Grave
They stood there as a united force, staring at the practically-unrecognizable form of Willow lying on the floor. In his periphery, he saw Buffy, instinctively got the urge to go to her and ensure she was alright, but he remained where he was.
Jenny was just slightly in front of him, arms crossed against her chest and a dangerous look in her eyes, the slightest of smirks curling her lips. Jenny had been mentally preparing herself for this battle for over a year, he guessed. He could feel the fear coursing through her almost as vividly as he could feel the magic and the power coursing through himself. But the resoluteness in her stance, the confidence she exuded as she stood there, form-fitting jeans and bright red sweater and long dark hair, ready for battle... it all belied that sense of fear he felt pricking at him.
"Giles," Buffy breathed from over by the desk, pushing herself up to stare at him.
"Jenny?" Another voice rang out, and he turned to see Anya crawling her way out from the corner of the shop.
And then of course, there was Willow, looking an interesting mix of surprised and nonplussed all at once as she smirked joylessly, propping herself up on her elbows.
"Uh-oh, Mommy and Daddy are home," she mocked, pushing herself up and wiping at the blood gathering just under her nose. "I'm in wicked trouble now."
He heard the smirk in Jenny's tone without seeing it on her face, arms still crossed over her chest as she told the girl, "Oh you have no idea."
Giles took a step forward, shoulder-to-shoulder with his wife as tiny, invisible but tangible sparks leapt between their magically-enhanced selves. "Willow, you have to stop what you're doing," he said softly, folding his hands in front of himself.
She flicked him a fake smile. "Uhh, sorry. Can't do that. I'm not finished yet."
She started to stand up on shaky legs as Jenny replied lowly, "Neither are we."
The girl just continued to push herself up and Jenny glanced over at him. Giles nodded his understanding just once, just barely, and then held out a hand, flicking two fingers in a downward motion as he told her authoritatively, "Stay down."
As if pushed down by an unseen force, Willow fell to the floor again. He could tell that Buffy and Anya both were gawking at him, but he kept his eyes on Willow as he and Jenny took a few more steps into the shop.
"How did you do that?" Anya asked.
Willow chuckled mirthlessly. "That's borrowed power. No way is it gonna be strong enough--"
Giles cut her off, "We're here to help you."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but... I can kill a coupla geeks all by myself." Then, she tilted her head. "But hey, if you'd like to watch... I mean, that's what you Watchers are good at, right? Watching?" Her lip curled in a sneer as she added between clenched teeth, "Butting in on things that don't concern you?"
"You concern me, Willow."
"Stay on this path?" Jenny arched a brow. "And you're gonna wind up dead."
Giles watched as Willow narrowed her eyes, her entire focus centering on Jenny in an instant. His stomach clenched with fear and he cast a wary glance in his wife's direction, but she never faltered. Instead, she dipped her chin just slightly, giving Willow a determined stare through her lashes. His gaze bounced between the two of them without movement from his head. Their battle of wills had already begun, it seemed.
"Willow, listen to them," Buffy pleaded with her, on her feet now. She shook her head. "I don't want to fight you anymore."
She glared at Buffy, "I don't wanna fight you, either," then she re-focused on he and Jenny. "I wanna fight them."
She got to her feet again, this time with the assistance of magic, and Jenny waved her hand. "Stay down."
Willow blocked her attempt with a gesture of her own as she shot back, "No."
He watched Jenny draw in a breath, teeth clenched and eyes hard, still focusing on her estranged protegé as she and Willow stared each other down.
Snottily, almost tauntingly, Willow asked her, "Remember that little spat we had the last time you popped by? When you were under the delusion that your approval still mattered to me?"
Giles glimpsed sidelong at his wife, trying to remember what she'd told him about her tiff with Willow when she'd extracted her from Rack's den.
Willow went on, "You said this fight was gonna be you versus me." She settled a glare on Giles, then, narrowing her eyes sharply. "I don't remember the part about you bringing reinforcements." She tilted her head patronizingly, her focus once more on Jenny. "Or maybe you were too scared to face me all by yourself?"
With another fake smile, she told Jenny, "Doesn't matter anyway." Then, her eyes turned dark and her voice deepened as she finished, "'Cause I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone."
Jenny was just slightly in front of him, arms crossed against her chest and a dangerous look in her eyes, the slightest of smirks curling her lips. Jenny had been mentally preparing herself for this battle for over a year, he guessed. He could feel the fear coursing through her almost as vividly as he could feel the magic and the power coursing through himself. But the resoluteness in her stance, the confidence she exuded as she stood there, form-fitting jeans and bright red sweater and long dark hair, ready for battle... it all belied that sense of fear he felt pricking at him.
"Giles," Buffy breathed from over by the desk, pushing herself up to stare at him.
"Jenny?" Another voice rang out, and he turned to see Anya crawling her way out from the corner of the shop.
And then of course, there was Willow, looking an interesting mix of surprised and nonplussed all at once as she smirked joylessly, propping herself up on her elbows.
"Uh-oh, Mommy and Daddy are home," she mocked, pushing herself up and wiping at the blood gathering just under her nose. "I'm in wicked trouble now."
He heard the smirk in Jenny's tone without seeing it on her face, arms still crossed over her chest as she told the girl, "Oh you have no idea."
Giles took a step forward, shoulder-to-shoulder with his wife as tiny, invisible but tangible sparks leapt between their magically-enhanced selves. "Willow, you have to stop what you're doing," he said softly, folding his hands in front of himself.
She flicked him a fake smile. "Uhh, sorry. Can't do that. I'm not finished yet."
She started to stand up on shaky legs as Jenny replied lowly, "Neither are we."
The girl just continued to push herself up and Jenny glanced over at him. Giles nodded his understanding just once, just barely, and then held out a hand, flicking two fingers in a downward motion as he told her authoritatively, "Stay down."
As if pushed down by an unseen force, Willow fell to the floor again. He could tell that Buffy and Anya both were gawking at him, but he kept his eyes on Willow as he and Jenny took a few more steps into the shop.
"How did you do that?" Anya asked.
Willow chuckled mirthlessly. "That's borrowed power. No way is it gonna be strong enough--"
Giles cut her off, "We're here to help you."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, but... I can kill a coupla geeks all by myself." Then, she tilted her head. "But hey, if you'd like to watch... I mean, that's what you Watchers are good at, right? Watching?" Her lip curled in a sneer as she added between clenched teeth, "Butting in on things that don't concern you?"
"You concern me, Willow."
"Stay on this path?" Jenny arched a brow. "And you're gonna wind up dead."
Giles watched as Willow narrowed her eyes, her entire focus centering on Jenny in an instant. His stomach clenched with fear and he cast a wary glance in his wife's direction, but she never faltered. Instead, she dipped her chin just slightly, giving Willow a determined stare through her lashes. His gaze bounced between the two of them without movement from his head. Their battle of wills had already begun, it seemed.
"Willow, listen to them," Buffy pleaded with her, on her feet now. She shook her head. "I don't want to fight you anymore."
She glared at Buffy, "I don't wanna fight you, either," then she re-focused on he and Jenny. "I wanna fight them."
She got to her feet again, this time with the assistance of magic, and Jenny waved her hand. "Stay down."
Willow blocked her attempt with a gesture of her own as she shot back, "No."
He watched Jenny draw in a breath, teeth clenched and eyes hard, still focusing on her estranged protegé as she and Willow stared each other down.
Snottily, almost tauntingly, Willow asked her, "Remember that little spat we had the last time you popped by? When you were under the delusion that your approval still mattered to me?"
Giles glimpsed sidelong at his wife, trying to remember what she'd told him about her tiff with Willow when she'd extracted her from Rack's den.
Willow went on, "You said this fight was gonna be you versus me." She settled a glare on Giles, then, narrowing her eyes sharply. "I don't remember the part about you bringing reinforcements." She tilted her head patronizingly, her focus once more on Jenny. "Or maybe you were too scared to face me all by yourself?"
With another fake smile, she told Jenny, "Doesn't matter anyway." Then, her eyes turned dark and her voice deepened as she finished, "'Cause I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone."