TITLE: Magic 13/14
AUTHOR: Rari Coss
DISCLAIMER: It all belongs to Joss, the real king of the world, the WB, UPN, Fox, Mutant Enemy and anybody else who feels they own it. Im just borrowing, lost in admiration, and then giving them back, memories wiped clean.
FEEDBACK: Absolutely.

When Willow woke up she felt funny. She wasn’t sure how to describe it, just that she felt different. She looked down at Giles, watching him sleep, loving him so much it almost brought her to tears. She decided that maybe she had to pee. She got up and padded into the bathroom. When that didn’t help she decided that maybe she was hungry. She got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Aaron and Mike were sitting in there. She blushed when she saw them and they grinned. She was grateful when they refrained from making any comments. She reached for the tea and Aaron got up and took the box away from her. “No caffeine, remember?” He hunted through the cabinet and found some herbal tea for her. She grabbed it and wrinkled her nose at him.

She looked around. “Where is everyone?”

“Sleeping.”

She nodded. She rolled back her shoulders a couple of times. She still couldn’t figure out what was making her feel weird. She stared at the kettle and wished it would boil faster. She felt the now familiar presence of Giles’ magic and with a smile she turned around expecting him to be there. He wasn’t. She turned around confused and the kettle started whistling.

Aaron looked up. “Boy, that was fast.” He looked at her and saw that her jaw had dropped. “Willow, what’s the matter?”

She just yelled for Giles. He was out there immediately, just taking long enough to throw on some jeans. “What, what is it?” She just pointed at the kettle, her eyes wide. He walked up to it confused. “Willow, what are you pointing at?”

She finally found her voice. “Do you still have your magic?”

Giles eyes opened wide at her question. “Of course.” He turned his head to the side looking at her. “Why are you asking that?”

She pointed again at the teakettle, which was now whistling painfully loud. Giles reached past Willow to shut off the burner and move the kettle. “I made the water boil. I just wished it and it boiled. I felt your magic but it wasn’t you. I think you gave some of it to me.”

Giles stared at her and leaned against the counter. Willow stood in front of him and put her hand on his chest. She looked horrified. “God, will the magic do everything I think? That’s kind of creepy. Suppose I think something stupid or wish for something bad to happen to somebody.”

Giles put his hand on hers and shook his head, reassuring her. “It doesn’t work that way. You’ve always done well working with the elements. I imagine my magic has simply enhanced yours.”

Mike looked at the two of them. “She’s got your magic now? How did that…?” He stopped when he saw them glance at one another and start to blush. Mike grinned. “Oh.” He looked at Aaron and they grinned at each other. He knew it would embarrass Giles but he had to ask. “Do you think that would happen with anyone you had sex with or just her?”

Giles blushed again, mortified at the question. Mike raised his hand to clarify, laughing. “Sorry, I’m not personally interested. I just know Jensen would want to know. I figured you’d rather have me ask.”

Willow’s eyes narrowed. “Why would he even know about this?”

Mike pursed his lips. “Trust me, he’ll know. The guy knows everything.” He turned to Giles. “You know, the two of you would work well together. You’d make a good team. Once you got past the part of him being a complete asshole.” Mike sent a grin up to one of the corners that he had determined a camera was placed. He actually kind of liked Jensen. Jensen did a good job at keeping them alive.

Giles grinned. “Well, he certainly is that.” He thought about Mike’s question. He was embarrassed to answer it but he knew Mike was right. It was something Jensen would want to know. “I don’t really know. I rather think because it was…you know…that sort of magic that we felt...” He pointed out back to where the garden was. “…that it would only work with someone I loved.” He looked at Willow and smiled at her. He touched her cheek. “Do you feel all right?”

She nodded. “Yeah, just different.” She grinned, gasping a little. “Oh, see, now you have no reason not to let me come with you. I can protect myself.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just because you can boil water quickly doesn’t mean your magic is strong enough to protect you.”

Aaron looked at him. “What is she talking about?”

Giles frowned. “She’s got it in her head that when Jensen sends me out that she’ll be coming with me.” He frowned at Willow and she just smiled sweetly at him. He got up and began to make him and Willow a cup of tea, making sure hers was non-caffeinated.

Mike leaned back in his chair thinking about what Giles had just said. It made him start thinking of a plan. He bit the inside of his cheek as he sat there working it out.

***

Jensen was watching when Mike made his comment. He laughed, despite his annoyance. He muttered to himself. “God that boy has cheek.” He pursed his lips, thinking about what had occurred between Giles and Willow. That was a good question that Mike has asked. It eliminated the risk, or the possibility, of using Giles to…well, spread his magic on a wider scale. Jensen shook his head and stood up.

He reluctantly was finding that he actually liked Giles. Once he stopped threatening to kill you he was a decent sort of fellow. And there was no denying his power. Mike had been right about that too. He and Giles would make a good team. With his information and resources and Giles’ power they could perhaps really make a difference in protecting this world from the evil that infested it. He found it interesting that Willow wanted to participate. He wondered how strong she was.

***

Giles also wanted to know how strong Willow was. After they ate he took her outside. Peter and Todd were still sleeping. The other four guards walked outside to watch.

Giles had been right about his assumptions. Willow couldn’t do the scope of magic that he could, nor was she anywhere near as strong but she had a remarkably increased talent and accuracy when it came to working with the elements. She could move massive amounts of earth and was able to put the field back the way it had been before Giles had terraformed it yesterday. She was able to summon significant windstorms and create fire. And she made it rain. Willow was delighted.

As Willow’s insistence Giles tried out his own magic again. The guards had been spread around the field watching Willow as she used her magic. When they realized Giles was going to experiment again they all moved quickly behind him up on the step. He frowned at them. “Your faith is overwhelming.”

Mike just grinned at him. “I always try and stay on the right side of trouble.” He motioned with his chin into the building. “Want me to get some more cans?”

Giles just looked at him for a moment but then shook his head. “No.” He looked back out at the field. He closed his eyes and imagined demons. He used his years of experience of fighting demons to picture the field peppered with the worst sorts of them. All coming this way, all coming after people he cared about.

He opened his eyes and threw out his hands. First one then three then a dozen, then two-dozen explosions hit the field. Flames shot high as the earth flew. Willow and the guards instinctively ducked at first even though they knew Giles would let no harm come to them. Then they realized that nothing was coming at them anyway. They saw his face, and realized that whatever Giles was doing out there, it was what he intended to do. They turned as one and watched the field, witnessing his awesome power.

He drew back his magic and felt it within him, restless and powerful, like a geyser or a blacksmith’s fire. He felt its rightness and he sensed within him who and what he could be. He felt no fear this time. The guards and Willow just watched him, almost afraid to speak, seeing the enormous power still sizzling in his eyes, still resonating in his body.

In time, he turned to them. Mike spoke up, breaking the silence. “Wow.” The rest of them nodded, as if Mike had captured their reactions quite eloquently. Giles grinned at them.

Willow moved next to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Very wow.” She looked up at him, love and pride on her face. “Did you get all the bad guys?”

He looked down at her and then over at the guards. “Was it that obvious?”

Mike laughed. He reached over Willow and clapped Giles on the shoulder. “Yup, I would say that that was a successful clean sweep.” He gestured at the field. He followed his gesture with his eyes, shaking his head with amazement at the measured and careful destruction before him. He looked at Giles. “Man, you are something else.”

They spent the rest of the afternoon practicing their magics. As daylight started waning they all moved in to begin dinner preparations. Peter and Todd joined them. Giles felt the unexpected gift of their friendship. It amazed him that he had grown so fond of them all so quickly. It also made him sad because he expected he would lose them soon. He knew Jensen would reassign them once Giles began to work for him.

They ate and then they stayed at the table, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Their noise woke Spike. And when he woke he needed to feed. As he entered the kitchen his eyes swept the room for Giles. When Giles saw his eyes he could feel the bloodlust in Spike calling to him. He nodded and stood up, walking over to Spike. He turned to Willow and included the guards when he spoke. “We’ll be back in a little while.”

Willow frowned and pushed her chair back as if to stand and accompany them. Giles pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Willow, I’ll be back. I need to be with Spike right now.” She looked frustrated and sent a glare at Spike before she could stop herself. Even with what had transpired between her and Giles Willow was still feeling threatened by whatever was going on between Giles and Spike. It made her feel less important somehow and the fact that she was even feeling this way made her feel immature and full of doubts. She turned her face away from Spike’s knowing grin.

Giles could follow her emotions on her face and longed to stay and reassure her. But he could not ignore Spike’s call. He knew this would be hard for her at first, this closeness between him and Spike, but she needed to grow accustomed to it. He would make her feel loved and remove her doubts later when they were alone. So after cupping her cheek with his hand and smiling at her tenderly, he simply left and Spike followed him out.

Peter looked puzzled. “Where are they going?”

Jim had guessed. He had seen Spike feed the other night. “Spike needs to feed.” He turned to Willow. “Right?” She nodded tersely.

Peter was still confused. “I don’t get it. What does Giles have to do with that?”

Jim looked at him. “He’ll feed off of Giles.”

Peter jumped to his feet alarmed, as if to run after them and stop them. Jim put out his hand. “It’s okay. He did it the other night, after Giles grew the garden. Giles was fine. He was fine after it.”

Mike looked a little pale at the thought but he was able to be pragmatic. “Well, if it really doesn’t hurt him I guess I’d rather have it be him than one of us.” No one could argue with that.

Spike and Giles walked some ways away from the building. They stopped and stood there a little awkwardly, not quite sure how to proceed. Finally Spike grinned and spoke. “Jesus, I feel like a sodding virgin.” Giles grinned in return. Giles finally just sat down and Spike sat next to him. Spike leaned towards Giles and with one of his hands he reached around Giles’ neck and pulled his hair out of the way. He captured Giles’ eyes for a moment and then holding Giles’ head still with his hand on the back of Giles’ neck, he bent down, plunged his fangs in and began to drink. Giles reached for the magic and surrounded them both with it.

Spike felt the blood coursing down his throat as the magic pounded through his body. He felt his body start to become aroused in response to the sensual onslaught. He knew Giles would let him take him. Not because Giles was particularly desirous to do so, but because when they were bonded like this, he knew Giles would deny him nothing. Only Spike’s feelings for Willow stopped him. He knew she was not ready for this. For now, at least, he would allow her the right to own that part of Giles. For now, but not forever.

When Spike was done he just rested his head on Giles’ shoulder for a few minutes. Giles helped hold him there with a hand on his back. Finally Spike sat up. Giles lay back on the ground, looking up at the sky. Spike watched him feeling the connection between them flow like lava. They both were silent as the residual aftermath of Giles’ magic slowly receded.

Giles looked up at Spike. “I found it today, my power.” Spike watched Giles’ eyes. He saw that the shadows that had been so prevalent there only last night had faded. Giles continued. “I figured it out, what you meant. What I am.” He sat up, facing Spike. “I want…” He broke off his sentence and just softly smiled at Spike. “Thank you.”

Spike didn’t reply, just barely nodded his head. Then he did speak. “You know Jensen will call for you soon.” It wasn’t a question. Giles nodded, his jaw tightening just a little. Spike spoke again. “I’ll be going with you.” Again, not a question.

Giles leaned back, resting on his elbows. He looked at Spike. He knew there were reasons to argue. He knew Jensen wouldn’t like it. But he just nodded. “I know.”

Spike leaned back too. “Right, then. That’s settled.” He grinned at Giles. Giles grinned back and the two of them sat there in the darkness for quite some time.

NEXT