The garden was walled on three sides, and bordered on the fourth by a lovely beach, beyond which the ocean waves collided with each other. Roses crept slowly up the ancient trellises lining the interior of the garden, and a stone path wound through areas of day- and night-blooming flowers and herbs. In one corner, jasmine bloomed and there were a few lilies open behind a row of another flower Willow didn't recognise.
"What did my son say to you?" Bryan asked as he led Willow out to a bench near the night garden.
"He says you're a fast talker."
Bryan threw back his head and laughed. "Did he now? I'm not surprised."
Willow smiled at the older man's mirth and looked around the garden once more. "This is lovely."
"I'm glad you like it." He paused, and took another look at the girl, sensing her power more fully this time, and began speaking.
"Miss Rosenberg?"
"Willow."
"Willow, then. You know why you're here?"
Willow nodded. "Giles thinks I'd be a good Watcher."
"You call him Giles?" Bryan smiled again. "How quaint."
"You would make a good Watcher, Willow. A fine one. You're powerful in here" he pointed to her forehead "and in here." he gestured to her belly. "But do you know how much training and sacrifice it takes to be a good Watcher? How thankless it is?"
"I think so."
"How is that?"
Willow smiled serenely. "I have been hanging around with Buffy Summers for a little more than a year now. In that time, I've spent half my time being attacked by vampires, demons, mummies, bezoars, hyena-spirits, and crazed fraternity brothers. The other half of my time was spent in the library researching them. I know how hard it is, and how thankless. But I make a difference. I've helped to save the world, and my friends, more times than I can count. I've also nearly been killed more times than I can count. I've seen friends die, I've seen fiends die, but I still do this because...because if I don't, someone else will, and they might not be able to handle it. And what if they can't? What if the world ends one day because I wasn't there?"
Bryan nodded appreciatively. "So you understand a little of sacrifice. How are your grades?"
Willow blinked at the sudden change of topic. "Straight A's."
"And do your parents know about this?"
"About the trip to England? Yes."
"About the Watchers?" Bryan asked.
Willow shook her head. "They think I'm on a school trip. They're out of town a lot, and don't ask too many questions as long as I keep my grades up."
"Americans," Bryan muttered even as a soft chime sounded inside. "Ah," he said. "Time for dinner. We'll talk more tomorrow, so please, enjoy your evening. I'm sure Rupert will want to know what we talked about."
Willow smiled up at the older Giles again and said, "What made you name him Rupert?"
Bryan's eyes twinkled. "Rupert was the name of a valiant but misguided knight from the twelfth century. How doesn't that fit my son?"
They both chuckled as they walked in for dinner.
Giles had been reminiscing the "good old days" with his cousin Edwin when the chime sounded for dinner. He looked up towards the garden and saw his father and Willow laughing at some private joke, and a surge of some unfamiliar emotion went through him. He stood as the pair returned inside.
Summoning his most dashing smile, he extended an arm to the redhead, who blushed prettily and took it, allowing herself to be led to dinner.
Edwin and Bryan exchanged smirks and followed.
"What did you two talk about?" Giles asked as he took a bite of his salad.
Willow sipped at her wine and answered, "Why?"
"I'm curious. Does he think you'll be a good Watcher?"
"Yes. This wine is really good."
"He did say that? Wonderful. Did he say anything else? About schooling, or your grades?"
"Yes, " she answered, and turned her attention to her soup.
"Well?"
"He said that you should let me enjoy my dinner, Giles. I'll be talking to him in more detail tomorrow, and I'm sure you will be, too." Willow smiled at him, a small, secret smile that he'd never seen on her face before.
It was a woman's smile. Giles found himself smiling back, and their eyes met briefly. They turned their attention back to their meal.