What Tomorrow Brings
Fandom: BtVS
Rating: FRAO (this chapter anyone can read)
Pairing: Willow/Giles of course! with a very brief mention of Willow/Kennedy (the skanky bitch)
Setting: AU Post-'Chosen'
Summary: Life after the destruction of Sunnydale. If you couldn't tell, I suck at summaries.
Spoilers: None
Feedback: Pretty please. Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated. If you want to flame me, well okay; I have cattle prods. And 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.
The battered school bus rattled down the dusty, cracked pavement away from the crater that had once been Sunnydale. The initial excited chatter had died down to vague murmurings as exhaustion swept through the survivors.
Willow welcomed the peace. Her head ached; her body ached, the spell to empower the Slayers having taken a great deal out of her. She leaned her head against the window, staring out at the barren, arid landscape passing by. She wished she could sleep, but one loud, over-enthusiastic voice continued to drone on, disturbing all who wanted nothing more than to relax and forget about the past few months in quiet slumber.
"Man, I can still feel the power just surging through me!" Kennedy exclaimed, "It's so awesome! I can really get into this! I feel so strong! And powerful! Like I can take on anything..."
"Kennedy..." Willow whispered, attempting to quiet the newly-made Slayer.
"What?" Kennedy demanded, earning glares from her sister Slayers and the other occupants of the bus, "It's true! I am powerful! We all are. But you! God, you have more power than all of us combined! You're a goddess! You've got so much power in you! It's so incredible! And you're my goddess!"
"But..." Willow tried to interrupt, but Kennedy was on a roll and not to be denied.
"We are so going to rule! No one will be able to touch me and my girl!"
"Kennedy," Willow warned, pushed to her limit and losing her temper. "Would you just shut the hell up!"
"What?"
"Just...be quiet! No one wants to hear you anymore. We're all tired. Tired from the battle, tired from the last few months, and tired of listening to you! We just want some peace and quiet so we can rest. But, no, you can't do that. God, do you ever think about anybody but yourself?"
"But Willow..."
"No! It's true! All you ever think about is yourself! And power! I can't even count the times you went on about power and how I was the most powerful person around! It's like it's the only thing you think about, the only thing you care...."
Willow abruptly stopped as memories flashed across her mind. Memories of Kennedy in Buffy's face, declaring Willow the more powerful of the two; of Kennedy questioning her about witchcraft and the extent of her powers; of Kennedy bragging about how much better trained she was than the other Potentials; of how Kennedy reveled in having authority over the other Potentials. An awful realisation came crashing down on her.
"Oh my God! That's why you liked me so much so quickly; why you chased after me so hard! It's wasn't me , it was my power! That's all you care about; all you ever cared about!"
"No, that's not..."
"Yes it is! Oh, god, I'm such an idiot! How could I not see through you?"
Willow suddenly got to her feet, determined to put as much space between her and Kennedy as the confines of the bus would allow. She headed for the back of the bus where Buffy, Dawn, Xander and Giles were. As Kennedy rose to follow, her fellow new Slayers formed a human wall, blocking her path.
"Just leave her alone," Vi declared with her new-found assertiveness.
"Stay away from me," Willow insisted as she made her way to Giles' side, "Far away."
Giles stood at Willow's pleading glance, allowing her to slide into the seat beside him.
Kennedy stood there, taking in the sea of unfriendly faces looking back at her, turned on her heel and stalked to the front of the bus. She flung herself into a seat, seething.
Giles looked down at Willow, who was crying softly. Nervously he eased his arm around her and allowed her to rest her head against him. She curled into him and sobbed silently. He murmured soothing words to her until he realised she'd fallen asleep.
When they came upon the next town, the bus headed for the hospital to get medical attention for the injured. Giles didn't move, for Willow hadn't awakened. Kennedy tried to stay behind but Buffy and Xander made her leave the bus. Giles watched over Willow, aware that the spell with the scythe had been draining for her. He looked up when Buffy came back to them.
"Robin's gonna be okay, but they're keeping him overnight for observation. He lost a lot of blood. Faith's staying with him. The others mostly have bumps and bruises," she informed him.
"Then I imagine we should see what this town has in the way of overnight accommodations. We'll continue on to Los Angeles tomorrow."
Chapter 2
Willow awakened well before dawn. At first she was disoriented; unsure of where she was, but then it started coming back to her. She vaguely remembered waking up long enough to get her room key, strip off her clothes and fall into bed. She rolled over to look at the clock and groaned. 3:26. It would be hours before the sun rose, and now she was wide awake. And hungry. Starving, in fact. She couldn't remember the last time she ate. She'd been too nervous about the spell to eat before the final battle. She wondered if there was anywhere to eat that was open nearby. She rose slowly and made her way to the bathroom. It was heavenly to have a bathroom all to herself. She stepped into a hot shower and tried to scrub away the past few months. As she dried herself off she wrinkled her nose at the thought of putting on yesterday's clothes, but she had no choice. They hadn't exactly packed anything, not knowing Sunnydale was going to be swallowed up the way it had. The thought of 'magicking' herself up some new clothes briefly flashed through her mind, but she refused to act on it. She'd learned the hard way that that wasn't what magick was for. Checking her pocket, she found a small amount of cash and the credit card her parents gave her years before. She hoped it would do, or that there was an ATM if she couldn't use the card. She left her room, accidentally forgetting her key, and set off down the road towards what looked to be an open diner.
As she entered the brightly lit diner, she saw Giles sitting alone in a booth, staring into his cup of tea. She nodded her head in his direction, indicating to the waitress behind the counter that she would join him. She walked over and slid into the booth opposite him.
"You don't mind if I join you, do you?" she asked.
"Oh, Willow!" he exclaimed, startled out of his preoccupation, "Not at all. I wasn't expecting anyone to be up yet."
"I woke up starving," she murmured, burying her head in the menu, "I think I could eat a horse."
She gave the waitress her order her order, then turned to Giles, stretching slightly.
"Wow, I'm sore. How long was I out for?"
"Er...about 16 hours, I believe," he answered, "We checked into the motel about 1 in the afternoon, and you slept for a couple of hours before that."
"16 hours?" she asked, incredulously, "I don't think I've slept that long since I was in the hospital after the whole Angel/Acathla thing."
"I'm sure you needed it," he soothed, "I believe that spell probably took a lot out of you."
" I can feel it still working," she paused as the waitress set her food in front of her, "it's a funny feeling. Kinda...fizzy. Like little bubbles floating around then popping inside me. If every bubble is a Slayer, there's a whole bunch of them now."
"Yes, well, " he sighed, "I'm afraid we still have a great deal of work ahead of us."
"I know,I just don't know where I'm going to do it. I thought me and Kennedy...." she trailed off, sadly.
Giles reached out and gently took her hand.
"I'm sorry about that, but isn't it better that you know now? Before you grew too emotionally attached to her?"
"I guess you're right," she tried to shake off her melancholy, "So, where are you going to go now that Sunndydale is no more and the Hellmouth is closed?"
"I'll be going back to England. I'll need to rebuild the Watcher's Council to help train and guide all the new Slayers."
"Wow, you're, like, gonna be 'in-charge' guy now, huh?"
"Yes, I believe I will. At least I'll be able to make some changes now."
"Oh, you mean like no more eighteenth birthday vampire-y surprises?"
"Definitely. And I think the Council should work with and help the Slayers, not try so hard to control them."
"You're right. You do have a lot of work ahead of you. I wish I did, too."
"Perhaps," he hesitated, "perhaps you could come with me? I certainly could use your help..."
"Well, I never thought about that," she pondered the situation, "But it sounds like it could be fun. Sure. I'll do it."
They spent the next half hour discussing Giles' ideas for the new Council and what Willow's place in it would be.
As they left the diner, Willow let out a huge yawn.
"I guess all that food made me sleepy again," she blushed.
"I'm sure it will be hours before the others wake up. You can still get some more sleep."
"Oh, darn!" Willow exclaimed, reaching in her pocket, "I forgot my key!"
They went to the motel office, but no amount of knocking brought them any help.
"What next?" Willow groaned, "I guess I can go sleep on the bus till I can get in my room."
"Nonsense. I have a second bed in my room that you are welcome to. If you wouldn't be uncomfortable, that is."
"It's a bed and I'm sleepy. Also not that picky right now. Let's go."
They entered his room, and Willow went straight to the bed he obviously wasn't using. She took off her shoes, briefly mourned her inablility to shed the rest of her clothes, and curled up.
"Night, Giles," she mumbled sleepily, before sinking into slumber.
"Good night, Willow."
Chapter 3
Willow awakened to Giles returning to the room bearing two styrofoam cups and a small bag. He handed her one cup, set the other one down on the nightstand, and reaching into the bag, presented her with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
"Giles!" she squealed, "You're the best!"
She took the precious items and dashed off to the bathroom, leaving Giles with an amused smile. He settled back on his bed, sipping his tea. When Willow returned from the bathroom, she sat on her own bed and picked up the tea he'd brought for her.
"Thank you, Giles. I feel almost human now," she smiled.
"You're welcome. I suppose we should be getting everyone together and start off for Los Angeles. Then we need to sort out what's to be done and where everyone is going."
"I know," she sighed, "It just it's nice to sit here and relax. You know, without the pressure of an impending apocalypse staring us in the face."
" I agree, but the sooner we get to Los Angeles, the sooner we can get these girls back to their homes and their normal lives. Or at least as normal as they can be, given that they're all Slayers now."
"And we can get to England and start the new Council."
"Precisely."
"Okay," she finished the last of her tea, "Let's get this show on the road."
They dropped their empty cups in the trash can and headed out the door, where Willow promptly bumped into a stunned Kennedy. The shock immediately transformed into anger.
"You bitch!" she snarled, "We haven't even been broken up for a whole day and you're already crawling in bed with someone else? A guy? That fossil? You slut!"
"Now see here," Giles began, but Willow cut him off.
"Listen here, Kennedy. I don't owe you any explanations for anything I do, but I'm going to tell you this. Giles was nice enough to let me stay in his room after I locked myself out of mine and there was no one at the front desk. That's all there was to it, not that it's any of your business. We're through and whatever I do isn't any concern of yours. But if you ever attack me or Giles that way again, well, you'll make me very cranky, and you don't really want to deal with that, do you? Ask Buffy, Dawn and Xander what it's like to deal with me when I get cranky, if you think you can," her voice was measured, calm, and cold.
With a hint of fear in her eyes, Kennedy turned and stalked off towards the bus. Willow turned to Giles.
"I'm sorry you had to put up with that, Giles. She had no right to say those things. I think she's going to be difficult to deal with until we send her on her way."
"It's quite all right, Willow. You can't control what Kennedy says or does. But I think you handled her and the situation wonderfully. You showed remarkable restraint."
"Really? Thanks. I'm afraid we're going to have more trouble with her before she leaves. And you will be one of her targets now."
"I expect nothing less. But it's only right. I'm afraid that I helped create the situation."
"What do you mean? How did you have anything to do with it?"
"When I was bringing her and the others to Sunnydale, Annabelle kept asking me if the Slayer was going to be enough to protect them, so I told her that there was also a powerful witch there to help keep them safe. That's how Kennedy knew about your powers."
"Oh, Giles, you couldn't have known what she would do. You were trying to reassure some frightened girls who thought they were going to die."
"Well, shall we go to Los Angeles? The sooner we get there..."
"The sooner we're away from Kennedy and on our way to Merrie Olde England?" she grinned.
"Something like that, yes."
They climbed aboard the bus and moved toward the back, well away from Kennedy who was casting venomous looks in their direction.
After picking up Robin and Faith at the hospital, the bus resumed its' journey to L.A. Once there, their first stop was at Angel Investigations, to reassure Angel of Buffy's continued existence and to make arrangements to send out the new Slayers. Faith, Robin,and Vi opted for Cleveland, with its' Hellmouth, while Shannon, Rona and the younger ones went home to finish school. Kennedy decided to go to Brazil after one last attempt to lure Willow back. But Willow was having none of it. She wanted nothing more than to see the last of the power junkie Slayer. Buffy and Dawn were heading for Rome after Giles told them that the vampire population was almost non-existent. Xander came to the conclusion that Africa was where he wanted to go. He promised Willow he would send her a postcard as soon as he could. They shared a tearful hug before he boarded his plane.
"I love you, Xander," she whispered.
"I love you, too, Willow," he answered, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a yellow crayon and pressed it into her hand, "I want you to take this and when you look at it, remember that wherever I am I'm still your friend and I still love you."
Willow turned, sobbing, only to be enveloped in Giles' comforting arms. He held her and stroked her hair as he murmured soothing words. When she calmed, he took her back to the hotel. They would leave in the morning for London. The next morning they shared a room service breakfast before going to the airport. After they were seated (Giles had gotten them first class tickets) he turned to Willow and was amazed at what he saw. Her face was set in her famous 'resolve face' and she had a white-knuckled death grip on her seat's arms. He smothered a chuckle. The girl could face vampires, demons, even Buffy on a bad hair day, but a simple plane flight absolutely terrified her. He wondered how she'd managed the flight back to Sunnydale from England the previous summer. He tried to distract her from her fear by engaging her in a conversation about the new Council and what they needed to do first in re-establishing it. She paid attention until the plane began taxiing down the runway. Then she squinched her eyes shut and held on for dear life. After they were airborne, she let out a deep breath and resumed the conversation with Giles. They chatted quietly between themselves, until Willow's eyes grew heavy.
"I think I'm going to try to sleep a little. It'll make the flight seem shorter," she told him.
"I think I shall try to do the same."
"Wake me up when we get to England," she joked.
Chapter 4
Willow awakened a short time before they landed. Giles was sipping a cup of tea and making notes on an airsickness bag. She stretched slightly, then rubbed her eyes.
"Ah, so you're awake," Giles turned to her.
"I think so," Willow turned her head from side to side, attempting to work out the kinks that had developed from sleeping in an awkward position, "How much longer?"
"They just announced that we're about 20 minutes from landing," he answered.
"Wow, I was out that long? I feel like all I do is sleep!" Willow exclaimed in a whisper
"Well you're recovering from a very physically draining experience coming on the heels of an extended period emotional stress," he explained, "I'd say your body is simply recuperating from this whole ordeal."
"I guess you're right," she agreed, as she moved to stand, "If you'll excuse me, I have to...uh..."
"Certainly," he moved to let her out.
Willow headed down the aisle to the tiny lavatory. After answering nature's call, she splashed some cold water on her face, trying to clear the fuzziness from her brain. She returned to her seat and slid into it just as the 'Fasten Seat Belts' light began flashing. She clutched at her armrests and closed her eyes tightly.
Giles smothered a grin at her actions as he fastened his own seatbelt.
Later, as they stood at the baggage claim area, Willow was saddened at the sight of the solitary gym bag that contained all she had in the world now. A few articles of clothing, a brush and comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and the shampoos from the hotel room. Giles' bag was no bigger, but he had his possesions here in England. She had virtually nothing. She already missed her laptop. She hoped that when they set up the new Council, she would be able to get a new one.
They passed through Customs and began to make their way out of the bustling airport. As they reached the sidewalk and Giles paused to locate a taxi, Willow realised she had no idea where they were going.
"Are we going to your place in Westbury?" she questioned, not looking forward to a train or car trip on top of the long flight.
"Er, no," he moved to hand her into the waiting taxi, "The Council kept an apartment here in London should there be reason for a Watcher and his Slayer to come here. We'll be staying there. I've already phoned the housekeeping staff to expect out arrival."
"Cool," she replied. "'Cause, y'know, I wasn't really looking forward to more travelling today."
"I think we've done enough travelling for a while. We'll stay at the apartment while I try to discover what is left of the Council and we go about rebuilding it."
They settled in the taxi for the ride to the Council's apartment. Willow flinched at the traffic passing on the 'wrong' side, a reaction that Giles thought adorable. Soon enough, they were pulling up in front of a high-rise apartment building that was much nicer than Willow was expecting. A doorman opened the door for her and Giles.
"Hullo, Mr. Giles," he greeted them, "Are you going to be staying with us for a while this time?"
"Yes, I think so, Gerald," he responded, "This is Miss Rosenberg. She'll be staying with me as well."
"Very good, sir"
Wiilow followed Giles, wide-eyed at the luxury of the building that housed her new home. She rode the elevator in silence, which Giles mistook to be continued tiredness. In reality, she was speechless. She'd never seen any place so fancy. Looking down at her hastily purchased jeans and top, she felt very much out of place. She trailed after Giles as Gerald led the way to the apartment. He unlocked the door then handed Giles the key.
"Good to have you with us again, sir" he tipped his hat and returned to the elevator.
Giles ushered Willow into their new home, and she stared, openmouthed, at the opulence. Slowly, she began to explore. Heavy, rich drapes covered the enormous expanse of windows in the living room. Ornately carved furniture. Carpet so thick she thought she would sink to her ankles in it. A huge kitchen, fully stocked with food. Peeking down one hallway, she saw a small room lined with filled bookshelves. At the end of the hallway she spotted a bedroom, done in shades of blue and grey.
Giles stepped up behind her and cleared his throat.
"Er, your bedroom is at the end of the other hall," he explained.
Curious, she turned and went to see her room. Her eyes widened at the enormous room, with a huge four poster bed in cherry wood, with matching armoire, dresser and chest. A puffy, quilted coverlet in burgundy pulled back to reveal forest green sheets beneath. Peering into a room off one wall, she saw a bathroom with a large sunken tub and separate shower stall. Turning back to the bedroom her eyes lit up. There, on a beautiful antique desk sat a brand new laptop.
"Did you..." she began, overwhelmed.
"Yes, well," he blushed slightly, "I was certain you would miss the one you lost in Sunnydale and thought you might like this one. I know nothing about those infernal contraptions, but I was assured it was top of the line..."
He stopped, concerned when he saw her eyes fill with tears.
"Do you not like it? Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, Giles, " she threw her arms around him, "It's perfect."
He awkwardly put his arms around her, afraid the feelings for her he'd kept hidden for so long would be revealed in the embrace. After a moment spent relishing holding her small form, he disentagled himself.
"Tea!" he suddenly exclaimed,"I don't know about you, but I could use a cup about now."
"Sure, that sounds good," Willow was slightly puzzled be the abrupt change in mood, but then remembered that Giles had never been the touchy-feely type. Embarrassed at having made him feel uncomfortable, she silently followed him out of her room.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I make the tea?" he suggested, moving into the kitchen.
Wilow settled herself on the overstuffed sofa. A short while later, Giles came in bearing a tea tray laden with tea pot, cups, creamer, sugar, and a small plate of cookies and crackers.
"I thought you might be hungry," he commented as he set the tray down.
She took the offered cup and a cookie and sank back into the cushions of the sofa.
"I am, but I'm afraid the couch is gonna eat me," she joked, "The Council kept this place for Watchers and Slayers? It's so..."
"Er, well, this is what I call the 'reward apartment.' Quentin kept this for Slayers and Watchers that pleased him. There's another for those who didn't. It's much less nice. Smaller, more...utilitarian. I thought you would like this one better when I thought of a place for us to stay."
"Like it? I love it!" she smiled, then glanced down at herself, "But I don't fit in here. I look like a poor relation come to visit her rich relatives."
"Tomorrow, if you like," he offered, "We could go shopping so you can find some more clothes. You certainly need more than you picked up in Los Angeles."
"Giles!" she teased, "You're actually volunteering to go shopping? Are you feeling okay? Did some demon take over your body in the kitchen?"
"Er, well, no, but we can't have you running around naked," he broke off abruptly at the images his unthinking remark conjured in his mind.
Willow's cheeks pinkened and she took a hasty sip of tea.
"Shopping would be good," she murmured. Somehow the thought of being naked with Giles wasn't as bad an idea as she thought it would have been.
'Weird,' she thought, 'Guess I'm just still tired from everything,'
Giles was trying desperately to rid his mind of the lascivious thoughts of a nude Willow and himself. She certainly would never think of such things. He was too old, probably a father-figure, and besides she was 'gay now.' Hoping for anything to develop between them was an exercise in futility. He needed to be satisfied with the friendship they shared.
They finished the remainder of their tea in silence. As he set his cup down, Giles turned to Willow.
"It's late, almost midnight. Perhaps we should try to sleep and get ourselves adjusted to the new time. Jet lag should help somewhat."
"Yeah. But first I want to try out that bathroom of mine. I'm feeling a little icky after that long flight."
"Of course. I believe I shall do the same. Good night, Willow."
"Night, Giles."
Giles stood in the hot spray of his shower, his mind drifting to picture Willow doing the same or reclining in a steaming tub.
'Get over it, old man,' he told himself, 'She'll never see you like that.'
Willow climbed into the large bed and cuddled under the covers. Her new room didn't really feel 'hers' yet, but hopefully it would soon. Perhaps tomorrow she could pick up a few things to make it seem to belong to her. Despite all the sleep she'd been getting her eyelids felt heavy and she fell asleep quickly.
Chapter 5
Willow dreamed:
Tara stood smiling before her in her pretty blue sweater. A bloody hole appeared over her heart. As she fell, there stood Warren, laughing.
"I killed the bitch,"he cackled with glee, "And you know why? Because she deserved it!"
Willow reached for him, hands covered in black veins. The scene shifted and she was in the Magic Box. She could smell the burning electrical wiring; she could see Anya on the floor before her. Giles appeared before her.
"I'm here for you," he said, "I can help you."
"Don't need your help," she heard herself saying, "I just need a little pick-me-up."
As she put her hand to his chest to drain his magic from him, Warren again loomed in front of her.
"Go ahead," Warren egged her on, "Drain him. Kill him. Finish him off."
Willow looked down at a bruised and bloody Giles sinking to the floor under her touch and his soft green eyes opened.
"I love you, Willow," he painfully whispered, "I'll always love you."
She snatched her hand back...
...and awakened with a start. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Trembling, she made her way to the bathroom to splash cool water on her face. Afraid the nightmares would return she left her room and padded silently to the kitchen. She fixed herself some tea, imagining the horror on Giles' face if he saw her heating the water in the microwave. She curled up on the sofa, sipping her tea, still shaking from her dream. She hadn't had the nightmares with Tara for a while, but Warren was another story. She'd never told anyone, but the First had appeared to her several times, always wearing Warren's face. It seemed to be trying to push her back into the place where she'd gone all vein-y and scary, as if it looked on Dark Willow as an ally. Tears still slipped down her cheeks as she set her cup down and stood to look, unseeing, out of the windows. She returned to the sofa and pulled a pillow into her arms, clutching it tightly to her chest. She stayed that way until she heard Giles coming in the room.
Giles saw her before she knew it. He could see the tell-tale puffiness around her eyes, the faint tear tracks on her cheeks, the dejected posture, and went immediately to her side.
"Willow?" he asked gently, "Are you all right?"
The concern in his eyes was her undoing, and she burst into fresh tears.
"Oh, Giles," she wept, "I was so horrible! I hurt you so much! How can you forgive me for what I did?"
Giles took her in his arms and murmured soothing words, as she told the story of her nightmare, broken often by sobs. When her slender shoulders slowed their shaking, he drew back to lok in her eyes.
"Willow," he began, "I can't deny what happened hurt me physically, but what hurt most was that you were in pain and I couldn't help you. The magicks were in control, not you, and wouldn't let me near enough your heart to help. And I can forgive you because it was the dark magicks, not you, that hurt me. The Willow that I know and lo...am friends with would never deliberately hurt me."
He pulled her back into a comforting embrace and she clung to him until her crying dwindled to sniffles. He wiped a few errant tears from her face.
"Better?"
She nodded.
"Why don't you go wash your face while I fix us some breakfast?" he suggested.
"Okay," she whispered.
After breakfast, they set out to do their shopping. He took her to Oxford Street, and she marveled at all the stores that lined it. She took hold of his hand, afraid to lose him in the crush of people. Giles was surprised to find that shopping with Willow wasn't as onerous a chore as he'd feared. She had a childlike enthusiasm that was contagious, yet he often had to encourage her to buy things, as she seemed afraid to spend any money. After a few hours, they took a break, found a small cafe and had tea. As a treat, Giles steered their course to Charing Cross Road and was rewarded by the sparkle in Willow's eyes at the sight of all the bookstores that lined the street. After roaming through them, he took her to Treadwell's. On entering the store she seemed nervous, but he squeezed her hand, and reminded her that she could control her magick now. She wandered through the store with a look of awe and delight.. She bought some herbs and crystals, and other ritual supplies to bless and ward the apartment. As they took a taxi home, Willow leaned her head against Giles' shoulder and smiled.
"Thank you for such a nice day," she mumbled sleepily.
When they returned to their apartment, Giles fixed tea, and they sat together on the sofa discussing their shopping expedition. After a while, Willow became quiet and Giles was startled when he felt her weight against his side as she snuggled up to him in her sleep. Not wanting to disturb her after her poor night's sleep, he leaned back against the cushions and allowed his eyes to drift shut.