~~~~~~

Willow silently padded down the steps, careful not to wake Giles. She still had the taste of chocolate, and sweet candy on her lips, even long after the spell was broken. But her stomach was now rumbling for food of the “non-magical” variety. So, she made her way to the kitchen for a midnight snack. A smile crossed her lips as she thought of the spell her and Giles performed only a few hours ago.

Sugar Plum.

“We are definitely going to have to do that one again,” she murmured, pausing at the open Spell book on the floor. She cocked her head, looking at the pages before her. “I don’t remember leaving this open,” she wondered, as she reached for the magical book.

Suddenly the book came to life, glowing and humming in her hands. She resisted the urge to throw it down, curious to see what the book had in store for her. This was definitely a first. When she read the title of the spell on the page, Willow felt a shiver flow through her body.

Faces of Love

“What does that mean?” she asked the book, figuring she would get no response from the object.

She figured wrong.

Without warning, the book flew from her hands and landed face up on the cold tiles. The moment it came to rest, a beam of light shot up toward the ceiling, stopping right before it hit the top. Willow waited, unaware she was holding her breath in anticipation. Yep, this was a first...a book that could cast its own spells.

“I have to tell Giles about this-” she was about to leave, when the light took form.

Well, not really form, but the image was real...and clear.

“Giles?” she gasped, seeing his form flickering in the light.

He had a smile on his face. The kind of smile he only reserved for her. The very smile that melted her heart time and time again. So, this was what the spell was about, she thought, as she continued to stare at the image. The book was showing her the face of the one she cared about most.

Then the image changed...

To Oz.

“Okay,” she sighed, looking at the handsome face of her ex high school sweetheart, “I get it. I once loved Oz too.” When she spoke, it was more to the book than to herself, “You don’t have to show me this. I’ll always love him. But, it’s ov-”

The image of Oz was replaced by...

“Spike?” Willow practically crossed her eyes at the image, “What the hell is this? I’ve never like...well, okay...he can be a little sexy...kinda....if you forget the fact that he’s evil...but-”

The light images began to transform at a furious pace, bouncing back and forth with the blink of an eye. Willow began to feel nauseous, and dizzy from the constant flickering of light. She stumbled back, clutching to the counter, as she tried to keep herself steady.

“Stop it!” she whispered, loudly, wanting to close her eyes to the assault on the senses, but afraid she would miss something. The Book continued to show her images of the people she cared about the most....Giles, Buffy, Xander, her parents, and....

“Tara?” Willow said shakily, when the image stopped on her new “friend”. “What is this? I...I....”

The image began to bounce back and forth again. Only this time between the images of Giles and Tara, alone. Willow shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and figure out how to stop a spell she never initiated, when the images changed again. They were still of Giles and Tara, only this time, they both had sad expressions on their faces. Sad, and...

Hurt.

“Stop it!” she shouted, trying to close the book, “Stop showing me this! I don’t know what to do! Stop it!”

“Willow?” Giles ran into the kitchen, taking her into his arms, “Willow, what’s going on here?”

The moment he entered the room, the book closed, shutting of the bombarding images, and leaving only the Watcher with a very shaken Witch.

******

“What were you thinking,” he asked, handing her a warm cup of cocoa, “You know about casting these spells on your own. Some of them are far too dangerous. If I hadn’t come in when I did...”

“I know,” she replied, sipping the cocoa, “But I didn’t cast it. The book did.”

“The book?”

“I came down here for some munchies,” she explained, “and it just happened. It was like the book was alive or something.”

Giles looked at suspiciously, “What spell did it cast?”

So, he didn’t see anything, she sighed inwardly. “I-I don’t remember,” she lied, “It all happened so fast.”

Giles sat next to here and wrapped his arm around her small frame, protectively, “Don’t worry, luv. I’ll keep the book locked up safe, until I figure out what’s happening. All right?”

Willow only nodded, unsure of what to do next, and how it would affect the two people she cared about the most.

******

It was mid afternoon when Willow heard a soft rapping on her dorm room door, She got up from her bed and slowly made her way to answer it.

“Tara?” Willow said, as though she was surprised to see her, “Hi. Come on in.”

“I left a few messages on your machine,” Tara apologized nervously, “I was afraid that you didn’t want to talk to me, after yesterday...”

Willow reached for her hand, “Oh, no. It’s not that at all. I’ve just been out all day.” she looked away for a second, giving Tara a reason to believe she wasn’t being totally honest.

But if she felt that way, she never showed it. “Oh. O-okay.” Tara stumbled over her words, unsure of where to go next, “So, i-if you’re b-busy...”

“I’m not busy,” Willow brushed Tara’s blonde hair away from her face, and smiled, “At least....right now.”

She walked over and closed her blinds, concealing the two girls from any prying eyes.

******

Giles sat at his desk tracing the old spell book with his fingers. He could feel the magical energy ripple under his flesh, cause his whole hand to tingle. Something was very strange with this book. Something to make Willow edgy. And if Willow was nervous about a spell...so was he.

“Now,” he said, opening the book, “What spell has Willow all upset about? I wonder.”

As though to answer him, the pages of the book began to turn on their own. Giles pulled back slightly, unsure of what was going to happen next, when it suddenly stopped.

“Faces of Love?” he cocked his head at the title of the spell. But before he could read it, a light emerged from the book, illuminating the air in front of him, “What the-”

The light images swirled around him, taking the forms of people from his past and present; those he once cared about, and those he still did. Willow. Buffy. Joyce. Olivia. Ethan....

“Jenny,” his voice hitched a sigh. There she stood, or at least there her image was...smiling, and looking at him with loving eyes.

Eyes that he still missed.

“I’m so sorry, Luv,” he wiped a single tear from his eye, “I’m so sorry.”

The image only smiled back.

He reached for the book and closed it gently. If this spell had such a profound effect on him, he knew why Willow was so upset, and confused. So many faces. So many loves. He needed to see her.

******

Giles knocked on Willow’s door, and waited patiently outside. He knew she wasn’t in class, because Willow had given him her schedule earlier on in the week, but Giles was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t elsewhere.

Perhaps the library...

“Giles?” Willow said with surprise, “W-what are you doing here...now?”

Giles paused, seeing her in her bathrobe, “I needed to talk to you about the spell book-”

“Willow?” a female voice came from within the room.

“O-oh,” Giles stammered, seeing the blonde girl in the background, “I-I’m sorry. You have company. We’ll talk later.”

Willow sighed and raced to throw on some clothes. She ran out of the room after Giles, hoping to catch him before he left the campus. “Giles, wait! Please, wait!”

Giles stopped by a stone bench, as he felt the soft hand touch his arm, “It’s all right, Willow. We’ll talk tonight.”

“Giles I want to explain,” Willow huffed, trying to catch her breath.

“There’s no need,” he said, looking down at the ground, “You’re an adult. You can do what you please. It’s not as though we decided to only be with each other...”

“But Giles,” Willow shook her head, “I don’t want to hurt you. I....I....” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

“Oh, Willow,” Giles sighed, brushing her tears away and sitting with her on the bench, “Please don’t cry. I’m not upset. Really.”

“But you and I...”

“...will always be, you and I,” he finished, “Willow, this changes nothing between us.” He looked deeply into her eyes, “At least, I hope not.”

“I don’t want it to,” Willow agreed, “but...I can’t help feeling the way I do for Tara. I don’t know when it happened...but....”

“I understand,” he nodded, “and that’s what I came here to tell you. The spell...or should I say the book, is trying to show us the complexity and wonder of love. Not just the physical pleasure.”

“I’m just so confused,” she said miserably, “I....I love you.”

Giles smiled at those three words. He took her hands and replied, “I love you too. I-I always have, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Giles ran his fingers through her red hair, “Well, not in the same way...at first. But, we’ve always been kindred spirits, and...” He stopped when she started to cry again, “Willow, what is it now?”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone ever said to me,” she hiccuped through her tears, “But I don’t deserve that. Not after I lied to you.”

“About Tara?” Giles asked, “I don’t recall ever asking about her.”

“But-”

“Willow,” Giles said soothingly, “You can’t help who you love. It’s not something you can choose, like a class or desert. It just happens. Do you...love Tara?”

Willow sniffled a bit, “I don’t know. I mean, I know how I feel when I’m with her, and I kinda like it. But, I love being with you too...only it’s different.”

“As it should be. Tara is a different person from myself. Therefore, your love for her will be different. But it’s not wrong.”

“So,” she held his hand, “You’re not freaking out?”

Giles grinned, and looked around a bit, “Well...I’m the last person to judge anyone on...amorous relationships. You wouldn’t believe the stories I could tell you about my days as Ripper...”

Willow chuckled and hugged him tenderly, “Oh I don’t know...they might be fun to hear.”

Giles laughed, “Oh yes...you would find it amusing.” He grew more serious, “Have you told Tara about us?”

“Not yet,” she looked away.

“You should,” Giles insisted, “It wouldn’t be fair for me to know about her...and Tara to be in the dark. I don’t mind sharing your affections with someone else, but she might.”

“Oh, Tara isn’t like that.”

“Probably not,” he said cautiously, “But keeping secrets will eat you up inside. Remember the incident with Xander?”

“You don’t have to remind me,” she stood up and nodded, “You’re right, I’m going to tell her right now. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Giles nodded, “I’m not going to say, that I’m not a bit jealous. But, we’ll always have our Book of Love. And that’s good enough for me.”

“Giles?”

“Yes?”

“I really do love you.”

Giles watched her trot off to her room, and smiled, “I know.”