. 'I wish Giles were here,' she thought wistfully. 'I really miss him. It's like I can almost hear him.'

"Willow," he repeated, touching her shoulder.

"Hi Giles," she said casually. "Giles!" She jumped to her feet and spilled her drink, what there was left of it.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She stood still in disbelief for a moment and then shook her head to clear it. "I'm going back to Vodka," she said with a frown. Giles looked like he was *right* there, but he looked so different. More like the way he looked in her dreams. So deliciously frazzled. His hair was all messy and adorable and those jeans, well, those jeans were snug just where it....

Giles reached out and touched her again. "Thank god I found you... I--I was... er..." he trailed off. Now that he'd found her, he didn't have the slightest idea what to say. He looked at her helplessly.

"Giles? Is it... What are you... Is everything all right... Did the Hellmouth open?" she asked excitedly finally focusing in on the fact that he was actually, truly here. She noticed the bruise on his chin. "Oh my God, what's wrong?"

Giles smiled a bit weakly. "Well..."

"Thank you," Willow said with a grin as the waiter set down her Midori Sour. The small restaurant was just adjacent to the casino.

"I'm not sure I understand it all, but if you say you're okay," Willow said with a hazy concern, absently tracing the scratches on Giles' hand.

"It's fine. I-I don't even feel it," murmured Giles. He was mesmerized by her touch. He thought that he could sit like this for hours, her touching his hand.

"It was really sweet of you to keep an eye on Riley and Anya. I can't imagine the trouble they'd get themselves into if you weren't there," Willow said with a smile.

Giles smiled back weakly. "Well, yes. I..."

"Here ya go," said the waiter, handing Willow her Midori Sour. She dropped Giles' hand and eagerly reached for the drink.

"Thank you," she said with a grin.

"I think we both need something to eat," Giles said with a frown.

Willow grinned sloppily. "Drink now. Eat later."

Giles swallowed hard, everything about her was oozing sexuality.

"We're meeting the others in an hour. We can eat then," she said taking a sip from her drink.

Giles watched her lips mold to the glass and sighed. "Mmm," she purred. "So good. Sweet and sour... kinda like an all day sucker."

Giles started to sweat and cleared his throat. "Waiter! Scotch neat!"

Willow smiled slyly across the small table at him. "So are you going to tell me why you really came?"

"Uhm, Willow... I--" he started uneasily. What could he say? "I... Willow--"

"I love it when you say my name. Say it again," she said with dreamy smile.

He smiled in return, bemused, but complied. "Willow."

"Mmmm," she sighed. "You have a wonderful voice, did you know that?"

"I--I do?"

She nodded slowly. "But I think it's your lips," she said reaching across the table and running a finger across the seam of his mouth. He opened his lips and struggled for control.

"Willow," he whispered.

She smiled again, her fingers still dancing across his mouth. "It's like you're going to kiss me."

"I am," he said softly, but pulled himself up short. "I--I mean .. it does?"

Willow pulled back her hand and looked at him oddly. "Giles?"

"C-call me Rupert. I know it's not the sexiest name, but Giles... I feel like everyone's bloody butler."

Willow laughed softly. "All right... Rupert." She uttered his name like a caress, and he felt his jeans grow suddenly tight.

The waiter set down his drink, and he took a deep swig.

"Wanna see a trick?" she asked suddenly.

His eyes flashed, as all sorts of tricks crossing his mind. He nodded slowly, unsure of his voice.

Willow grinned and took the cherry from her drink. "Want my cherry?" she asked innocently.

Giles coughed violently for moment before he regained himself, and focused on the plump berry she held out to him. He leaned forward, his eyes glazing over as she fed him the fruit. He used his teeth and pulled it from the stem.

"Not much of trick," he said with a mock frown.

Willow licked her lips and grinned as she put the stem in her mouth.

Giles' small frown faded into oblivion as he watched enraptured as she swirled the stem around her mouth. He could see her small tongue press up against her cheek. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as her emerald eyes met his. His mind was awhirl with libidinous thoughts as she continued to manipulate the stem inside her mouth.

He'd imagined a moment not unlike this one, many, many times. Of course, they weren't in public and they weren't dressed, and...

Finally, she grinned triumphantly, and her tongue pushed the small stem out between her teeth. She leaned across the table, and Giles reached over and took it from between her pink lips. It was tied in a knot. 'Sweet Jesus,' he thought.

She arched an eyebrow. "I have a very talented tongue."

Giles nodded and took another deep drink of his Scotch. The warm liquor slid down his throat as all his blood rushed south. He gasped for air for a moment before losing himself and perhaps his fears too, in the wake of her innocent eroticism.

"Can you do any tricks?" she asked.

He smiled enigmatically.

"Show me?"

Her blazing sexuality finally gave him the courage to respond in kind. He grinned sexily and she felt her insides go puddly. "I will, love. I will."

She smiled coyly. "Promise?"

He reached across the table and took her hand small in his. He rubbed the soft skin with his thumb. "I promise."

She sighed happily and looked at their joined hands. She turned his palm over and slowly ran her slim finger up and down his lifeline.

He groaned and took her firmly by the wrist. His eyes were like jade, dark and wet. "You're quite the tease, aren't you?" he smirked.

Willow frowned suddenly and pulled her hand back angrily. "Tease?"

"I--I didn't mean---" Giles stammered, caught off guard by the edge in her voice.

She quickly stood from her chair, sending skittering backwards. "Is that what you really think?"

"Willow, I--"

She narrowed her eyes. "Let me tell you something. I've wanted you since the day I met you! And you were just like the rest of them. Sweet innocent Willow. Well... poo on that and.... and... poo on you!" She practically shook with frustration. "I got your innocent right here!" she wailed as she stormed out.

"Willow!" Giles called out after as he rushed to follow her. The waiter grabbed his arm. "Hey, you gotta pay for this shit, you know!"

Giles growled at him, but took out a twenty and tossed it onto the table. He raced out of the small restaurant, but Willow was nowhere in sight. She'd disappeared into the large crowd.

"Damn," he grunted and set out to find her. Who knows what she'll do now? And God help the bastard she does it with!

"That woman," Giles said in an exasperated voice, as he hopelessly scanned the casino for Willow. He knew she couldn't have gone far. And he was damn well going to find her before she went *too* far.

He moved quickly through the crowd. "Willow!" he called out. "Willow!"

"You lost her already?" Anya said, materializing suddenly at his side.

"Have you seen her?" he demanded.

Xander put his arm around Anya's waist. "That's the last of it." He raised empty, chipless hands. "Oh, hey, G-string."

Giles grunted.

"You're pissy," Xander said and then snorted. "And I'm pissed. Pissy and Pissed. Sounds like a new comedy team. And next for your dining and dancing pleasure-- the comedy stylings of Pissy and Pissed. So tell me, Pissy, did you see--"

Giles grabbed the younger man by the collar. "Where is Willow?"

"Uhm... is this a trick question? Cause I thought she was with you?" he said nervously.

"He lost her," Anya said with a sigh. "And let go, you're wrinkling him."

Giles pushed Xander aside with a grunt. "We've got to find her."

"Is something wrong?" Xander asked in concern. "Is she all right?"

Giles scowled. "She's fine. He, however..."

"He who?"

"He, whoever, does it really matter..." Giles said through clenched teeth. All he could imagine was Willow throwing herself into some man's arms, proving her lack of "innocence".

Xander shook his head to clear it. He knew he'd had too much to drink, but...

Anya sighed and leaned in whispering in Xander's ear. The young man's eyes went wide. "You love Willow!" he accused Giles.

Giles began to protest, but couldn't quite seem to manage it. "Maybe," he said challengingly.

"Whoa. Hold the phone. Y-you..." Xander frowned. "You don't 'maybe' love my Wills. You either do or--"

"Your Wills?" Anya interrupted.

"Just a sec, honey," he said. He really needed to clarify this Giles loving Willow thing.

"No. I think not. I think now. I thought you were over her," Anya demanded.

"I am.. I mean, I was..." Xander stammered.

Anya looked ready to kill.

"It's just Willow isn't just anybody and you don't just really get over her-over her. I mean you get over her but not really... *over* her," Xander said.

Giles' eyes narrowed. "You're in love with Willow?"

"That... that's not--" he protested.

"Hey, guys. What's the haps?" Buffy said brightly.

"Xander's in love with Willow!" Anya cried.

"I thought Giles was in love with Willow?" Riley put in.

"What?" Buffy screamed. "Giles is in love with Willow? What the Hellmouth are you talking about?"

"I--I--" Riley sputtered.

"You had better not be in love with her," Giles warned Xander.

"B-but sh-she's... Willow," Xander sputtered lamely.

"Xander," Anya said. "You told me I was your pookie bear."

"Y-you are--"

"So pookie bears are just a dime a dozen to you!"

"N-no!"

"Giles is in love with Willow?" Buffy said weakly, consentrating on the freaksome-to-her part. "How could this happen?"

"Well, she's a beautiful woman. I remember that day she wore the red--" Riley's voice trailed off as he looked from Slayer to Watcher and back again, not sure who to be more afraid of. He laughed nervously. "Xander's in love with her," he added quickly pointing at the poor lad.

"I-- Hey!" Xander squealed as the gang closed in "Just wait!" he commanded. The group stopped. "Thank you. I love Anya. Riley loves Buffy. And Giles..." He looked nervously at the older man. "And Giles something's Willow."

Buffy turned on her Watcher. "Giles? What kind of something are we talkin' here? Is this, you know, Care Bares and puppies .. or is this '9 1/2 Weeks' fruit and other things?"

Giles cleared his throat and blushed.

"Ohmigod," she gasped. "You guys had sex?"

"N-no," he assured her. "Not yet."

"Yet?" she squealed.

'N-now, see here!" Giles said, finally remembering what he was supposed to be doing "adult". "No one's going to be having sex with anyone until we find Willow."

"Giles!" Buffy cried, going visibly pale. "Y-you're like a sex fiend."

"That's not... Oh, never mind. Willow and I had a bit of a misunderstanding."

"You said something stupid," Anya translated.

"Yes..." he glared at her, but continued. "Yes. I.. Regardless, she's angry and well..."

"Smashed," Buffy put in, trying to put the images of Willow and Giles sprawled out across the crap table out of her mind and concentrate on the matter at hand.

"Right. And I'm afraid she might do something rash."

"More like 'or someONE'," muttered Anya, not quite under her breath.

"What did you say to her?" Buffy asked.

Giles shook his head dismissively. "She completely misunderstood. I said she was something of a tease--"

Buffy and Anya gasped in shock, while Xander and Riley whistled in awe at the severity of his faux pas.

"And he's the smart one," Xander quipped.

Giles frowned. "We've got to find her before she does something... untoward."

"Toward who?" Buffy asked.

"That's the rub," he grunted.

"There's rubbing?" Xander asked anxiously.

Giles sighed heavily. "We can cover more ground if we split up. We'll meet back here in one hour." Everyone nodded. "And if there's trouble," he said in deep voice, his face darkening. "I'll handle him."

Knowing better than to argue with him when he had that look on his face, the group broke up and started searching for their lost Willow.

Buffy and Riley walked aimlessly through the casino.

"You see her?" Buffy asked.

Riley shook his head. "Nope."

They stood for a moment and scanned the room. Slowly, Buffy started to let the swift beat of Diana Ross impersonator get to her. First, her feet began to move a bit, just small steps, then her hips began to sway-- the lure of the disco beat, a siren's call.

Riley noticed her moving to the music and grinned appreciatively.

Buffy smiled back. "You know, she could have gone into that club," Buffy said tilting her head toward the music.

"Well, I guess we'd be remiss if we didn't check it out," Riley agreed with a smile.

"We don't want to be remiss," Buffy said with mock frown. "That would be bad-- right?" she added unsure but more than willing to be convinced.

Riley chuckled. "Very bad." He held out his arm. "Shall we? Uhm, just to check for Willow, you understand."

Buffy raised an eyebrow and grinned sexily. "I understand."

*****

Xander frowned and sat down on a stool. "This is hopeless."

"Then we can stop looking?" Anya said hopefully.

"Willow--"

"Willow, Willow, Willow! Is she all you think about?" Anya hissed and then smiled sweetly and ran her fingers through his hair, gently massaging a particularly sensitive spot. "Don't you think about me at all?" she said coyly.

"S-s-sure--" Xander stammered, until Anya's tongue found his earlobe. "Wh-what were we supposed to be doing?"

"I know what I'd rather be doing," Anya whispered into his ear and Xander's face turned beet red and a confused frown covered his face.

"O-on the roller-coaster?" he squeaked.

Anya nodded and grinned.

"Wow.... Now that's waht I call an E ticket," Xander said as all his blood rushed south, leaving his brain a little oxygen deprived and all thoughts of Willow gone.

*****

"Her name's Willow," Giles said with a dreamy sigh. He took the small, cropped photo from his wallet and handed it to the casino employee.

The woman held it and smiled, but shook her head. "Sorry, haven't seen her. She's pretty."

Giles smiled wanly and looked at the photograph. He'd taken it a few months ago at one of Willow's mandatory non-slayage group outings; this one to the local mountains. They'd hiked and picnicked while Xander and Anya discovered the hazards of outdoors nookie - in the form of poison ivy.

Giles sighed again and nodded. "Thank you anyway."

"Wait a sec," the woman said as she saw a co-worker pass by. "Hey, Phil. You seen this girl?" she asked showing him the picture.

Phil grinned and whistled appreciatively. "Oh, yeah. She's a winner."

"Excuse me?" Giles said menacingly.

Phil shriveled a bit under the Watcher's icy glare. "I-I mean she wins all the time. Sh-she's got the touch."

Giles' eyes continued to bore into the smaller man. "Touch?"

"I-I mean, she---"

"Where is she?"

"Uhm, I don't know. L-last I s-saw she w-was at the r-roulette wheel," Phil sputtered as he pointed Giles toward the right table.

"Thank you," Giles ground out as he snatched the photo back and strode toward the wheel.

*****

"How about six and nine?" the young man asked with a wink.

Willow laughed nervously and smiled, until she felt his hand snake around her waist and drift not-so-subtly down. She was about to pull away when she saw Giles.

She wanted to show him she wasn't a tease, she was follow-througher! And this groper was an object lesson waiting to happen. Leaning in closer, Willow giggled softly and finger-walked up his chest.

He grinned broadly as his hand slipped down over her rear. He leaned forward, about to kiss her. "OW!" he gasped.

Willow frowned and followed his gaze to...

"Giles!" she cried out.

His eyes were like steel, his mouth tight in a constricted smile. "Don't touch," he said icily.

The man winced and nodded looking down at his poor wrist, locked in Giles' painful grip. "N-no harm done, buddy," he said quickly stepping away as Giles released him. "I didn't... I didn't know sh-she.... bye!" he said and quickly slipped into the crowd.

Giles turned to Willow, who stood watching this territorial display with a mixture of shock and take-me-now!

"Willow," Giles growled. "What do you think you're doing?"

Willow suddenly remembered she was mad at him and frowned. "I don't see how that's any of your business," she said defiantly and turned to make a sweeping exit. Unfortunately, she walked right into a cocktail waitress. The full tray of cold drinks spilled all over the front of Willow's sweater.

"Oh!" she wailed in frustration and instinctively pulled the sweater off and tossed it aside in a fit of pique. She turned to Giles angrily. "You see what you did!"

Giles stood motionless... well, most him anyway. In her haste and inebriated state, Willow seemed to have forgotten that she didn't have a shirt on under her sweater... or a bra.

His mouth hanging open, his eyes glued to her small round breasts, all Giles could do was sigh. "Oh my."

Giles stared dumbstruck by Willow's spontaneous nudity. She stood angrily in front of him, her hands on her hips, her breasts there for all the world to see. And see they did.

"Wow, nice rack," said one impressed bystander.

Willow turned to look at him in confusion. Giles was still rooted to his spot, unable to speak or look away.

"What?" Willow asked in confusion.

"Kinda small," said his companion. "But pert. I like pert."

Willow frowned and followed their stares. Slowly, she looked down. "Eep."

In a panic, she looked up and saw Giles staring at her. "Double-eep!" Quickly, she tried to cover herself and darted back and forth, like a duck in a shooting gallery.

She tried to go to the left but she was blocked by the roulette table, then she tried to the right, but the group of onlookers was in her way. Then she kind of spun in a circle helplessly. Finally stopping, she cried in a panicked and strangled voice, "Giles?"

His eyes had finally drifted up to her face, a dreamy sort of smile on his face, until he saw her frightened expression. "Good lord," he said and stepped forward pulling hard against his chest.

They both sighed at the intimate contact before Giles realized he was holding a half-naked Willow. His fingers were spread widely across the warm skin of her back.

Willow hugged Giles around the waist, trying to keep her body pressed as tightly against his as possible.

"What do we do now?" she asked, her voice muffled by his sweater.

"Hmm?" he said absently, as he tried vainly not to find this incredibly erotic. The sensations of her warm soft skin under his hands, her breasts crushing against his chest, were short-circuiting his Watcher brain.

Willow tilted her head up. "What do we do now?" she whispered loudly.

Giles looked down at her and smiled. Her emerald eyes were so huge and her mouth so close. "Well... oh, uhm. Yes... Stick close to me."

"Don't worry. That will not be a problem."

"Right. Uhm... Here, walk with me," he suggested.

"Don't turn..," she started in a panic again.

"I won't. Just -- " his voice trailed off as he noticed the small crowd gleefully watching the free show. He looked meaningfully at the crowd. "Move along, nothing to see here."

"Not now, but if you'd just--" started one of the gamblers with a leering grin.

Giles bared his teeth and growled. Actually growled. The crowd quickly dispersed.

He looked back down at Willow, who was smiling up at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. That... that was just very grrrrr," she said, her eyes flashing with pure lust.

"Really?" he said, genuinely pleased.

"Really."

The desire in her eyes was drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Her could feel her skin heating under his touch. Forgetting himself, and just about everything else, Giles grinned and simply stared down at her.

After a long moment, Willow sadly remembered her state of undress and sighed. "Uhm, Giles? Could we deal with my nudity first?"

"Hmmm? Oh, right," he said with a rueful smile. he looked around and quickly formulated a plan. "Let me walk us over to that wall." He noticed how unsure she looked and smiled in reassurance. "Don't worry. Just like dancing."

Willow smiled and nodded.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded again, and he smoothly walked her backwards until she was trapped between his body and the wall.

"Now what?" she asked, not really sure she wanted to leave this spot. With the wall pressing her from behind, she could feel Giles better and he felt awfully good.

"Well," Giles said, as he gazed down into her flushed face.

Willow moved a bit, rubbing against his hips and things.

"Uh-huhuhu...." Giles sputtered and cleared his throat. "We need to...uhm... we need..." He knew there was *something* they were supposed to be doing.

"Cover me up?"

"Right," he said brightly and then realized he'd lose this, well, connection and frowned. "Right. Here's what we'll do. Slip your hands down and grip the bottom of my sweater, but keep your... uhm, front pressed to me."

Willow smiled and blushed a bit. "And then?"

"I'll slowly pull the sweater over my back and I think if we lean our foreheads together..." The image of her mouth so close to his again temporarily made him lose his train of thought. "Uh, then... then we can simply pull the sweater over my head and onto yours."

Willow beamed. "That's brilliant."

"Yes, well..." he stammered. "If it works. Ready?"

Willow nodded and Giles tried not to sigh at the feeling of her hands running along his torso, making their way to his hips. "Got it?" he asked huskily.

"Yup."

"All right." Giles reached behind his back and grabbed the material of the sweater and slowly worked it up, taking care to keep the front part snugly secured between their bodies.

"Lean... lean in," he said as he bent his neck down so his forehead was resting on hers. He could feel her warm soft breath playing on his chin. He swallowed hard and tried to concentrate.

He reached over his head and stretched the back of the sweater over Willow's head, and pulled down until the neck hole passed over his head and onto hers.

Once he was free, he pulled it the rest of the way onto her body. "There," he said triumphantly and stepped back.

Willow ran her fingers through her hair to get it out of her face. Giles grabbed her by the shoulders and admired his success. "It's a bit big, but otherwise quite charming."

Willow giggled and looked up, and her jaw dropped.

Her giggle instantly died in her throat as she realized that she was looking at Giles' naked chest. He wasn't wearing his usual undershirt and stood there bare from the waist up looking absolutely edible.

When she finally found her voice all she could do was sigh. "Oh my."

Willow stared at Giles' naked chest. A devilish smile came to her face and she bit her lower lip and reached out to touch him.

Her small hand laid flat against the warm skin of his chest. "Wow," she whispered.

"W-w-w-w-w..." Giles sputtered helplessly. The feeling of her touching his skin was enough to make speech impossible.

"You're naked," Willow said with a grin. "Almost anyway," she added as she let her fingers play with the soft sprinkling of hair.

"W-w-w-w-w..." Giles just couldn't seem to get words to coalesce.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked.

"Hmmm?" Giles said never taking his eyes from Willow's.

"Come on buddy," the voice said as Giles turned to see yet another security guard. "You can't walk around in here without shirt. Come on. Take it outside," the man said as he took Giles by the arm.

Willow dropped her hand and stepped back shyly.

Giles turned toward the guard. "Can't you see you're interrupting," Giles ground out. "Be a good guard and run along." He started to turn back to Willow, but the man tightened his grip.

Giles' eyes flashed dangerously as his lips curled in a mirthless smile. "Let go of me."

"Listen, bub. Don't make me get rough," the guard said tensing for action.

Giles grin widened. "Don't make *me* get rough," he said smoothly in a voice that did nothing to belie the menace behind it.

"Uh-oh," Willow muttered. She knew that look.

"Is that a threat?" the guard said as he stepped forward.

"If you like," Giles said with a sneer.

"Giles," Willow said as she touched his arm. "Don't... Please?"

Giles was really spoiling for a fight. He and Willow were just about to... well, something and this damn berk had to interrupt. But the feel of Willow's small hand on his skin seemed to help him refocus. All he really wanted to do was be with her.

"Please?" she asked again.

How could he deny her anything? "All right, love," he said with smile. "For you."

Willow felt all puddly. As if calling her "love" weren't enough to make her squirm, the look in his eyes was.

They held each other's gaze for a long moment. "I'll get you a shirt and meet you out front," Willow said.

"Come on, buddy," the guard said again.

Giles spun around, his eyes flashing with barely supressed fire. "Just...a....bloody...minute," he ground out and turned back to Willow his expression immediately changing. "Don't be long," he purred.

Feeling bold, Willow smiled and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She could feel the heat coming of his body. Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear. "I won't. I promise."

Giles groaned softly as she left his side.

*****

Giles stood outside the Mirage waiting for Willow. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood near the entrance as a constant flow of people came and went.

He was thankful it was so warm and very thankful that the rest of the gang was inside and unlikely to-

"Giles?"

"Shit," he mumbled and turned to see Xander and Anya peel out of the crowd and start toward him.

"Look, I'm telling you," Xander said as he tried to flatten out his windblown hair. "The hand rail is for your hands."

"But my---" Anya started, but then noticed Giles wasn't wearing his sweater. "Did you get thrown out again?"

"No. Well, yes---"

"And you're not wearing a shirt cause--?" Xander prompted.

"Well..."

"Your shape is very appealing," Anya said with a smile. "Less bulky than Xander."

"Bulky?" Xander squealed.

"Well, you do consume fatty---" Anya started.

"Please," Xander begged and turned his attention back to Giles. "Let's get back to why are you're standing out here half naked? Did you find Willow?"

Giles couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Yes, I found her."

"Did you lose your shirt before or after that?" Xander asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Maybe he finally told Willow he loves her and she was so happy she tore his clothes off," Anya suggested. "That's what I'd do."

"Anya!" Xander wailed.

"What?"

"Giles?" came a soft voice from behind them.

"Willow?" Giles gulped.

"How long have you been standing there?" Xander asked, but her expression was answer enough. Her eyes never left Giles.

"Oh, this should be good," Anya said with a grin.

"No. No good. I don't want to see this," Xander said nervously as he started to pull Anya away.

"That because you still want her, don't you?" Anya accused.

"That's not what I meant…" Their argument faded into the background as they disappeared into the casino.

Giles and Willow had been oblivious to everything but each other's presence. Finally, Willow stepped closer.

"What did Anya mean?" she asked softly, almost afraid.

Giles swallowed hard. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Willow took another step forward. "Do... do you... really...?

"Love you?" Giles finished in a whisper.

Willow nodded, her heart practically bursting.

This was it. The moment of truth. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Oh yes," he breathed.

Willow stood perfectly still as the shock from his admission seemed to paralyze her.

Giles frowned and began to stammer. "I- I didn't mean. Of course... if you..."

Luckily, he didn't get very far as Willow launched herself into his arms, crushing his apology back with a passionate kiss.

Giles wrapped her tightly in his embrace as she tried to practically crawl up his body. One hand wound its way into her hair and held the back of her head, so he could guide the kiss. The other hand slid down her back, pressing her body firmly against his.

Willow's hands moved quickly over his shoulders and brushed along his neck, reaching his cheeks as she tried to hold onto him, never wanting to let go.

Around them a sea of humanity passed. And like stones in the river, Willow and Giles kept their own time as the currents of people washed around them.

After a breathless eternity, Giles relaxed his grip and eased out of the kiss. He stared down into her smoky eyes, trying desperately to believe she was real and, more importantly, that she was his.

Willow beamed up at him and gently brushed his lips with her fingertips.

Giles grinned and kissed her again, brief and tender yet filled with infinite promise.

"Hello," she said softly as though really seeing him for the first time.

"Hello," he said in an equally dreamy voice as he continued to hold her in his arms.

Willow's hands slid down Giles' chest and he groaned.

"Perhaps we should get off the street," he said with soft grin as he brushed the hair away from her face.

Willow nodded and grinned. "Definitely."

Giles moved in for one more kiss before turning and hailing a cab. The taxi managed to squeal its tires as it skidded to a stop, half on and half off the curb.

Willow looked uneasily at the cab and then at the traffic on the strip, a complete parking lot and sighed. She leaned against Giles. "We could walk," she suggested as he held the door open for her.

Giles smiled and shook his head. "I can't do this and walk." He trapped her body between his and the cab and held her face with one large hand. Grinning, he dove in for another kiss. It was fierce and messy.. and she loved it!

"You gettin' in or vat?" the cabbie yelled, breaking the spell.

Giles pulled back and grunted in frustration, but his ire melted away as he saw Willow leaning back against the car, her head tilted back, eyes closed and lips swollen and smiling.

"Walking's over-rated," she said as she opened her eyes and gave him a wink.

"Uh-huh," he muttered, mesmerized by her coy sexuality.

He shook his head to clear it, and eased her into the cab. "Caesar's," he told the driver and then turned his attention back to Willow. "Now where was I?"

Willow leaned back against the Naugahyde and raised an eyebrow. She grinned and patted the empty space on the seat cushion next to her.

Giles groaned and took up a little space.

*****

"He was naked!" Xander exclaimed.

"Naked?" Buffy screeched.

"Yeah! Well.. not 'officially', but he didn't have his shirt on and-"

"And he has very firm muscles," Anya added. "Did you know that about him? Cause it's news to me."

"Well, we do train a lot..." Buffy said and then felt Riley's eyes boring a hole into her head. "But... I never... Really? How firm are we talkin, 'cause-"

"Buffy!" Riley exclaimed. "This is... this is Mr. Giles!"

"That's true," Anya conceded. "Most men in their forties don't make me feel all tight and fluttery. You know down-"

"Anya!" Xander was visibly pale. "Okay. Please. God. Please. Can we stop with Giles sex-o-rama. I am so... in serious denial. Help me out here?" he pleaded with Riley.

Riley nodded firmly. "I've gotta agree with Xander."

Buffy frowned and ran her hand up his chest. "About what?"

Riley's brow furrowed in thought for a moment and then he looked up helplessly. "I... I don't remember."

Buffy giggled and leaned into his chest. "Men are so..." She frowned. "What were talking about?"

Xander was lost in the feel of Anya's wandering hands and could only sigh.

"Oh, I remember!" Riley piped up. "Mr. Gi- I mean Giles and Willow... Right?"

"Right!" everyone chorused.

"We saw them outside the lobby," Xander offered. "I bet they go back to the hotel."

"Then we should go to the hotel and stop them before they do something," Buffy said uncertainly. "Right?"

"Exactly! I mean... he's probably putting his Watchery lips all over her, right now," Xander said in obvious distress.

"He does have very attractive lips," Anya said with a far away look.

*****

"Oy! Easy does it!" Giles cried as the cabbie managed to lurch forward a few feet and then slam on his brakes, sending Willow skittering off the seat.

The driver grinned and turned around. He didn't stop driving mind you, just craned his neck to gawk at Giles.

"Are you all right, Love?" Giles asked as reached out to help Willow off the floorboards.

She giggled and nodded. "I think so."

"So you in town for to gamble? I hear you can lose shirt in casino but you the first one I see who did." The driver's head bobbed up at down as he laughed at his own joke.

"Do you mind?" Giles asked irritably.

"Mind vat?"

"Oh, I don't know," Giles bit out. "Something insane like watching where the hell your go-"

The car slammed to a stop, nearly missing a Shriner, who are faster than they look. A few choice words later, they still weren't going anywhere.

"So... vere are you two lovebirds from?" he asked with another grin.

*****

Somewhere around the middle of the cabbie's life story, Willow slid into Giles lap.

"Maybe we should put on our seatbelts?" Willow said as she looked over the cushions.

Giles grinned and gripped her more securely. "Never mind that. I've got you."

Willow smirked and slipped her hand under his thigh. "But I'm not finished looking yet."

"Uhuhuhuh." Giles closed his eyes and laid his head back. Her hand brushed against his leg, perilously close to his ever growing erection. "Safety first."

"Back in Soviet Union days, ve had to use rope to seatbelt... and even dat ve had to steal from KGB."

The meter moved faster than the cab and pedestrians streamed past them. Between the halting stops, the jerking starts, and the stories of his comrade's struggle to successfully smuggle quality one-ply Nice 'N Soft toilet paper into the Baltics, the cab ride was one of those incredible David Lynch moments we all find ourselves enduring from time to time.

Sadly, to all good things... Finally, the cab driver turned around and slid back the glass partition. "Eight fifty."

Giles sighed and slid Willow ruefully off his lap and fished out a tenspot from his wallet. He handed it to the driver and slid out of the car.

"Bolshoe spasibo, thank you. Schastleevo!"

"Goodbye, Sergi," Willow said with a smile.

Giles reached back in and helped her out. She stumbled slightly and fell against his chest, his still bare chest.

Willow ran her fingers through his chest hair and sighed.

Giles bit back a groan and cleared his throat. "Let's ... uhm... let's get to the room."

Willow grinned and Giles felt all the blood that was left in his brain make an exodus to the south.

"But first," she said cocking an eyebrow. "As much as I hate to do it..."

Giles reluctantly stepped back. "Hate to do what?"

Willow sighed. "Make you wear this," she said as she handed him the T-shirt she'd bought in the Mirage gift shop just after Giles had been escorted off the premises.

He looked at it and groaned. "Willow... "

She smiled sheepishly. "I know, but you had to have something and I was in hurry to get back to you," she added as a finger trailed over his torso.

Giles cleared his throat, trying desperately to stay miffed, but her touch short-circuited any hope of that. "All right. But I'm doing this under duress," he said as he pulled the T-shirt on.

Willow swore to herself she wouldn't giggle, but she also swore she wouldn't cry during the fifth viewing of The Yearling either. It was quite a shirt... there was a huge black and white sequined tiger on the back and "Sigfried and Roy do it with animals" emblazoned across the front.

"Oh God," he groaned.

*****

They were waiting for the elevator when Giles pulled Willow closer. It was a two fold plan, cop a feel and hide the T.

He was just bending down to nibble on her ear when he thought he heard a man's voice call for Willow. He ignored it and went back to the business of tasting her delicate lobe.

"Sextus?" Willow eeped.

"Soon, Love," Giles purred, but he noticed Willow had wasn't looking at him, but over his shoulder. "Willow?"

Giles turned and followed her gaze. Standing behind him was an incredibly handsome roman senator. "Willow," he said with a courtly bow. "I have been searching all through the palace for you."

Giles frowned as he saw Willow blush and duck her head. "I... I was.. down the street at... well, another palace."

Sextus' grin broadened. "Of course. A beauty like yours must be shared with all the Empire."

Willow giggled and Giles snorted. Sextus arched an eyebrow at the older man and Giles gladly met it with a sneer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Sextus. This is Rupert Giles. G-.. Uhm, Rupert, this is Sextus. He's a senator," she added brightly.

"So I see," Giles said dryly. "Although, it is well established that senators of Caesar's period did not-"

"Rupert!" Willow interrupted. "Please?"

Giles sighed and shrugged, but there was still a glint of steel in his eyes.

"Was there something you needed, Sextus?" Willow asked.

"If it would be convenient. There seems to be a small trifle. One of our historians would like to make a record of your visit."

Willow's mouth quirked in a smile. "Radio station contest winner gets the royal treatment, etc ... "

"Precisely. You as Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile," the stud added with a kiss of her hand, ignoring the grunt from Giles. "Gracing the senate. Caesar and few others."

"I'm afraid we were just going-"

"It won't be long. An hour at the most," he continued with that disarming smile.

"An hour?"

"Willow," Giles said tightly. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well... b-because... You..."

"The others are waiting. I assure you it will be quick and painless," Sextus added with another incredible smile.

'Goddess he could light a small city with that smile,' Willow thought.

"If it won't take too long. It would be good to have it out of the way I suppose," she reasoned.

Giles huffed, but Willow took his hand and pulled him closer. "I'll try to make it up to you," she whispered.

Giles' resolve melted and all he could do was nod.

Sextus grinned and held out his arm. Willow was about to take it when Giles interceded. He glared at the younger man who merely nodded once in polite acquiescence.

"This way," he said as he escorted them to a small ballroom.

The room was set up as the throne room in the palace. Well, there was a throne and a few plants anyway.

Willow was led off to be costumed as Cleopatra while Giles waited impatiently as more and more toga-clad beefcake "senators" arrived for the photo shoot. He sulked against one the large pillars and only perked up when someone offered him another scotch.

About fifteen minutes later Willow emerged dressed for her part. Her eyes were kohl rimmed, emphasizing their emerald brilliance. Her lithe figure was clear beneath the sheer white gown she wore. All in all she was breath-taking.

Giles stood awed by her, barely able to move.

"Like to show her my asp," one of the senators mumbled with a leering grin as he passed behind Rupert.

That was his first mistake.

Giles growled low in his throat and turned to teach the man a lesson, when he heard Sextus complimenting Willow. The distraction cost him his chance and the lucky bastard walked over the craft service table.

Giles regained himself after a good long glare at Sextus and casually walked over toward the same table.

The idiot sneered at Giles. "Nice shirt."

Second mistake.

Giles smile was a travesty, but the fool was too busy gawking at Willow to notice. "She's hot."

Giles grunted and the young man laughed. "I've tasted every "Cleo" we've had... but this one.. this one's gonna be a sweet. I'm gonna-"

Last mistake.

The man never saw what hit him. Luckily no else noticed when Giles dragged the unconscious man back behind the huge row of potted plants.

A few minutes later, the photographer called everyone to their places. Slowly the senators took their marks around the lovely Cleo. There was a bit of shuffling and reshuffling as the men got in position.

Finally, an older man dressed as Caesar made his way to the main chair and sat down heavily. He turned to Willow with a sloppy smile and hiccup. "My-my dear."

She wrinkled her nose and turned away only to notice the Senator to her right. "Rupert?"

"Perfect!" cried the photographer. "Hold that."

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Keeping a bloody eye on you, that's what!"

"Huh?"

"Cleo! Please. Darling. Turn to Caesar... it *is* his palace," the man behind the camera whined.

"S-sorry." She turned toward Caesar. "Why?"

"That is the question, my (hiccup)..my dear," Caesar sighed.

"Smile for Christ's sake. Please! I have three weddings after this!"

"You look beautiful," Giles whispered.

Caesar smiled wanly. "Thank you."

"Just a few more!!! Done. Break it down! The Leibowitz's are waiting!"

Willow immediately turned to Giles, ready to tell him what for, but lost everything when she saw him. He'd put away his glasses and he looked ten years younger, which fit perfectly with the way his body looked. He did a lot for a toga. His broad shoulders bare to her eyes, one clutch of material swung across his chest. The man he'd stolen the outfit from was considerably shorter than Giles and the already short hem was practically indecent. Lovely.

Willow's gaze drifted down his strong muscular legs and then back up, lingering along his thighs. She couldn't keep the moan from escaping her lips. She looked up in embarrassment but found Giles staring at her hungrily.

Knowing the toga wasn't the best at hiding his attraction to Willow and needing desperately to do something about it, he did the only thing he could think of.

He stepped forward, grabbed Willow by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. Without waiting for a response he strode out of the room and toward the elevator, but then veered toward the front desk.

"What are you doing?" Willow demanded.

Giles stepped up the front. "Key."

He turned his back to the desk so Willow was facing the right direction. She pushed herself up a bit, using the ledge of his butt for a handhold. "Hello," she smiled at the clerk. "Willow Rosenberg. Could I have an extra room key please?"

The clerk yawned and after a moment handed her a key card.

"Thank you," Willow said demurely as Giles retraced his steps for the elevator.

Thankfully, the doors opened just as he arrived and the other patrons, thinking this was some sort of skit, let them pass and take the elevator alone.

Willow giggled and Giles held her tightly. She squiggled a bit and he playfully spanked her.

"Hey!" Willow protested half-heartedly.

He gently massaged her bottom. "Sorry."

"Mmmm, s'okay. You can put me down now, you know."

"Not yet. Not taking any more chances. Only place I'm setting you down is on a bed."

"Ohhhhh," she cooed.

They reached the proper floor and Giles toted her down the hall. Willow handed him the key and giggled as he put it into the slot.

"Finally, some time alone," he growled as he stepped into the room.

"I can't wait to see what Roman's wear under their togas," Willow giggled.

"Bollocks!" Giles groaned.

Willow's giggles grew. "Rupert!"

"Giles!"

That voice was way familiar. "Buffy?"

"Giles!" Buffy cried. "Wh-what are you doing in a toga? And... and is that Willow?" she continued, tilting her head trying to get a look at the girl over his shoulder.

"Oh yeah," Riley and Xander answered in unison. Apparently they didn't need to see her face to recognize her. A fact that wasn't lost on either Anya or Buffy.

"Hi guys," Willow said softly from her spot on top of Giles. "Is... is everyone here?"

"I'm afraid so," Giles grumbled.

"Oh."

Reluctantly, Giles bent forward and gently set Willow down on the floor. He looked down at her flushed face and whispered, "Am I ever going to get you alone?"

Willow looked down shyly and a soft eep escaped her lips. Giles looked at her quizzically and then noticed her eyes were huge round saucers. She was staring at his... well... let's just say the tent was pitched and there was room for four!

"Oh God," he gasped and quickly cupped his hands over his embarrassing situation. He stood frozen for a moment looking a lot like a footballer waiting for a particluarly vicious free kick.

"You two okay?" Xander asked suspiciously, trying to peer around Willow.

"Hmmm?" Willow said still unable to look away.

"Y-yes. W-we're fine!" Giles squeaked in a shrill voice.

"Going through the change, Giles?" Xander quipped.

Clearing his throat, Giles managed to glare at Xander over the top of Willow's head.

"Hey, how come you're dressed like that, Wills?" Xander asked. "And are there more downstairs in those ourtfits?"

Anya glared at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Anya frowned and looked back at Willow. "Come to think of it... that outfit looks just like the ones the temple prostitutes used to wear back in Babylon. Now that was a party town."

"Wasn't that a bit before your time?" Riley asked.

She shrugged. "I saw etchings."

"You know you can see right through that toga thing, Wills?" Buffy said.

Riley nodded. "Yeah. Right through."

"Riley!" Buffy yelled.

Finally tearing herself away, Willow started to turn, but in doing so was revealing Giles in all his splendor to the rest of the room.

Feeling the prickles of panic, Giles uncupped and grabbed Willow by the shoulders and pulled her back against his body, effectively using her as a human shield.

"Oh my," Willow gasped softly as she felt him press against her.

"Wills?" Xander asked in concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," she said breathlessly as she unconsciously wriggled a bit along Giles.

For his part, Giles had completely lost the ability to communicate and was fairly surprised he was still standing. Of course, if he had his way, they wouldn't be.

Buffy recognized that half dazed look Giles had in his eyes. Riley looked just that way when he was about to... "Gaahhh," she gasped as it all made sense.

Riley looked at her questioningly as she choked a little and regained herself. She waved him off.

Riley frowned and turned back to Willow and Giles. "Are you sure you're okay, Willow? You both do look kind of flushed," Riley offered. "Maybe you should lie down."

Giles perked up, and I do mean up, at that idea. "That's a very-"

"No!" Xander interrupted. "Bad idea. Very bad. You... you just probably haven't eaten is all? Right? When was the last time you guys ate?"

Willow frowned. "Uhm..."

"If you can't remember, it's been too long... and I know I've got the need to feed." He looked at the others for backup.

"I am pretty hungry," Riley admitted honestly.

"Okay," Buffy agreed and then leveled Giles with a withering gaze. "And over breakfast, you two can tell us just exactly where you've been."

Giles cleared his throat. He knew that look. When his Slayer had that look on her face there was no way out of it.

"All right, but I have to take a shower and change first," Giles said.

"Shower," Willow sighed as thoughts of Giles, soap and very small washcloths came to mind.

Buffy's eyes narrowed, but there was a glint of humor in them and Willow smiled shyly in return.

"Come on Wills. Giles can use Xander's room. Their bags are over there," Buffy added with a toss of her head. "I'll help you change."

Xander's eyes glazed over at the image that provoked. "Need any help?"

"No!" chorused the rest of the room.

Xander shrugged and smiled helplessly. "Just a thought."

"Make sure you keep it just a thought," Giles said coolly. With Willow gone he needed some sort of cover and he bent to pick up his bag. When he turned back around, everyone was staring at him.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"N-nothing," Buffy sputtered and turned to Willow with a raised eyebrow. Willow merely smiled.

"We were just admiring your butt," Anya offered.

"Anya!" Xander yelped.

"What? We were... You looked, too."

"I... I..." Xander sputtered, blushing profusely.

"I don't want to know," Giles said evenly before looking across the room at Willow, his eyes instantly softening. "I'll see you soon."

Willow smiled back dreamily.

Giles sighed and clutched his bag a bit more tightly in front of his body. He really, really needed that shower.

With one last forlorn glance, Giles made his way into Xander's room. Willow and Buffy went into Willow's, leaving Riley and Xander alone with Anya.

"Do you think his butt is more appealing than mine?" Anya asked Xander. "What about Riley? Do you want to see his butt, too?"

*****

The only thing more amazing than an all you can eat Las Vegas buffet was Xander at an all you can eat Las Vegas buffet. Long after everyone else had thrown in the towel, Xander was still going strong.

It was an international breakfast buffet, not to be confused with a continental breakfast, coffee and a muffin. Oh no. This was food of every continent. He'd made his way fairly easily through North America, hit a bit of a snag in Europe, but had muscled through and was now finally beginning to lose steam deep in South America.

Xander returned with another tray piled high with food. "Who knew pigs in a blanket were breakfast food in Brazil?"

Okay, so the dishes weren't exactly authentic, but what they lacked in accuracy and quality they more than made up for in sheer volume.

Finally, somewhere near Paraguay, Xander stopped. Mercifully.

The gang left the buffet and stood at the foot of the casino.

"You still feeling lucky, Wills?" Buffy asked.

Willow smiled and slid her hand into Giles'. "More than ever."

Giles squeezed her hand and gazed down at her.

Buffy shook her head and sighed. "You know. I've got to admit that part of me is still in the eeww. But then part of me is in the aaww. It's kind of an eeww-aaww thing."

Giles smiled at his Slayer. Her acceptance, even tacitly, was a huge relief. "Thank you... I think. I know this will... take some getting used to, but..."

He turned to Xander, knowing he would be harder to convince. "Xander, how do you feel?"

"I think Peru's repeating on me," he said with a stifled burp.

Giles laughed and shook his head.

Willow stepped closer to Xander and looked at him seriously. "Are we all okay here? I need us to be okay."

Xander smiled and sighed. "Yeah." He shifted his gaze to Giles, about to lay some big brotherly type warning about how you treat a Willow, but when he saw the way Giles was looking at her, he knew he didn't have to say anything. "We're okay. It's all good."

Willow dropped Giles' hand and hugged Xander. "Thank you."

Xander sighed and wrapped her in his arms.

Giles and Anya smiled at each other, until the hug went on just smidge too long.

"Okay, okay... break it up!" Anya said, as she pulled Xander away from Willow. "We're all thrilled Giles has a new orgasm friend. Maybe he'll loosen up. Did I tell you what he did to me on the way here?"

"About a dozen times," Xander sighed.

"Oh."

"Not that I want interrupt or anything," Riley began. "No. Okay, that's a lie... this is me interrupting, but... uhm... anybody else feel like gambling?"

He gestured toward the large casino that sprawled out in front of them. One-armed bandits waited to be pulled, dice waited to be thrown, money waited to be won. And lost. You could see the dollar signs flash in people's eyes.

The lure of a Las Vegas casino is one even Odysseus couldn't have resisted.

"Wills?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Come on, you're like Titus, you've got the golden touch!" Xander bubbled.

"Midas," Willow corrected.

"I thought that they were that they were those auto service experts?" Xander said in confusion.

Giles shook his head and sighed.

"What?" Xander asked in confusion. "They are. I got my Uncle Rory lubed... I mean... his brakes... he was already lubed."

"So what do you say, Wills?" Buffy asked with a grin. "Ready to show 'em how it's done?"

Willow giggled and looked up at Giles, who had a gleam in his eyes that had nothing to do with gambling.

"I don't know... I mean..." Willow stalled. Now that the gang had accepted her and Giles as couple, well... they were both ready to do a little coupling.

"P-p-please?" Xander pouted. "We can't do it without you."

Giles frowned a bit and thought, 'Well, neither can I."

Willow noticed his frown. "Rupert?"

"Whatever you'd like, Love," he said with a gentle smile.

'I'd like to take you where you stand,' she thought and giggled at herself.

She looked a bit self-consciously at the rest of the group and sighed.

Willow took Giles' hand and gazed at him. "Maybe we could gamble for a little while. We have the whole weekend."

"And then some," he added as he kissed her hand and led her further into the casino. "And then some."

Buffy and Anya couldn't help but sigh. It was just so romantic.

Suddenly Anya smacked Xander on the shoulder. "Why don't you ever act like that?"

"Ow... Pain..." he gasped.

"Yeah," Buffy chimed in, glaring at Riley.

"I... I love you... you know that..." Riley said quickly. "I think... I think you're swell."

"Swell?" Buffy ranted before storming off.

"You are so in trouble," Xander giggled, as Riley dashed off after her. His laughter died as he felt the eyes of his own personal ex-vengeance demon boring into him. "Pookiebear..."

The gang wandered around a bit aimlessly, waiting for Willow to get that lucky feeling again and start gambling.

A loud cry from a nearby craps table caught her attention.

"Seven out!" the stickman called, as he raked in the dice from the far end of the table.

There was a mixture of grumbling and laughter from the players that lined the edges of the table.

"It was good run," a tall Texan said, as he thumped his portly friend on the back.

"New shooter," the stickman announced, as he scooted the dice down to the tall Texan.

Willow peered around the bystanders to get a peek at the action. The Texan smiled at her. "Hello, little lady."

She smiled back tentatively.

"Wanna blow on my dice?" he asked with a grin.

Willow eeped and Giles, who had up until this moment been content to watch Willow watch, stepped forward a hard look in his eyes. "I beg your pardon," he growled.

The Texan leaned back a bit and grinned, slapping Giles hard on the back. He laughed a deep hearty guffaw. "Just a figure of speech, son!"

Giles' eyes narrowed.

The Texan sobered and leaned in. "But I like your style," he added with wink. He took off his Stetson and bowed slightly to Willow. "No offense intended, little lady."

Willow giggled, winning a frown from Giles and a huge grin from the Texan, who noticed her keen interest in the game. He pushed his portly friend aside to make room for Willow at the table. "Ever throw the dice before, ma'am?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head, obviously intrigued.

"Never?" the portly man interrupted.

"Nope."

"Virgin!" the portly man cried. "We got a virgin here!"

Willow paled and gripped Giles' hand more tightly. For his part, Giles wasn't sure what to do or who to hit.

The Texan had actually "Yahooed!" and waved his hat in the air, while the rest of the table was tossing money and chips onto the table in a frenzy.

People from all around crowded the table as the cry of "Virgin!" echoed throughout the casino.

"I thought she and Giles did it in the cab?" Anya offered helpfully.

Xander blanched and shook his head. "Honey, please. Don't-"

"Don't what?"

"Don't... anything."

"They did it in a cab?" Buffy asked shaking her head. "What is it with him and cars?"

Riley just shrugged, figuring discretion was the better part of valor here.

"Virgin!" the portly man kept babbling until Giles found his focus and gripped the portly man's arm a little too tightly.

"Stop that," Giles said darkly.

The man's eyes were pure innocence. "B-but, sh-she is, isn't she?" he sputtered.

Giles started to say something, but realized he actually didn't know the answer. With an uneasy look he turned to Willow.

A silence fell over the table as everyone looked at Willow. She bit her lip nervously and looked from face to face. Xander was still a little pale, but his eyes held an unmistakable flicker of hope. Anya was.. well… bored. Riley was looking a little too interested and Buffy was shooting daggers into him with her eyes.

Finally, she looked at Giles and his expression was mixture of anxiety and nuclear desire.

Willow smiled secretly, finally understanding what was really going on. Very deliberately she said, "I have never played craps before."

Her announcement was met with equal measures of frustration and elation. The crowd broke into another frenzy and the betting grew tenfold.

The Texan chuckled and gave her a wink. "You're good luck then, darlin'."

Willow grinned and glanced at Giles whose expression promised that this subject was closed only temporarily.

She grinned up at him, that tantalizing mixture of coy and sensual, and he felt his mouth go dry and his jeans shrink.

The stickman shoved the dice along the table until they rested in front of Willow. The Texan and a few other men placed bets for her.

She looked at the money and chips with a frown. "Shooter's have to have bets down," the tall man explained. "You just roll those dice and let us worry about the money, ma'am."

Willow smiled and reached down to take the dice. She took a deep breath and shot them down the table.

Her lucky streak hadn't ended and roll after roll she made money for the table, a generous portion of which was hers.

Buffy and the others had joined in on the action and were getting into the spirit of the game. The money and the booze were flowing in equal and generous measure.

"So... so... what do I do now?" Xander asked excitedly.

"Place a bet on the come line," Riley suggested.

Xander giggled uncontrollably. "The come line? That's... that's... oh man... Place that bet the hard way," he added, with an exaggerated waggling eyebrow.

Suddenly, he noticed a waitress passing by and quickly tried to bury the geek and assumed his, a work still in progress, Joe Cool façade.

"Can we have another round, honey?" he asked as he tossed chip onto her tray. Only the chip missed and ricocheted onto the floor. Xander fell to his knees trying to find it. He scrambled along the carpet. He crawled between people's legs in his frantic search. Pausing only once as he was momentarily hypnotized by the swirley pattern in the rug.

As the crowd watched in stunned silence, he spotted the skittery chip. "Aha!"

It had rolled next to the Texan's Ostrich skin boots. Xander grabbed the chip and stood up triumphantly. He turned and handed it proudly to the waitress.

She sighed, but took the money.

Xander turned back to the group, a smug grin on his lips until he saw everyone was about bust out into gales of laughter. "What?"

"Very smooth," Buffy assured him.

Willow giggled and turned to grin at Giles. Her laughter died in her throat.

He was standing back slightly from the table just watching her. But it was the way he was watching her.

Hungry.

Very hungry.

His eyes looked darker than normal and slightly narrowed. They were a deeper shade of green and lit with spark that made her knees weak. His lips, those delicious lips, were curved in just the slightest smile that promised all sorts of things. All sorts of wonderfully, naughty things.

His smile grew wider when her eyes met his and the rest of the hustle and bustle of the casino seemed to fall away.

"Wills?" Buffy asked excitedly. "You're up. Come on, baby needs a new pair of shoes... A new pair of Manolo Blahnik Calfskin Halter Pumps."

Willow didn't react, she just kept smiling at Giles, until Buffy jumped in between them. Apparently Slayers have a latent gambling gene as well as super strength.

"Come on... You can't stop now!" Buffy explained as she pulled Willow back to the table.

"But..." Willow protested, trying to get back to Giles, but Buffy would have none of it... and what the Slayer wanted, the Slayer got. "Buffy... ow!"

"Sorry," Buffy said with a sheepish grin. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"That's a rich one," Xander giggled. "Cause if anybody would you'd think the Slayer would. I mean..." his voice trailed off into oblivion as he felt the heated glares from the gang. "Never mind."

Anya rolled her eyes and looked tiredly at Willow. "Are you going to continue? Because clearly the odds are against you. No one can win so much without the converse happening eventually."

Xander looked at her blankly.

"Her luck's bound to run out," Anya explained wearily.

"Oh."

"Maybe, but--" Buffy began before noticing Sextus approach. "And speaking of butts... Hello."

Sextus grinned, the woman sighed, the men grunted. It was the natural order of things.

The young senator bowed slightly. "Willow, I'm so pleased to have found you."

Willow smiled and then eeped as she felt Giles press himself against the back of her.

"Are you?" Giles ground out.

Sextus merely smiled and nodded. "Indeed I am. I wanted to make sure you received your passes to the show," he said as he handed her a small envelope. "Caesar's Palace has only the finest entertainments. I'm sure you'll enjoy this evening's performance."

"Thank you."

Sextus gave Giles a quick nod and bowed again to Willow before acknowledging the others with a smile as he excused himself. "Ladies."

Willow cast a quick look at Giles, but his delicious smile was gone now. She sighed and turned back to the group.

"So... so," Buffy asked excitedly. "What are they?"

Willow opened the envelope and read the slip. "Four front row seats to the Ricky Martin concert."

"Ricky Martin!" Buffy squealed. "I love him!"

"He is... well packaged, "Anya admitted.

Xander frowned, but Anya, as usual, ignore him.

"Too bad you only have four tickets," Riley said hoping to hide his pleasure. "Looks like we'll have to sit this one out."

Buffy immediately went into pout mode.

"No, no," Xander chimed in. "Couldn't let you do that. Buffy loves good old Rick. Anya and I will bite the bullet and let you guys go."

"No really," Riley said with a hard edge. "You two go. By all means."

"Wouldn't dream of keeping you and Buffy away from a chance to see Ricky," Xander offered with a steely gaze.

As those two faced off, Buffy and Anya traded thoughts about Ricky Martin's leather pants.

"When he was in Menudo... I thought I would die."

"I know… Menudo? Isn't that tripe?"

"Guys?" Willow interrupted.

"Tripe? That's pig guts."

"Uhm, guys!"

"What?"

"Look... you guys should go. I mean... I've gotten so much already," Willow offered sincerely.

"But Wills... Ricky Martin," Buffy reminded her. "La Vida Loca... and those hips. They swivel! And things!"

Willow giggled and made a convincing show of being disappointed. "No really. You can tell me all about it... My... my wrist is tired from all that dice throwing."

Buffy frowned, but was secretly thrilled. "You mean it? You're not just saying that?"

"Who cares?" Anya blurted out. "Take the tickets."

"Thanks, Wills," Buffy cried as she grabbed the tickets and hugged her friend. "I won't forget this."

"Yeah," Xander added with a frown. "Won't forget this."

"Not for a long time," Riley added pointedly, as they were dragged off.

Willow watched them go and then turned back to Giles triumphantly.

He stepped forward and put his arms around her waist, that promising smile back in place. "Beautifully done."

Willow grinned and ran her hands up his chest.

He frowned and took one of her small hands in his. "Your wrists are tired, are they?"

"Not that tired," she said with a smirk.

Giles virtually purred and leaned down for a kiss.

Somehow he managed to rein in his baser desires and pulled out of the kiss before his glasses melted.

"Looks like we'll have the room to ourselves for a few hours," Willow said coyly.

"Mmmm," Rupert groaned. "A few hours... well..." He sighed dramatically. "I suppose it will have to suffice." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "For now."

Willow felt her insides warm as she felt his hot breath against her neck. She stood on her tiptoes and returned the favor. "You'd be surprised what I can do in a few hours."

She felt the rumble in his chest as he groaned and couldn't seem to keep herself from nibbling on his earlobe.

He gasped and pulled her down, a wicked grin, promising a delightful sort of retribution, on his face. "What are we waiting for?"

Giles grasped her hand and started to lead her toward the promised land of their empty hotel suite when they ran smack into a bubbling Buffy.

"I'm so glad I caught you guys," the Slayer said brightly, but Willow and Giles looked back, angry and frustrated. "Don't pout, Buffy's about!"

Giles let out a long sigh, and Willow leaned against him, trying to be patient.

"I know how much you guys..." Buffy looked at Giles and frowned and then grinned at Willow. "Okay, how much you wanted to see the one and only Ricky Martin. Well, guess what?"

Giles was about to say something when Willow's elbow quieted him.

"I ran into Sextus... He is so fine... Anyway, I told him what you did. Giving us the tickets and everything and he... are you ready? Scrounged up two more tickets!" Buffy squealed in delight. "We can all go! Isn't that great?"

"Wow," Willow said blandly. "Great."

"I know... you're stunned. But it's true," Buffy giggled. "And we have to get ready. You don't want Ricky to see you looking like that!"

With that, Buffy pulled Willow away from Giles and dragged her toward the elevator, already planning her makeup and clothes.

Willow looked back helplessly. Giles watched them go and sighed.

A waitress passed by and smiled at him. "Can I get you something to drink, sir?"

Giles sighed again. "Scotch." He watched Willow's body move further and further away. "Better make it a double."

After tossing back his double scotch, and making a quick stop at the bar for more Dutch courage, Giles decided to face the music, well, Ricky Martin's anyway... such as it was.

He made his way up the suite, trying desperately to let the alcohol take hold and dampen his, well blazing desire to throw Willow into a bed, any bed and have his wicked way with her.

He knocked on the door, realizing he still didn't have a keycard of his own and found Riley and Xander brooding and drinking.

"Where's Willow?" Giles asked.

Riley sighed and nodded his head toward the bedroom. "In there with Buffy and Anya. Helping her find some clothes..." He squinted and turned to Xander. "What did Buffy call them?"

"Slutapalooza," Xander drawled.

Riley shook his head. "No, that's what you said."

"It is?" Xander asked in a blurred haze. "Oh, yeah."

"Slutapalooza?" Giles asked uneasily.

"Yeah, you know, like..." Xander said. "Vampaplaooza, a pleathora of vampage... vamposity? Lots and lots."

"I see," Giles said and then frowned. "Good God, I understand Xander-speak."

Xander smiled in sympathy. "Bound to happen G-funk."

Riley turned back to Giles who had gone to the bar and was pouring himself another drink. "Anyway, It's all about less being more. I mean you see some of the things Buffy wears. I have handkerchiefs that have more material."

"I don't," Xander sighed.

"Don't what?"

"Have any handkerchiefs. I mean, what the hell kinda word is that anyway? Hand-ker-chief? That's messed up," Xander said in disapproval.

Riley frowned, but shook his head and decided to talk to Giles again. "You've seen the little black leather skirt she wears?"

Giles nodded and stared down into his drink.

Riley sighed dramatically and took a swig of his own drink. "That one does things to me. Non-gentlemanly things, if you know what I mean?"

Giles sighed. "I know."

Riley sat forward too quickly and felt lightheaded, but his sudden rush of jealousy focused him. "You do? You look at Buffy and get all squiggly inside?"

Giles groaned. "Oh, please.. I simply meant... I know what you mean. I... Willow's so ... so..."

"Oh yeah," Xander agreed and saw Giles' eyes flash. "But she's your so... I'm just... " he frowned. "Nothing... I'm certainly not thinking about how Willow looked when she dressed up in that leather corset. And how her boobies were just spilling out and her butt was..."

"Xander," Giles growled.

"Oh yeah," Riley said leaning back against the couch with a smile. "I heard about that."

"Riley," Giles menaced.

Riley scrambled to backtrack. "Oh, just.. not about her boobies... I mean breasts... I mean not about that, but... not her butt either... I -I didn't mean butt-butt... I mean it was about the fighting and the goodness beating the evilness... that's what I heard anyway."

Giles sighed. Images of Willow as she'd been that night, dressed as her doppelganger, raced through his mind, undoing any sort of numbness the alcohol might have achieved. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Buffy and Anya came back into the living room.

"Where's Willow?"

"Taking a shower," Buffy said with a grunt. "Washing off the makeup I just spent the last twenty minutes putting on her, and doing a fabulous job, I might add." She took Riley's drink and downed it. "I mean it was fantastic, wasn't it?"

"Well, there was a lot of it," Anya conceded.

"See?" Buffy said in triumph before falling back against the sofa. "All my hard work, down the drain. Oh well... what were you doing?"

"Talking about Willow's breasts," Xander said without thinking.

"Excuse me?" Anya huffed.

"Yeah," Buffy chimed in, glaring at Riley. "Huh?"

"It wasn't like that... I mean it's not like we were talking about, you know... how soft and firm they... shutting up now."

Giles groaned and finished his drink. "I'm going to take a shower."

"But you just took one, "Xander reminded him.

"Well," Giles hissed. "Now, I need another one."

"Oh... Oh!" Xander's eyes went round with realization before the giggles got the better of him. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"What does that mean?" Anya demanded. "Are you saying I don't satisfy you?"

"No..."

Giles rolled his eyes and headed off to the bathroom adjoining Xander's room.

*****

Giles stepped into the warm spray and debated turning the faucets to cold. One way or another he had to something about this ache.

He decided that he might as well find some release, at this rate there was no telling when he'd finally manage to get Willow alone. He reached for the soap when he noticed a phone on the wall just outside the stall.

'A phone in the bathroom? Americans,' he thought with a sigh. But then a wicked idea occurred to him. If he had a phone, perhaps Willow's bath had a phone too.

He thought about it for a moment and threw caution to the wind. If he couldn't touch her, at least he could hear her. Reach out and touch someone, the ads had said. 'I'm no quite sure this is what they mean, but...'

He picked up the receiver and was pleased to see a two digit extension number printed on the base. If his room was 16 then it would be logical that she was 15. His fingers shaking a little, from nervousness and anticipation, he punched in the numbers.

*****

Willow practically had a heart attack as the phone rang. She rinsed the shampoo from her eyes and poked her head out of the shower. She spied the phone on the wall and frowned.

With a shrug she picked it up. "Hello?"

"Willow?" Giles asked tentatively.

"Rupert, is that you? Where are you? Is everything all right?" she asked anxiously.

He laughed and sighed in relief. "I'm all right. I... I'm... in the shower."

"In the shower? " Willow eeped and reflexively looked around her bath.

"In Xander's bath. I... I saw the phone... and..." Giles voice trailed off, suddenly he felt absolutely ridiculous.

"You're in the shower too?" Willow asked, starting to understand.

"Y-yes."

"Mmmmm," she purred.

Giles groaned. The sound sent all his blood directly south, do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.

"You still there?" Willow asked softly.

"Oh yes. I'm... I'm here," Giles breathed.

"Good," Willow said with a grin. "Are you all wet, Rupert?"

Giles moaned. "Very."

Willow bit her lip. This was fun.

"Are you?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Uh-huh," she sighed. "I am... I definitely am."

Sensing she was enjoying this as much as he was, he decided to take it a step further. "Is the water warm, love?"

"Very."

"Good."

He heard her moan and it sent shivers up his spine. "What are you doing, love?" he whispered.

"Touching myself and wishing it were you," she admitted softly.

"Oh, Willow," Giles sighed. "What I wouldn't give to be touching you right now."

"Really?" she said coyly.

The sexy innocence in her voice made his erection surge and he reflexively began to stroke himself. "Really," he said in a deep throaty voice. "I can just see you standing there. Your skin so soft."

"I can almost imagine you caressing me," she said. "I can feel your strong hands touching me... arousing me..."

He could hear her breathing speed up and closed his eyes as his own hand quickened its pace. "Oh, Willow..."

"I want you so much," she gasped, as she ran her small hands across her soapy body, trying desperately to simulate the feel of a lover's touch.

"Oh, God," Giles groaned as he got closer and closer to the edge. His breathing was hard and fast as he struggled against the inevitable.

"R-rupert."

"W-willow... ohhh..."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!!

"