Beneath You
Giles glanced up from his skimming of the Daily Mail when Willow came down the hall, still clad in her pajamas. Setting down the cup of tea he held in his other hand, he asked of her, "Sleep well?"
As usual over the last few days, Willow responded with a shrug and a hand motion that tended to mean 'so-so.' "Kinda the same," she finally replied.
He nodded his understanding. Since the incident with the Frau, and the death of Vivian King, Willow had been experiencing even more insomnia. Not to mention, hesitance to continue her magical education. Her strength and resourcefulness in the thick of the battle had been admirable, but he knew that it weighed on her. He could see in her eyes that she truly wanted to become a white witch, and that the minor setback she'd experienced at the hands of the Frau haunted her slightly.
"I've said it before..." he began.
Willow nodded, returning from the kitchen with a cup of tea for herself and repeating his oft-uttered words of solace, "I 'did what I had to do.'"
"You did. You absolutely did."
"But it was black magic. And, I killed someone. Again."
He inclined his head as his teacup touched his lips again, thinking things over. After a sip of the soothing chamomile, he replied, "Both of those statements are correct, when one looks at them separately."
The girl frowned. "What?"
"Both of those statements are true, Willow, when taken individually. You did use black magic, yes. There is no white magic that could allow for the effortless removal of that stone column. And you did kill someone. That, also, is true. Frau Werner's death is your doing."
Willow winced. "Been awhile since you've given a pep-talk, huh Giles?"
He pursed his lips and set the teacup down, fighting a smirk. "However," he went on, giving her a faux-stern look over the rims of his glasses. "When you place those statements in context of the situation, Willow... when you look at things on a grander scale... what you did was admirable. You saved lives. Not only yours, but Jenny's and my own as well. Not to mention, you took down a sorceress filled with very old dark magic, all while barely lifting a finger."
The girl nodded, staring at the tabletop throughout his reassurance, and quirking a half-smile, half-frown afterward. "I guess I just wish I didn't feel so terrible." She shrugged one shoulder. "Like I'm reverting back to my old ways."
He shook his head. "I don't think that you are. You've made tremendous strides already, despite this latest, ehm... detour. And," he tipped his head, reaching for his teacup again. "I know that Jenny would agree with me."
She nodded once more, then threw a glance down the hall before looking back to him curiously. "Where is she, by the way?"
"Sleeping in a bit," he replied, though he knew she was up to a bit more than that in her slumber.
As usual over the last few days, Willow responded with a shrug and a hand motion that tended to mean 'so-so.' "Kinda the same," she finally replied.
He nodded his understanding. Since the incident with the Frau, and the death of Vivian King, Willow had been experiencing even more insomnia. Not to mention, hesitance to continue her magical education. Her strength and resourcefulness in the thick of the battle had been admirable, but he knew that it weighed on her. He could see in her eyes that she truly wanted to become a white witch, and that the minor setback she'd experienced at the hands of the Frau haunted her slightly.
"I've said it before..." he began.
Willow nodded, returning from the kitchen with a cup of tea for herself and repeating his oft-uttered words of solace, "I 'did what I had to do.'"
"You did. You absolutely did."
"But it was black magic. And, I killed someone. Again."
He inclined his head as his teacup touched his lips again, thinking things over. After a sip of the soothing chamomile, he replied, "Both of those statements are correct, when one looks at them separately."
The girl frowned. "What?"
"Both of those statements are true, Willow, when taken individually. You did use black magic, yes. There is no white magic that could allow for the effortless removal of that stone column. And you did kill someone. That, also, is true. Frau Werner's death is your doing."
Willow winced. "Been awhile since you've given a pep-talk, huh Giles?"
He pursed his lips and set the teacup down, fighting a smirk. "However," he went on, giving her a faux-stern look over the rims of his glasses. "When you place those statements in context of the situation, Willow... when you look at things on a grander scale... what you did was admirable. You saved lives. Not only yours, but Jenny's and my own as well. Not to mention, you took down a sorceress filled with very old dark magic, all while barely lifting a finger."
The girl nodded, staring at the tabletop throughout his reassurance, and quirking a half-smile, half-frown afterward. "I guess I just wish I didn't feel so terrible." She shrugged one shoulder. "Like I'm reverting back to my old ways."
He shook his head. "I don't think that you are. You've made tremendous strides already, despite this latest, ehm... detour. And," he tipped his head, reaching for his teacup again. "I know that Jenny would agree with me."
She nodded once more, then threw a glance down the hall before looking back to him curiously. "Where is she, by the way?"
"Sleeping in a bit," he replied, though he knew she was up to a bit more than that in her slumber.