"I loved Dru, you know?" Spike slung his arm around Christopher's shoulders.
"You did mention it," Christopher confirmed. They had finished the bottle of scotch that Spike had brought, but happily he had 'liberated' a further two such bottles. They were now near the bottom of the second bottle.
"What about you, mate?" You been in love?" Spike squinted at the liquid in his glass before downing it in one.
"I think I may be now," Christopher sighed.
"Sorry, you're not my type." Spike withdrew his arm.
"Not with you!" Christopher jumped up from his seat on the bed.
"You're in love?" Giles joined in the conversation. "Do I know her?"
"Oh yes," Christopher's eyes began to glaze over. "She's beautiful."
"This is wonderful," Giles poured himself a drink in celebration.
"Go on then, describe her." Xander gave up his contemplation of his toes and took an interest in the discussion.
"She has got very pale skin, and red hair, and she's..."
"She's Willow!" Xander exclaimed suddenly.
"What?" Both Spike and Giles asked together.
"He just described Willow!" Xander started bouncing up and down and pointing at Christopher.
"Lots of women have red hair and pale skin...you bastard!" Giles suddenly stood up, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Hello Ripper," Xander breathed, stepping backwards, out of the line of fire.
"Ripper? Oh this should be fun," Spike sat back, ready for the show.
"Now Rupert," Christopher saw the look in his brother's eyes and started to move backwards, only to find himself hampered by the bed. He may only have been sixteen during Ripper's glory days, but he had overheard enough of his parents' discussions to be afraid. Very afraid.
"You're in love with my Willow," Giles, or rather Giles with more than a hint of Ripper, ground out.
"I said I *think* I *might* be," Christopher attempted.
"It might be helpful to find that you're not," Xander interposed.
"Leave then to it," Spike advised, lighting one of Christopher's cigars.
"Willow's mine!" Giles forced out through gritted teeth.
"She's a free spirit," Christopher insisted.
"How about I knock your spirit out of you?" Giles grabbed his brother by the throat.
"What about Rachel?" Christopher asked quickly. "You stole her from me!"
"I was eighteen!" Giles protested. "She was too old for you, anyway."
"Willow's too young for you!" Christopher shot back, although the hand around his throat was restricting his supply of oxygen.
"You bastard!" Giles repeated, removing his hand from Christopher's throat in order to form a fist and pound it into his face. The younger Giles responded in kind, and the two of them traded drunken blows, some of them accurate, but most of them not. Xander watched with a sense of growing alarm, while Spike smiled and blew smoke rings.
"Hey guys," Riley entered the basement. "Xander, did you know your dad's got a stripper in the house?" Xander groaned and rushed for the door.
"Can you break them up?" He asked Riley just before he disappeared upstairs.
"Nah, leave 'em, commando boy." Spike gestured to the brawling brothers.
"Why are they fighting anyway?" Riley asked as he jumped out of the way just as Giles sent Christopher flying backwards across the room.
"Both in love with Willow," Spike explained.
"Oh." Riley grabbed a beer and sat down, watching as Giles delivered a killer punch, sending Christopher to the floor. He wiped his hands on his trousers and sat down.
"Always wanted to do that," Giles sighed happily, grabbing the drink he had discarded earlier. "Did someone mention a stripper?"
"What time is it, anyway?" Buffy asked as they waited for Wesley to come and pick them up.
"Not sure," Cordelia answered, twirling her wrist. "My watch won't keep still."
"It's time for tea," Willow giggled. "Rupert likes tea," she added with a soft sigh.
"We know," Anya told her.
"Where's Wesley?" Willow asked before dissolving into giggles once more.
"How many did she have?" Buffy looked at both Anya and Cordelia, who were also now giggling. "And how many did you two have?"
"Same as you, Slayer-girl!" Cordelia announced loudly.
"Shh!" Willow urged. "It's a secret!" She added, as loudly as possible.
"Not any more," Anya said in an exaggerated whisper.
"I have to drink more to get really drunk," Buffy tried to explain. "'Cause I'm the you-know-who."
"The dumb one?" Anya asked, her face a picture of innocence.
"The Slayer!" Buffy hissed.
"It's a secret!" Willow repeated.
"Oh, just shut up!" Buffy folded her arms over her chest.
"Yes your royal grumpiness," Anya, Cordelia and Willow all responded at the same time, causing yet more giggles.
"You are never drinking again," Buffy promised all three of them.
"I didn't!" Willow was indignant. "Non-alcoholic cocktails, you bought them yourself," she insisted.
"About that, Will..." Buffy trailed off as Wesley pulled up. "About time!" She snapped as they got into the car.
"I fell asleep," Wesley confessed with a sheepish smile.
"Nice pajamas," Willow commented as she slipped into the car.
"Thank you," Wesley blushed and pulled his jacket closed.
"Go on, ask him," Anya prodded.
"No," Willow shook her head, and rather enjoyed the sensations it produced, so she did it again.
"Ask what?" Cordelia turned around in the front seat so that she was facing her friends in the back.
"Willow wants to know if it's an English thing," Anya supplied.
"If what's an English thing?" Buffy piped up.
"Not being circumcised," Willow said finally, before launching into another bout of hysterical giggling.
Wesley swerved just in time to miss the truck.
Part 17
Cordelia had a headache. It was not unlike those that accompanied her visions, but as she couldn't remember anything remotely demon-like, she guessed that it could be attributed to the alcohol she had consumed thenight before. The ringing in her ears, however, she couldn't place.
"Phone, phone." Willow mumbled, pulling a pillow over her head. Cordelia sighed and reached for the thing, cursing it as an instrument of the devil for perhaps the first and last time.
"Hello?" She mumbled. "This had better be good," she added as an afterthought.
"Cordelia?" Angel's voice boomed down the phone. In fact, he spoke in much the same voice as normal, but Cordelia was in the mood to be picky.
"Do you know what time it is?" Cordelia whispered. Anything above a whisper was bad news for her head. "It's 11 am!" She hissed. "Waking people up at 11 am!"
"I was wondering where you were," Angel answered defensively.
"In bed!" Cordelia shouted, and instantly regretted it, when not only her head, but Anya, and Willow also, complained.
"What time did you get in?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"Not long ago," Cordelia snapped. "Goodnight!" With that she hung up the phone, and crawled back under the covers.
"Morning!" Buffy bounced into the room.
"Go. Away." Cordelia emphasised each word.
"Sorry," Buffy said, sounding anything but sorry. "We've got to get going." She looked around the room. "Where's Will?"
"Ugh," was the only response.
"There," Cordelia pointed to the lump in the bed.
"Come on Will!" Buffy pulled the covers off her friend, who curled up even tighter.
"Tired," Willow muttered. "Headache. Non-alcoholic. Buffy." She didn't appear to be capable of forming complete sentences.
"Sorry, Will," Buffy smiled brightly. "Last chance at freedom and all."
"I hate you," Willow finally managed a coherent sentence. She did, however, get up. Extremely slowly.
"That's the spirit," Buffy grinned before going to do the same to Anya.
"Ow," Giles sat up, rather too quickly. His head was pounding, and from the throbbing around his eye, he knew that it had to be black. Raising his hand to his temple, he noticed his bloody knuckles, and slowly began to remember the events of the night before the morning after.
"Will you stop that groaning?" Spike complained.
"What?" Giles wondered why Spike was in his bedroom. Looking around, he saw that he was still at Xander's.
"Oh God," Xander mumbled, as he surveyed the mess around him.
"My sentiments exactly," Christopher groaned loudly as his injured ribs complained.
"Why are we here?" Giles asked no-one in particular.
"I seem to remember a lot of alcohol," Xander offered.
"And a bloody big punch-up," Spike added, giving up any chance of getting any sleep with three noisy humans in the room.
"Ripper," Xander provided helpfully.
"Christopher," Giles almost growled.
"Er...yes...well..." Christopher began to crawl away from his brother.
"You have absolutely no intention of acting on your feelings for Willow, do you?" Giles asked, slowly getting to his feet.
"None at all," Christopher assured him. "After all, I barely know her, do I?"
"Precisely." Giles smiled, then frowned as his cheek complained.
"What time is it?" Xander asked, in an attempt to break the tension between the two of them.
"It's nearly noon!" Giles exclaimed, looking at his watch.
"Noon, right," Xander looked around his room and sighed before lying back down on the bed.
"When are the girls coming back from Buffy's?" Giles asked, panicked.
"Anya!" Xander yelped, flying from the bed and attempting to clean up.
"Where?" Giles spun around, searching for Willow.
"Here, in about an hour!" Xander informed him.
"Move!" Giles pushed Xander out of the way and flew out of the basement, leaving behind a groaning Christopher, an amused Spike and a terrified Xander.
Part 18
Willow lay on the backseat, her stomach protesting as they navigated a bend. Buffy, for once, was quiet, sitting in the passenger seat and glowering at Anya. Anya had greeted Buffy's offer to drive in a way normally reserved for the apocalypse, hence the Slayer's bad mood.
"What did Xander and Giles have planned?" Buffy asked, giving Anya one last glare before shifting to face Willow.
"Rupert just wanted a quiet night," Willow sighed, gingerly pressing her hand to her head in the vain hope of easing the pounding.
"Quiet?" Anya snorted. "Xander had plans, but they weren't quiet."
"Xander's plans never work," Willow said, a little more confidently than she felt. "Unless they involve a rocket launcher," she smiled at the memory, before sitting upright abruptly. "They don't, do they?" She asked anxiously.
"No, no rocket launcher," Anya answered. "At least, he didn't tell me..."
"There was no rocket launcher," Buffy interrupted, before Willow could get any more panicked.
"How can you be sure?" Willow was near paralysed by the thought of a drunken Xander blowing up the apartment, and Giles with it.
"Xand told me they were just gonna have a few drinks, y'know?" Buffy patted Willow's arm. "Riley was going, anyway. He wouldn't let it get out of hand. Everything's fine."
"Everything's fine," Willow repeated, although she sounded less than convinced.
"Here we are!" Buffy said cheerfully, as they passed the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign that Spike so enjoyed knocking over.
Giles had raced home as fast as his shaky legs would carry him. He ignored various comments from certain citizens about what happened when you lost a responsible job, but when a mother used him as an example to her son about the importance of a good education, he turned and growled. Actually growled. With a smile of satisfaction at her shocked face, he continued on his way. Arriving back at the apartment, he saw exactly what they had been referring to. His left eye was swollen and bruised, and his clothing dishevelled, and indeed, torn in places.
"How are you going to explain this, old man," he muttered to himself as he turned on the shower. The hot water eased his muscles, stiff from sleeping on Xander's floor. After a few minutes, he remembered that Willow would be back from Buffy's soon, so he forced himself out of the shower and into the bedroom to get dressed. He was just pulling on his sweater when there was a knock on the door. Frowning, he rushed down the stairs, wondering if Willow had forgotten her key.
"Rupert," Christopher stood just outside of the door.
"God, I made a mess of you, didn't I?" Giles observed his brother properly for the first time. Most of his face was bruised, and one of his eyes was swollen shut.
"I probably deserved it," Christopher conceded.
"Probably? I could have killed you for what you said," Giles stood back to let him enter the apartment.
"About that, Rupert," Christopher lowered his voice. "Do you think that we could make sure that Willow doesn't find out?"
"Willow doesn't find out what?" The subject of their discussion stood in the doorway behind them.
"Ah, Willow," Giles turned to face her, and then remembered his eye.
"What happened?" Willow shot forward, her hands gently probing the area. Her head and stomach complained at the sudden movement, but she pushed the nausea aside, her concern for Giles to the fore. "Was it Xander?" She asked. "I knew it!" She added, without waiting for an answer.
"Xander? Of course not!" Giles was more than slightly affronted that she thought Xander would be able to land a punch on him.
"Then who?" Willow continued to examine his eye. "Do you know what happened?" She turned to Christopher. "Goddess!" She exclaimed as she got a good look at his face.
"Willow..." Giles tried, his voice pleading.
"Don't 'Willow' me!" She shouted, before her head reminded her that that was not a good idea. "I want an explanation." When none was forthcoming, she added, "I'm waiting."
"Boys will be boys?" Giles tried.
"You're not a boy," Willow said sternly. "Neither of you are!" She added as Christopher began to smile.
"The alcohol?" Christopher tried.
"I had alcohol," Willow insisted. "And I'm not bruised!" Both men looked her up and down, as if to check that she was telling the truth. Neither of them found a mark on her, and they had examined her thoroughly.
"You had alcohol?" Giles looked worried. "I thought you were watching videos."
"We went clubbing, instead," Willow smiled at his sudden discomfort. "In LA," she added, her smile widening as his eyebrows shot up. "And I'm still waiting for an explanation!"
Part 19
"Well, you see..." Giles started, before Christopher coughed loudly, in an obvious attempt to get him to shut up.
"No, I don't see," Willow snapped. "Because no-one's telling me anything."
"Christopher?" Rupert tried.
"Rupert?" Christopher responded.
"One of you!" Willow tapped her foot impatiently.
"Christopher and I had a slight...tiff," Giles tried to sound as innocent as possible.
"A tiff? You did this to each other?" Willow was incredulous.
"I rather think I got the worst of it," Christopher admitted.
"That's only fitting, seeing as how you started it," Giles couldn't resist a smile as he thought about his 'victory'. A strategically timed cough from Willow soon wiped it from his face, however.
"So, you two beat each other black and blue?" Willow was having a hard time accepting this. "Why?" She asked. "And you do remember that we're getting married the day after tomorrow?" The last comment was aimed specifically at Giles, who shifted nervously under her glare.
"Darling..." He tried.
"Oh no you don't!" Willow refused to be swayed. "I want to know why you two were fighting." Christopher sighed and looked at his brother, who was looking rather helpless now that his last ditch attempt at charm had failed
"It was my fault," he ventured at last.
"Go on," Willow said, a bit snappishly. "Please?" She added, after all he was a guest.
"I confessed to...um...having feelings?" He tested the word out, before adding, "For you."
"For me?" Willow squeaked.
"For you," Christopher confirmed.
"Oh...er...um..." Willow was virtually speechless. The occasional vowel sound escaped her, but that was all.
"Darling?" Giles tried again. When he got no response, he led her to the couch. She let him sit her down, then began shaking her head furiously, stopping only when the pounding got too much.
"Not for me, you don't have feelings for me," Willow recovered the power of speech.
"I do," Christopher told her. Willow looked to Giles for an explanation.
"He thinks he does," he confirmed.
"But I don't...I love Rupert." Her head was still pounding from her hangover, and trying to comprehend this was not helping.
"I know," Christopher sat down heavily. "I wasn't going to tell you."
"Not telling would be bad," Willow shook her head to clear it, and then instantly regretted it. "Rupert would have had to tell me. Can't have secrets when you're married."
"I didn't intend to tell Rupert either," Christopher protested.
"It was the alcohol," Giles explained.
"You know I love Rupert?" Willow smiled at Christopher.
"I know," he sighed, rather dramatically. "It's the curse of being the younger brother."
"You'll find someone," Willow promised.
"Eventually." He smiled.
"Eventually," she confirmed.
"Well, I best be off," he moved to the door. "I've got the devil of a hangover, and several bruised ribs."
"Sorry about that," Giles smiled sheepishly.
"It's alright," Christopher opened the door. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked, suddenly a little unsure of himself.
"Of course," Giles smiled. "I'll need someone to keep me company. Willow's deserting me, she say's it's bad luck to see each other."
"She's an amazing woman, Rupert. You're very lucky." With that he turned and walked away somewhat unsteadily.
"I know, I know," Giles said with feeling as he shut the door and turned back to Willow. She was dozing lightly on the couch. As he bent to pick her up she stirred, and opened her eyes.
"Your eye will look terrible on the photos," she chastised as she gently stroked the bruise.
"Perhaps we could do a glamour?" Giles suggested.
"Perhaps," Willow smiled sleepily. "Or I could just let Buffy get her make-up out."
Giles almost dropped her on the stairs.
Part 20
Giles looked at the clock and sighed. Nearly time to get up. He shifted slightly and looked down at Willow. This was one of his favourite times of the day, a chance to watch Willow without her knowing. Of course he watched her during the day, but if she caught him she'd blush, and laugh, and give him a book to 'keep his mind occupied'. Today was even more special, really, as it was the last time he would have this opportunity before they were married. He intended to keep his morning ritual after the wedding, but still, there was something special about this morning. Willow stirred, mumbling something in her sleep. Giles felt his heart leap as he realised that she had whispered his name. She was in his dreams every night, and now he knew that he was in her's. Tomorrow, and the wedding, couldn't come soon enough.
"Rupert?" Willow mumbled again, but this time she opened her eyes, letting him know she wasn't dreaming any more.
"Go back to sleep," Giles stroked her hair.
"What time is it?" She reached up and grabbed his hand, bringing it to her lips.
"A little after seven," he answered, squinting at the clock.
"Seven?" She squealed.
"Seven," he confirmed, frowning as she sat up quickly.
"I've got so much to do today," she answered his look. "Cordelia's bringing the dresses with her, and Angel and Wesley, and I've got to check the flowers, and probably convince my mother that I'm not making a mistake."
"Your mother?" Giles queried.
"At the rehearsal," Willow slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe. "I'm going for a shower, will you make some tea?" She gave him her sweetest smile.
"Yes dear," he answered, giving his best impression of a hen-pecked husband.
"Oh, I've trained you well," Willow smiled, as she headed down the stairs.
"Witch!" He called after her.
"And you love me!" She responded.
"I do, oh I do," he said with feeling as he forced himself out of bed and down the stairs after her.
"Cordy!" Willow rushed the brunette and hugged her tightly.
"Nice to see you too, Willow," Cordelia smiled as she hugged her back. "Although I saw you yesterday."
"I know," Willow smiled. "But we didn't get a chance to talk. Buffy was too busy plying me with drink."
"Buffy was what?" Giles came up beside her. He had yet to hear the story of their night out in LA.
"You can't say anything," Willow turned to him. "Look at your eye."
"God, Giles, what happened?" Cordelia surveyed his shiner.
"He had a little 'tiff'," Willow explained, affecting a bad English accent for the word 'tiff'. "With his brother," she added.
"Oh?" Cordelia flipped her hair. "Where is your brother?"
"At his hotel," Giles informed her, confused by her sudden interest. "You'll probably see him later."
"Good," Cordelia turned back to the door. "I suppose we'd better get these dresses over to Buffy's, and then I'll have to go check on Angel and Wesley at the hotel."
"So, I'll see you in a couple of hours?" Willow reached up to Giles and kissed him lightly.
"At the rehearsal," he confirmed.
"Good," Willow looked over to Cordelia, who was studiously ignoring the lovers. Giles followed her gaze, and seeing Cordelia occupied with her nails, he pulled Willow closer and kissed her with everything that he was feeling.
"Wow," Willow pulled back.
"Glad to see I can still get that reaction," Giles smiled down at her.
"Ahem," Cordelia reminded them of her presence.
"Sorry," Willow kissed him lightly once more before following Cordelia out of the apartment.
Xander looked around nervously. The museum was full of bad memories for him. Buffy spotted him lurking nervously, and using her Slayer stealth, she made her way over to him.
"Nervous, Xander?" Buffy smiled as he shot up in the air.
"Not. Fair." He managed to choke out, his hand clutching at his chest, as if to make sure his heart remained in there.
"Couldn't resist," Buffy smirked. "So, where's Giles? Aren't you meant to make sure he gets here?"
"That's tomorrow," Xander answered defensively. "He's perfectly capable of getting to the rehearsal," he added.
"Threw you out, huh?" Buffy asked, her tone sympathetic.
"Something about wanting to make it to the wedding with his sanity intact." Xander looked slightly baffled. "I didn't really understand."
"You wouldn't, Xand, you wouldn't," Buffy patted his back.
"Was that an insult?" Xander called after her as she disappeared round the corner. Buffy smiled at him sweetly.
"Hey Xander," Willow gave him a hug.
"I thought you were meant to be late?" Xander asked.
"That's tomorrow, Xander. The sooner the rehearsal's over, the sooner I get away from my parents." Willow looked around the room. "Where are my parents?"
"Fashionably late?" Xander suggested.
"Or just not coming?" Willow smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Just then, Giles wandered into the room, his eyes immediately searching for, and finding, Willow.
"Are we ready?" He asked as he slipped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her head.
"Just waiting for my parents," Willow explained. "Buffy, Anya and Cordelia are busy teasing Wesley, Angel and Buffy are avoiding each other, and Christopher just looks confused."
"That sounds like fun," Giles grimaced.
"It's about to get better," Xander commented as Willow's parents entered the room. "I think it's time for me to be elsewhere." Xander gave Willow a sympathetic look before wandering off, intent on either rescuing Wesley, or joining in the fun.
"Mom, Dad," Willow gave them each a kiss on the cheek.
"Mr and Mrs Rosenburg." Giles held out his hand to Ira, who studiously ignored it, and Sheila began fussing around Willow to avoid greeting him.
"So, you haven't changed your mind?" Ira asked bluntly as Sheila brushed the hair from Willow's face.
"Dad!" Willow chastised.
"And it's not even a Jewish ceremony!" Ira threw up his hands in disgust.
"Your father's right, dear," Sheila cut in before Willow could protest again.
"Willow and I wanted it this way," Giles answered, feeling the tension in Willow.
"Willow would do well to remember that she was brought up to respect her elders," Ira shot back. "But then again, you qualify as an 'elder', don't you?"
"Now listen here, you insufferable..."
"Don't bother, Rupert," Willow cut off his tirade, her eyes never leaving her father's face. "If you can't be happy for me, perhaps you shouldn't be here," Willow slipped her hand into Giles's. "You too, mom," Willow finished, before striding off with Giles in tow, leaving her parents' to follow or not.