oreadno1 (oreadno1) wrote in willowgileslove, @ 2008-10-22 09:10:00 |
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Fandom: BtVS
Rating: Eventually FRAO, this chpater U
Pairing: Willow/Giles, who else?
Summary: After the destruction of Sunnydale, Giles and Willow set out to rebuild the Watcher's Council
Spoilers: none, really
Word count: this chapter 1137
Feedback: Pretty please. Constructive criticism is always welcome. If you want to flame me, well okay, I have chainsaws.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (if I did Willow would be with Giles where she belongs!); I just hijack them and take them out for a joyride every now and then. Also, I have no beta, so any and all mistakes are solely mine.
Author's notes: Sorry this chapter is so slow-going. I'm trying to pick things up; get things moving along, but my muse is being uncooperative, as usual.
CHAPTER SIX
Willow awoke to find herself alone on the couch, with a blanket over her and the fire banked for the night. She rose and stretched, then checked her watch. 5:16 AM. She folded and put away the blanket, then went into her bathroom to shower. Drying off, she dressed in one of the new outfits she'd bought the day before. Going into the kitchen, she made herself a pot of tea, then went back to her room. Seating herself at her desk, she flexed her fingers then booted up her new laptop for the first time. After checking her e-mail, she started to check on what was being said about the destruction of Sunnydale. Most stories attributed the disappearance of the town to the San Andreas Fault shifting. She then checked her parents' e-mail to discover it hadn't been checked since the day before the battle with the First. Worried, she checked her mother's website (she had helped her mother set it up years before to let people know when and where she would be lecturing) to discover her mother and father had come home to Sunnydale four days before the final battle and hadn't left town with everyone else. Horrified, she realised that her parents had perished along with the rest of the population that hadn't evacuated. Heartbroken and blinded by tears, she logged off and wandered into the living room. Giles, who was in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of tea, saw the shattered look on her face and went to her.
"Willow, what is the matter?"
"My parents," she struggled to get the words out, "They...they were in Sunnydale when, when ...."
"When it was destroyed?" he asked gently.
She nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed against his chest. Carefully, he guided her to the couch and they sat on it.
"I know they weren't the most attentive of parents, but.." she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"But they were your parents and you loved them," he finished for her.
"Yeah. It's silly for me to be crying like this. I mean, they hadn't really kept in contact with me. Mom only met Tara once and ignored her after that. She couldn't even get Buffy's name right, and then there's that little episode of trying to burn me at the stake, but still I hoped one day she and dad might actually want to get to know me. The real me, not their preconceived notion of what someone in my 'age group' was like. They never even called me when Tara...died...or when I came here with you, but I still kept hoping. Now they never will."
"It's not silly. Despite their neglect, your parents were an important part of your life and helped you become the woman you are."
"Yeah, an important part, when it came to telling me no. Dad wouldn't let me watch A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mom wouldn't let me play with Barbie dolls because she thought they might cause me to have unrealistic self-image goals, and don't get me started on her rant about the 'patriarchal bias' of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood."
"They taught you, or perhaps you learned from their disregard, to be independent and resilient. That's played an important role in keeping you, and indeed all of us, alive this long."
"I guess so. It's just not easy realising I'm an orphan now. I mean I always was in some ways, since my parents were never there, but now they're truly gone."
"You still have family, though. You have Xander and Buffy and Dawn and me. We'll always be here for you"
"I know," she put her arms around him and he returned the hug.
Willow slowly released him and made an effort to compose herself.
"Well," she sniffled, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "We've got a lot to do today, what with setting up the new Council and all."
"If you'd like to take a few days, I'll understand. This has been some upsetting news."
"No. I want to get this started. I need to. I want to make sure they and everyone else in Sunnydale didn't die for nothing. So, if you want to go get ready, I'll make us breakfast."
After breakfast they set out to find a suitable office space for the new Council. All morning they walked and rode the tubes, checking out various real estate listings. None seemed to be quite what they were looking for. This one didn't quite work for Giles; that one was missing something to Willow. She despaired of finding a space that suited them both.
"If we don't find something today, we'll continue looking tomorrow," Giles reassured her, "After all, Rome wasn't built in a day>"
"I know," she sulked, "I just want to get this started; get the new Council up and running. We've got a whole bunch of Slaters out there that are gonna need our help."
Giles smothered a grin at her impatience.
"Yes we do," he sighed, "But we won't be much help to them if we rush into a situation that doesn't meet our needs."
Three days later they found the perfect building. The outside looked old, but the inside was completely modernised. Willow thought it exemplified the new Council they were starting. The aged appearance of the building mirroring the history and traditions of the old Council; the up-to-date interior signifying the changing of the guard and the goals of the new Council. To celebrate, Giles took her to have a traditional high tea. They toasted their success, but Giles noticed an anxious look on her Face.
"What is it? What's troubling you? Is there a problem with the buiding?"
"No," she replied, "It's just now we have to furnish it, and staff it, and, oh, we have to get phone lines hooked up and computers, we definitely have to have computers; I think we'll need cable modems, dial-up is too slow..." she broke off as she saw Giles stifling a grin. "What?"
"It's just everyone said I was the big worrier of the group," he remarked, amusement showing in his eyes, "But you seem to be giving me quite a run for my money in that department."
"Well," she began, then stopped, realising the humour of the situation, "I guess I am rushing things, huh?"
"Just a bit," he took her hand and squeezed it gently, "Relax, Willow. We'll get this done. The new Council will be ready for business in no time. How can it not, with you working on it?"
As they left the shop, Willow casually put her arm around his waist as he settled his arm around her shoulders. They turned their steps to the nearest tube station, satisfied with their day's work.
tbc...