On the Eve 

"I don't think..." Willow said softly as the candy
wrapper fell from her hands. "I can eat anymore." With
gentle moan she leaned back against the sofa and
closed her eyes.

Giles chuckled and gazed at the fire. "Perhaps your
'one for them and one for you' theory was a bit much."

"Yeah.. Held my own for a while. Till that little
league team showed up."

"Willow, honestly I don't know where you put it," he
said casting a quick glance at her lithe figure
sprawled out on his sofa. His eyes lingered a moment
longer than usual before he smiled ruefully and looked
back into the safety of the fire.

They enjoyed a few moments of companionable silence
until the doorbell rang.

"I've got it," Giles said as he grabbed the candy, or
at least what was left of it.

Willow heard the soft voices at the door and the
nervous thank you's as Giles doled out the goods.

"A princess and her pirate," he said as he joined her
again in the living room. "Brother and sister, I
think… That's odd."

"Hmmm?"

"Brother and sister. I think they might have been the
first siblings we've had all night," Giles mused.

"Maybe most brothers and sisters don't trick or treat
together," Willow said sleepily.

"Maybe."

Willow frowned and sat up a bit. "Although, come to
think of it... I don't think I know any."

"Any what?"

"Siblings, I mean. Everyone I know is an only child,"
Willow said thoughtfully.

"Strange, isn't it?"

Willow sighed and made herself comfortable, tucking
her legs underneath her and leaning against the arm of
the sofa. "I don't know. Having children in Sunnydale.
Maybe on some subconscious level, people realize the
danger and stop after one."

Giles frowned, but nodded. He'd often thought about
having children, more so recently for some reason, but
had always dismissed it as folly. Clearing his throat,
he quickly changed the subject. "Didn't you say
something about a party you were supposed to go to
with Buffy?"

Willow sat up a little straighter, caught off guard by
Giles abruptness. "That's not until later..... and I'm
sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I didn't mean to upset you... I was just thinking
out loud... about the children, I mean," Willow said
gently.

Giles sighed. "No need to apologize Willow. I... I've
just been feeling... a bit old these days-"

"You're not old!"

Giles smiled, but continued. "And I'd always
thought... some day... I might have children of my
own, but I think my 'somedays' might be running out."

"Giles, I-"

He held up a hand to stop her protests before she
really got rolling. "Don't, please. I'm not sorry for
the way things have turned out. Buffy's like a
daughter to me and Xander's like a son... a backwards
sort, but a good lad," he added with a chuckle. "And I
couldn't ask for more."

Willow watched him as he moved to stoke an already
roaring fire. "When I thought about leaving Sunnydale
and returning to England... it suddenly struck me that
I wouldn't be going home... I'd be leaving it." He
chuckled softly to himself. "Insane really. Thinking
of this place as my home... never even rains here," he
said as he stood and looked at Willow for the first
time since his confession had begun.

Willow smiled tenderly at him, letting him go at his
own pace.

He gazed into her eyes and felt oddly compelled.
"Somewhere along the line... things changed. You look
at something one way... and then suddenly...
everything's different." He looked at her intently for
a moment, wondering if she could hear the real meaning
behind his words.

"Rupert?"

He blushed, embarrassed that he'd come so close to
telling her how he really felt. "I'm sorry, Willow.
You came over for candy and company and here I am
going on... Must be the holidays."

Willow smiled gently and nodded. "Holidays bring out
the emotional in me too."

Giles chuckled. "Yes, I seem to remember last
Thanksgiving..."

"Hey, now that was different!"

Giles laughed and then sighed happily as he joined
Willow on the sofa. Feeling bold, Willow reached out
and took his hand in hers. They both marveled at the
feeling... simple and so easy.

The comfortable silence returned but brought with it
the slightest sense of anticipation. A promise of things
yet to be.

"I love the holidays," Willow said softly. "You never
know what's going to happen."

The End