Winter Of Discontent 14
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.



"Buffy?"

"Crystal? What are you doing here? Not that I don't want to see you,
but...why are you here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're really okay."

"I am. The doc said. And Rupert will be back soon."

"Leo took him to get a cup of tea or something. I think they needed to
talk a little."

"So you came to do Buffy sitting duty?"

Crystal shrugged and sat down.

"I thought you shouldn't be alone, and nobody else could come in."

"Let me guess: Nurse Cross?"

"That's what Xander said."

"Thanks. I really don't want to be alone right now."

*****

"Willow?"

"Go away, Wesley. Leave me alone."

"I don't think that's a good idea right now. You must feel terrible."

The girl stopped crying and looked up at Wesley like a deer caught in
the headlights.

"W - why should I?"

"Because this is your fault, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean. I didn't do anything to Buffy."

"Not directly, no, but you did something. Something that affected us
all. What I can't decide is whether it was deliberate, or an accident."

*****

"This isn't your fault, Rupert. There was something strange going on
tonight. I think it may have been magic."

"Magic...? I certainly don't need magic to...why would somebody cast a
spell to make me...want my wife?"

"Not just you, my boy. I could hear Xander and Anya down in the
kitchen. It was Cordelia's turn to cook, and dinner never happened,
Wesley was smiling for the first time since I met him, Willow and Tara
disappeared for hours. And as for me...I haven't needed a cold shower
that much in years. Everybody in that house was hit with a lust spell."

"That would explain...never mind."

"What? Oh come on, Rupert, you can't go that far and not tell me the
rest. Who were you looking at?"

"Anya. So was Buffy, oddly enough. But that's not the worst."

"What was the worst?"

"I found myself...thinking about someone."

"Who? Tell me before the suspense gives me a heart attack!"

Giles sighed and buried his hands in his face.

"Wesley."

Leo laughed. Giles shot him an aggrieved look.

"Oh don't look at me like that. Wesley's a very attractive man...if
you're attracted to men."

"I'm so very glad to have your approval in the matter. I had no idea
you were such a connoisseur of our gender."

"I'm not, but Wesley does fit your pattern with men. Admit it, you like
them tall, dark and a bit on the thin side. Usually, though, you like
them a bit more rakish."

"Yes, well, that's as may be. What I want to know is who did this? And
why?"

"I don't know."

"Somebody from the Council?"

"Why would they cast it on the entire household?"

"I've no idea. All I know is when I find whoever did this, I shall
wring his neck with my bare hands."

"Don't even joke about that, Rupert."

"Who said I was joking? Buffy nearly lost our baby because of this. I
hurt her because of this. Whoever did this is going to pay dearly."

*****

"I didn't mean for anybody to get hurt, honest, Wesley. I just...Giles
was being all 'oh I'm not gay' and he is and he didn't do anything to
make it easy for me when I came out and now I find out he lives in the
first closet on the right. I just wanted him to come clean about it."

"And you didn't think that would hurt him?"

"If everybody who's gay came out of the damn closet, then it wouldn't
scare people so much and maybe we wouldn't have to be scared anymore.
Nobody pulls a Matthew Shepard on you for being straight."

"Willow, I understand your zeal, and I even understand somewhat why
you're upset with Giles just now, but what on earth did you think that
particular spell would accomplish?"

"It was just one to make people open about their attractions. Like,
maybe he'd look at all the guys and not the girls. It wasn't supposed
to hurt anybody."

"But it did. It hurt Buffy. Your spell made Giles hurt her."

"I know, but it wasn't supposed to be like that. It wasn't supposed to
make everybody turn into rabbits on a rampage. Maybe I did something
wrong with the incantation or something."

"I suggest we keep this between us for now. I seriously doubt Giles
will be very forgiving right now. Frankly, I'd rather like to hit you
myself, and I didn't hurt anyone because of this. You had no right to
do that spell."

"But Giles was lying..."

Wesley shook his head.

"If Giles had been lying Buffy wouldn't be here right now."

He turned to leave.

"Oh and Willow? Who did you look at besides Tara?"

She looked after his retreating form long after he disappeared from
sight down the corridor. Her chin began to wobble.

"I didn't mean to hurt anybody."

*****

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, Crystal. We're both okay," Buffy reassured her as she ran a hand
over her belly. "But a little confused."

"About what?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Buffy bit her lip and frowned. She sat up a bit straighter.

"Did you...I mean...did you get like a massive, massive case of the
hornies tonight?"

Crystal blushed.

"Buffy!"

"I need to know, 'cause it felt like...I dunno, like we couldn't help
ourselves. Like something was making us do it and do it until...well,
here I am. And I was looking at other people. Not Rupert people. People
I'd never in a million years thought I could be interested in that way.
Did something like that happen to you, or was it just us?"

"Um...it wasn't just you."

"Great. Now who the hell would want to make our place the house of
nookie?"

*****

"Rupert, get ahold of yourself. They're trying to provoke you. They
want you to do something stupid."

"So I should just let them do this to Buffy? I can't."

"I never said that. I just think there are better ways of handling
this."

Giles raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, intrigued.

"Such as?"

Leo smiled.

"Let's just say that I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Magic tricks."

"Ones that could make them think twice before they attack us again?"

"Rupert, tonight I took the longest, coldest shower I have taken since
I was nineteen years old. Buffy is in the hospital and you are on the
verge of serious violence. I plan to make the bastards think fourteen
times before they mess with us again."

Leo stood and gathered up the Styrofoam cups.

"But for tonight, I think you'd better go see your wife and make sure
she's okay."

Giles put a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"I'm going to help you cast."

"I'll be ready in a day or two. I need a few special supplies."

"If it's anything in the shop, it's yours. Don't let Anya charge for
it, either."

"Maybe you'd better talk with her before I go in there, just to be
sure."

*****

Xander turned to Anya.

"I think we should maybe go home now. Get some rest."

"Insensitive much?" Cordelia scolded him. "What about Buffy?"

"We already know she's going to be fine and that we can't see her
tonight. And I don't know about you, but I've had a long day. I need
some sleep."

"Yes, we've been very busy today, and we both need to work in the
morning. I don't think Giles will want to open up early," Anya added.

"And he'll be here in a minute and he should see that we're all being
really, really supportive. Besides, I don't know where Wesley went."

"Look, Cordy," Xander said, "I don't know what's going on with you and
Wes, but I really don't see how it stops us from going home. And Giles
will walk through that door any moment now and ask us all what the hell
we're doing here. Trust me."

Cordelia opened her mouth to deliver a retort, but was stopped when
Giles and Leo walked into the room. Giles looked about himself with a
slightly bewildered expression.

"What in heaven's name are you all still doing here? Buffy's going to
be fine. Go home and get some sleep."

He headed down the corridor to Buffy's room. Xander shook his head.

"I should have taken bets on that."

"On what?" Leo asked.

"Never mind. We're booking. Want a ride, Leo?"

"Thanks."

Cordelia blew out a frustrated breath and sat down next to Tara.

"Looks like it's just us girls till Wesley and Willow and Crystal get
back here."

*****

Giles crept quietly into Buffy's room.

"Hey," she said.

He stooped and kissed her forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not so bad considering where I am."

"I see my cot has arrived."

"Even Nurse Cross is scared of you."

They chuckled softly. Crystal stood.

"I better go."

"Thanks for staying with me."

"S'okay."

She slipped quietly out. Giles removed his jacket and shoes and lay
down on the cot next to Buffy's bed.

"I'm even gladder you're staying."

"Get some sleep love."


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