DISCLAIMER: Just wait and see... ;)
SUMMARY: Since the first time I checked the transcripts I
was bothered by these lines:
(At the Bronze)
Buffy: (notices that the girl is Willow) Oh, no.
Giles: Isn't that...
Buffy: Willow.
Giles: What's she doing?
It seemed obvious that Giles knew Willow from somewhere. But, where and how exactly had
they met? Besides, this is kinda my theory about how Giles came to discover the Bronze.
*g*
WORDCOUNT: 3488
THANK YOU: to everyone who answered my Trekkie question and especially to
Dana. Thanks!
Betaed by Wolf, thankyou! *smooch* Written for Maechi at the Core Four Ficathon.
Awesome Chica (Willow) Award at The Potential Awards, Miss Wicca Runner-Up at Lie
To Me Awards.
(VERY) FIRST IMPRESSIONS
by Leni
Willow skipped happily through the halls of Sunnydale High.
She smiled. Only a week to go until school started again. Thank God the boys weren't with
her, Jesse and Xander would sooner study on their own than accompany her on this errand,
and she could freely express her feelings about the coming school term.
Her friends didn't get it. Yes, summer was fun, going to the swimming pool, playing tag
there and then having free amounts of strawberry-chocolate ice cream as an apology for
dunking her underwater was fun too - though she'd never let them know that last part. But
how could a girl not want school, homework and, really, anything that didn't
include a clueless Xander and a Cordelia-whipped Jesse twenty four-seven?
Her summer routine always got boring after a few weeks: Call the boys in the morning,
convince them to come by and go through their weak subjects. Then, in the afternoons, if
they hadn't managed to persuade her to do something non-school related, they'd still sneak
out after less than an hour of books and quizzes. Jesse would convince Xander to go for a
game or Xander would talk their friend into skating. They'd usually do the first, because
both were too lazy to go to Jesse's for his board, and Willow would be stuck, bored to
death in her house or sitting on a bench, watching them pass the ball over and over and
over... staring wistfully after her oldest friend while the other winked playfully and
nudged her into making her move.
Maybe she would do it this year, Willow thought daringly. Then she thought of Xander's
surprised look and his troubled expression as he tried to tell her that... She shook her
head. No. No way.
Willow breathed deeply and hugged the thick books to her chest. Summer was almost over and
school presented her with new perspectives. Who knew? Maybe this was the year Xander would
finally see her under a different, less buddy-like light. Yes, that was it.
She grinned as she stepped through the library doors.
"Miss Roberts?"
She looked around. Strange, the library seemed deserted.
From experience Willow knew that Miss Roberts was at her job a couple of weeks before
classes started. She said that it was to keep the books in perfect order and, considering
the woman barely touched them for the rest of the year, Willow fully believed it was a
good idea. The librarian had always held a soft spot for her and even when only the pay
check and the unusual amount of free time were why she'd accepted this job, every vacation
she let Willow take some books home. Technically it was against the rules and Willow had
been wary at first, but Miss Roberts had explained that as long as she brought them back
before classes started it'd be okay and, even if she didn't, Principal Flutie was just a
big marshmallow at heart.
Miss Roberts wasn't in her office either. Willow frowned. She couldn't remember the
librarian anywhere but at the counter, checking the rare book out, or in her office
reading the latest magazines or taking notes of the typical 'How to Catch a Man' articles.
Shrugging, she left the books on Miss Robert's desk and looked around for a sheet of
paper. Scribbling off a quick thank you, she placing it on top of her returns and checked
her watch. There was only half an hour until the boys arrived at her house, Willow needed
to get going.
She wondered briefly at the open boxes in the office, all of them packed with books.
Hadn't Miss Roberts said that the school budget was too tight f---?
Oof!
Willow felt something wet warming her pants. Oh no. Her eyes rose slowly, and she found an
older man glowering at her, a splotch of liquid on his otherwise perfect jacket.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I'm so embarrassed! I wasn't paying
attention..."
"Obviously," the man muttered dryly. He took a kerchief from his front pocket,
patting the wet spot in a futile attempt to clean it. "What are you doing
here?" His eyes met hers in a look Willow could only compare to the one her mother
had worn when she'd found her favourite vase broken in the hall.
She flushed and bent down to gather the broken pieces of the cup he'd been holding.
"I-I was..." Stammering was a bad habit, Willow thought furiously. "The
librarian, that is. I was looking for the librarian."
"You found me."
Willow raised her head, intending to inquire about Miss Roberts. Instead she found herself
staring at his... midsection. In that moment Willow Rosenberg had the most bizarre thought
of her life. The porcelain shards slipped through her fingers. Her face was burning and
that knowledge only made her blush brighter. "I'm sorry, so sorry," she mumbled,
glad her red hair hid her reaction.
She bumped past the man in her haste to escape the scene, leaving at a pace that could
almost be called running. His bewildered glare followed her all the way home and only when
she was safe, hugging Mr. A. (short for Alexander, but she'd never admit that.) did she
swear to kill Jesse for making her watch that dirty movie.
---
Willow bit her lower lip.
For the first time in her life she actually understood what 'dragging your feet' meant.
She tried not to think of the scene from days ago and, of course, that only made her blush
wildly again. She stopped, breathing deeply. That library was her sanctuary. She would not
impose a banning on herself just because she was embarrassed over a... misunderstanding.
Willow would go in there, say her apologies and leave again with her dignity intact. Or at
least the first two thirds of that.
She opened the dreaded door and... sneezed.
The room was practically lost in a haze of fine dust.
"Uh, hello?"
The same man stepped out of the office. Willow fidgeted, trying to concentrate on his
clothing in a desperate attempt to keep from running away. Wait. Was he wearing the suit
she'd ruined? But that was impossible! She squinted a little. No, of course not. That one
was browner. Did that mean that there were actually two of those garments in the mall?
"Yes?"
His voice reminded Willow that she was here to apologise, not judge the man's fashion
code. "Er, hi. I came by the other day, to drop some books?"
He looked at her and she smiled shyly, hoping against hope that he wouldn't remember the
episode.
"Oh, of course," he finally said.
Willow almost blushed when he deliberately went to the counter before approaching her,
just to leave his cup in a safe place.
"Can I help you?"
"I just came to - to - to apologise." She dropped her eyes. "For what
happened. It wasn't my intention and, well, I come to the library a lot and you're the
librarian. I didn't want, I mean, I'd rather there was no..." She looked at him. Was
he smiling? “misunderstanding," she finished lamely.
"It's quite alright, Miss..."
"Willow, my name is Willow."
He stood there as if waiting for more.
"Er, Rosenberg?"
He nodded. "I'm Mr. Giles and I'm certainly pleased that you're interested in this
library's contents, Miss Rosenberg. Now, if you excuse me," He took his cup back.
"I still have work to do." In a lower voice he muttered about his
predecessor’s obvious inaptitude to keep a decent archive.
Willow frowned. "The archive is decent!"
He turned around and lowered his glasses to study her.
She fidgeted under his stare. "I mean. Uh. Mr. Giles, have you gone through Miss
Roberts' files?"
"You found me when I was revising said files." Had he been any other man, Willow
was sure he'd have snorted or chuckled right then, instead he readjusted his tie and very
calmly told her that they only contained old paperwork and several dated magazines.
"Oh. I, I actually meant her computer archives."
"Computer," he echoed.
She nodded to the couple of machines in the room.
"I see." He sighed. "I don't suppose you'd also know how to recover
those... archives?"
Willow bit her lower lip, considering her answer. She decided that, with Mr Giles obvious
disapproval of the former librarian's filing system, this wouldn't get Miss Roberts in any
more trouble. "Actually, I did them myself," she confessed.
Mr. Giles looked at her curiously.
"Miss Roberts was always too busy." Not to mention that Willow doubted the woman
was capable of doing the complicated archiving anyway. "And, well, it was fun."
Now she felt like the proverbial bug under the microscope. "Computers are always
fun!" she defended.
He muttered something under his breath, glanced at the computers and then back at her.
"This is rather embarrassing,” he began, "could you perhaps print those
archives while I finish this." A finger pointed to the source of the annoying dust:
dozen of books on the tables, ready to be cleaned and put back in their shelves.
Willow was admittedly surprised at the request, but quickly decided that it was the best
way to get into the librarian's good graces. "Of course, Mr.... Uh." She
scrambled for the strange name. "Mr. Giles. It'll just take a minute."
He nodded thankfully, and then walked to the nearest table to begin his work.
Willow sat at the computer and turned it and the printer on.
"Oh, how impolite of me, would you care for a cup of tea, Miss Rosenberg?"
She nodded, then realised that he couldn't see her and turned around. What greeted her
eyes was the vision of the librarian bent over the table, trying to pick a book that was
too out of reach.
Willow gulped. "Yes, of course," she said tightly, the room was becoming more
constricting every second. She stood up abruptly and walked briskly to the office.
"I'll fetch it myself, don't worry." Suddenly the smaller, cramped room promised
more air to breathe. "You, me and cups don't share the best history together."
He laughed merrily behind her and Willow almost tripped.
Damn Jesse. Damn table. Damn librarian!
No, the librarian was fine. Too fine. Even if tweed was definitely not him.
Willow groaned, gripping the kettle and looking for a clean cup. Now she was channelling
Cordelia Chase too.
---
Willow was approaching the library to check out the book Xander obviously wasn't going to
bother with, when a loud crash startled her. She heard an inarticulate sound, something
between a whimper and a growl, followed by a rushed string of curses in a pronounced
accent
Oh God, was he hurt?
Willow rushed through the doors, her surprise escalating when she saw Xander on the floor;
half sprawled on a fallen shelf.
"Xander!"
She looked at her friend amid the fallen books. They were being taken care of, carefully
picked by Mr Giles, whose stern, stony expression gave Willow more concern than the fury
she'd heard before she entered the library. Xander groaned at her feet and she immediately
extended her hand to him. He took it gratefully, climbing to his feet with a mumbled a
thank you. He dusted his pants and winced in embarrassment at the damage he'd caused.
"Are you alright?"
Xander nodded, looking past her shoulder to the sullen librarian. "I'm sorry,"
he said to the older man, even as he took her elbow and led her briskly out of the room.
Willow looked back to say goodbye at the same moment Mr. Giles sighed, obviously
distressed at the work still to do. She disentangled herself from Xander's grip and stood
her ground. "I'm staying," she whispered.
He shook his head. "No, you aren't." Then his voice lowered even more. "I'm
not leaving you alone with that wacko, Wills, if you'd only heard what I did. He was
actually talking about v---"
Mr. Giles was not a wacko! "Are you nuts?"
Xander looked taken aback. In fact, Willow felt the same way, she had never told her best
friend off that harshly before. "Look, I'm sorry. But Mr. Giles is alright,
okay?"
He looked dubiously at the man behind her. "Willow, just hear me out."
Her arms went akimbo at her waist, her eyes saying clearly that she didn't care.
Xander sighed in defeat. "Then I'm staying too."
It was her turn to shake her head. "Oh no, you won't. Dr. Gregory doesn't like you
already and this time you actually did the homework yourself."
"But..."
"Alexander Harris, you will go to science class now and you will take notes
for me, understood?"
He looked at her challengingly. She challenged him back. "I'm coming back for you as
soon as I can," he capitulated at last. She grinned in victory and took her first
step back into the library.
"Willow." His hand was on her shoulder. His hand was on her shoulder! Willow
thought that Xander could ask that she danced the tango on the fallen books and she'd do
it. "Whatever you have seen up to now, that man is out of his mind. Take care,
alright?"
She rolled her eyes. Of course Xander wouldn't recognise a good chance to impose his will.
But she nodded anyway. After she heard him leave the room, Willow allowed herself a small
smile. Xander had to care for her; otherwise he wouldn't be so protective. Stifling a
giggle, she knelt on the other side of the shelf, picking up the books and checking their
state as Mr. Giles was doing.
Minutes into their task, it was Mr. Giles who interrupted the silence. "I certainly
appreciate the help, Miss Rosenberg." Willow blushed, would he ever call her by her
given name? "But don't you have classes to attend?"
She ducked her head, muttering something about free periods. Willow was sure Mr. Giles
would call her on it. Jesse was always teasing her that she was the worst liar ever, and
Xander agreed heartily. But when a new silence answered her, she raised her head to find
him far more preoccupied in the copy of 'Theories of Trig' which had fallen open and
gotten irreparable dog-ears as a result. Willow made a mental note to ask for it later,
Xander had left without it and and he needed it if he ever hoped to understand Mr. Bock's
class.
"Good, good," Giles said absently when he realised his answer was needed, all
the while looking worriedly at the other casualties on the floor.
"I'm very sorry about this," Willow said after several more minutes of work. Now
the books were safely on the tables and both were staring at the heavy shelf which needed
to be put back up. "Xander isn't usually this clumsy, I swear," she continued.
Giles nodded and shrugged. "We'll leave that one for the janitor," he said
gravely and Willow took seconds to realise he was talking about the shelf. "Would you
help me put these books into some sort of order, Miss Rosenberg? You seem much more
familiar with this particular system than I."
Willow smiled proudly. She had been helping to update the archives and organise the codes
as Mr. Giles wanted them. The only books she still had to process were the ones in the
boxes of his office, but he had already explained that they belonged to his personal
collection and he'd take care of them himself.
"Tea?" he invited after they'd finally put all the books back in their
respective places.
The janitor had arrived while they were sorting the books and between him and Mr. Giles
they'd managed to lift the shelf. Since then Willow had wished many times that the
librarian would don his jacket again. The sight of him in only his shirt was...
"Yes!"
He cocked an eyebrow at her eager response and Willow blushed but went into his office
anyway. The boxes were already empty; she wondered fleetingly what the mysterious
collection contained.
"I take it you're acquainted to that walking menace?"
She laughed softly and took the offered cup. "Since forever. I can't remember a time
without him."
He regarded her carefully. "You and your friend don't seem very… alike."
Willow sighed. That was half the problem. "We aren't." She sipped her warm tea.
In the weeks since she'd met this man she'd taken a liking for the beverage. "But
we've been always together. He actually isn't this bad, and he has a big heart." And
a beautiful smile, and the kindest eyes, and the softest voice and... "We’ve
been always together. He was nice to me when all the other boys, even Jesse, our other
best friend, were nasty. When he realised that girls had cooties, he..." Willow
giggled. She hadn't thought about that particular memory in a long while.
He smiled, wordlessly encouraging her to continue her story.
"Xander did this silly thing, something he'd seen on his favourite show. Star
Trek?" She shook her head, not remembering the details. "Anyway, he'd extend two
fingers to me, saying 'Willow, come' and I was supposed to touch his fingers with two of
mine. Xander said it was the best anti-cootie handshake ever."
Giles chuckled. "Wife, attend."
Willow stared at him. "Huh?"
"That's what they said in that episode, 'Wife, attend'."
She lifted her eyebrow. "You don't look like the regular Trekkie." Then she
blushed, realising she was talking to an almost-teacher. "I mean, not that Trekkies
can't look good." She blushed even brighter. "B-but that's not, not the general
idea and..." The ramble stopped when she noticed him smiling into his tea. "I'm
sorry."
"Don't be," he calmed her. "That show was on when I was your age. Back then
I was..." He looked like he wanted to take off his glasses and polish them; something
Willow had learned meant that he was nervous. "Yes, you're right," he said,
finally recovering from whatever had bothered him. "Maybe I was a... Trekkie. That
scene certainly stuck in my mind." Then he looked at her and chuckled softly.
"It wasn't a friendly handshake either. It was the most passionate embrace of an
entire culture."
If Willow's blush had receded after he made light of her slight transgression, now it
returned with ferocity. Of course, as luck would have it, that was the exact moment Xander
chose to call her name.
"That's him," she said unnecessarily, settling the cup on his desk. "Thank
you for the tea."
Giles smiled. "Thank you for the help, Miss Rosenberg. You make for lovely
company."
Willow was thankful her face couldn't possibly get any redder.
"Wills?" Xander called again.
"Here!" Smiling at the man in front of her, she left his office.
Xander hurried the few steps towards her, Jesse trailing behind. He hugged her tightly and
Willow basked in it for the whole two seconds before he murmured in her ear. "I
brought reinforcements. You alright?"
"Of course I'm al-"
He loosened her then.
Willow looked at him curiously, shook her head and smiled at Jesse instead. She would
never understand Alexander Harris. But that was okay, she remembered, understanding him
was not a big priority when loving him. Feeling playful she extended two fingers.
"Xander, attend."
Xander cocked his head, and his smile slowly widened. "Can't believe you still
remember," he grinned and touched his fingers to hers.
Jesse looked confused and Willow was glad. I was a code only between Xander and her.
Furthermore, no matter what Xander thought of it, in some remote and surely inexistent
galaxy they'd just shared something 'passionate'. Willow felt giddy at the thought.
"Come on, Willow, Maths is next."
She nodded, still smiling sillily at her little secret.
"We still on for the Bronze tonight, right? Because I think I have several Science
questions to add to the Maths ones."
"Hey, I'm in too!" Jesse peeped in, "I'm going to the Bronze anyway.
Cordelia and her friends are going," he whispered the last part as if it was a big
secret.
Willow frowned. "I don't know... So many people. We can't study if it's too
loud."
Xander nudged her. "Come on, Wills, it'll be fun. We'll study and mock the
B&B."
Willow snickered at his abbreviation of 'Beautiful and Brainless'. She was sure he'd
planned it that way to mellow her. "Alright," she relented, "tonight at the
Bronze it is. Let's see how much you learn with half the school in there.”
Before crossing the door, Willow turned around, surprised when she found the librarian
standing at his office doorway, a large book she didn't recognise in his hands and looking
worriedly after them. She waved goodbye at him, reminding herself to ask about his private
books the next time she visited the library.
The last Willow saw of him before the doors closed behind her was his tight smile as he
waved back.
The End.
18/05/04
Feedback is good.
