Winter Of Discontent 6
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I
just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my
twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.



When Buffy and Giles came down to the breakfast table the next morning,
they could feel all eyes on them. Buffy's cheeks burned as she recalled
her actions the night before. She'd wanted to stay upstairs until
everyone had gone about their business for the day, but Giles had
insisted she come down with him. It was her idea, however, to hold his
hand as they entered the dining room.


This time she smiled at him when he pulled her chair out. He returned
her smile gratefully.


The message was clear to the others; the team of Watcher and Slayer
remained very much a team, no matter what revelations had come to
light.


Looking around himself, Giles was surprised to find Willow glaring
resentfully at him. It took only a split second for her to drop her
eyes back to her plate, but he had caught the look too clearly to
believe he'd imagined it. He turned distractedly back to the platter of
fresh waffles Xander and Anya had made. He also made a mental note to
find a moment to take Willow aside and find out why she was angry with
him.


*****


Lois Pennington walked briskly into her office. She nodded curtly to
several of her coworkers as she made her way to her office.


"Good morning," her secretary said.


"Morning, Brenda."


"A man came by here a few minutes ago. He wouldn't stay, but he gave me
this and said to make sure you got it as soon as you got here."


She handed over a large manila envelope. Ms. Pennington inspected it
briefly before opening it. She pulled out a stack of photographs and
smiled to herself.


"Did the gentleman who left these give his name or a number where he
can be contacted?"


"No. He said he wanted to remain anonymous. Good news?"


"For me, yes. For Rupert Giles, no."


******


"Willow? May I have a word in private?"


"Sure, Giles. But not right now. I got stuff I gotta do..."


"This won't take long. At least, I don't think it will."


"Well...okay...but, maybe it could wait?"


"No, I don't think so."


He took her elbow and steered her out to the back porch and sat her
down on the top step. He sat beside her.


"Why are you angry with me, Willow?"


The girl turned wide eyes to him.


"Angry? Why would I be angry with you?"


"I don't know. Why don't you tell me."


"Nope. Not angry. So, we're good now, right? Bye."


She stood to leave, but Giles took her wrist and held her fast.


"Do you really think I've spent this much time with Buffy without
knowing evasion when I hear it? Sit down and talk to me. I can't fix
this if I don't know what the problem is."


Willow sat, but stared stubbornly before her without saying a word.
Giles ran his hand through his hair as he tried to think of what to
say.


"I have always thought that you and I were good friends, Willow. You
were the first person to make me feel really welcome in Sunnydale. And
over time, your contributions have been invaluable to our activities;
to helping keep Buffy alive. If I've done or said something to harm our
friendship, I would be very sorry to think you didn't feel you could
come to me and tell me what it is I've done. Please. Let me know what's
wrong."


Again, he found himself on the receiving end of a surprisingly angry
glare.


"I looked up to you, Giles. We all did. I never thought you'd lie to
us."


"When did I lie?"


"The whole time we've known you, apparently. How could you do that to
me? And to Buffy?"


Giles shook his head.


"I'm not entirely certain I understand you, Willow."


"You're gay and - and you never said. You went and married Buffy and I
thought you were in love with her, but you can't be if you're gay. And
you could've made it a lot easier for me if you'd said. I didn't have
anyone to teach me what it's about when I figured it out about me. You
should've said. You lied."


"I'm not gay."


"Bullshit. Buffy said you had sex with a guy. She said there were
pictures."


"Yes, that's true," Giles agreed, hoping his cheeks weren't as red as
they felt.


"So gay. And big ol' hypocrite."


"No. Bisexual, actually."


"There's no such thing. There's gay and there's straight. You're one or
the other."


"I happen to be both and neither."


"See? Still lying to me."


She rose to leave. Giles arrested her with his next question.


"Didn't you enjoy sleeping with Oz?"


She turned back to him with flashing eyes.


"That's none of your business!"


"Oh, it isn't? Then what the hell business is it of yours whom I choose
to sleep with or how I like it?"


"Because you married my best friend and - and - you're gonna run off
and leave her for some guy someday and what happens to her then?"


Willow ran inside before Giles could answer her. He pulled off his
glasses and rubbed his brow in frustration. He pressed the heels of his
hands to his eyes for a moment. At last, he put his glasses back on. He
was about to stand when he realized he was no longer alone.


"Willow's wrong, y'know."


Giles gave a mirthless chuckle.


"How much did you hear?"


"Of what went on out here, not much. Of what Willow said when she got
back inside, a whole big earful. Wesley's talking to her now. Trying to
get her to chill. You really are no good at the heart to heart thing,
are you?"


"I suppose not," Giles agreed. He and Cordelia sat silently for a
minute looking ahead of themselves.


"So," she said at last, "wanna talk about it?"


"Not particularly."


"Too bad. You sorta need to. Look, the only thing I want to know is if
you think you can deal and not leave Buffy."


"I will never leave Buffy."


"Good."


Giles took a deep breath and girded his mental loins.


"I suppose you have questions about...this revelation."


"Nope. You already answered the only one I had. Who you got pelvic with
before isn't really all that important, is it? It's not like you could
really have been a virgin when you married her, is it? That would have
been really freaksome and a whole lot more perverted than this. I mean
we all deal with the fact that Buffy did it with the undead. At least
you never did that. Did you?"


Giles tried unsuccessfully to hide his smile.


"No, I never did."


"Then what's the big? You and Buffy have big, burning love going on.
Don't worry about Willow. She's just being self-righteous girl about a
bunch of stuff right now."


"Cordelia," Giles admonished her gently.


"Hey, what did I say about tact? I prefer honesty."


They sat in a surprisingly companionable silence for a time. At last
Cordelia spoke again.


"I know I was never a big Buffy fan in the old days, but I really have
gotten to like her now. I think we're finally friends. I want my friend
to be happy, and you make her happy, last night's meltdown
notwithstanding. Keep on making her happy, and we're good. Hurt her,
and I'll hunt you down like a dog and hurt you in ways you can't
possibly imagine."


"I'll keep that in mind."


"Good. Now go on. Don't you have to go to work or something?"


"I'm the boss. I can be a little late if I like."


All the same, he stood to go. He turned back and smiled at Cordelia.


"Thank you."


"Hey, it was nothing."


"No. It was actually a rather large something. Would you do one more
thing for me today?"


"Depends on what it is."


"Try to...be there for Buffy all you can. She'll be upset that Willow
and I are at odds."


"Maybe I'll take her to the mall. Or we could go visit Joyce."


"I think she'd like that."


Cordelia shook her head.


"And to think all that time in High School I thought you were such a
tightass. There's a gooey center hiding under all those nuts on the
outside, isn't there?"


"Don't let it get around. I have a reputation to uphold."


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