Title: Storm in a Teapot
Series: Storm Series
Author: Elisabeth
Email: dragonydreams@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.dragonydreams.com
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A new creature in Sunnydale interrupts Willow and Giles' plans.
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over these characters. I am merely borrowing them from Joss et al.
Distribution: Me, WLS, WWW, ODD, NHA, anyone else - please ask.
Feedback: Yes please.
Author's Note: Thanks Leslie for all of your help with this story!
Storm Series 4 ~ Storm in a Teapot
Willow knocks on Giles' door at 4pm sharp. Even though they had agreed to see each other today, this isn't how she had planned to spend her time with him. Apparently Buffy had come across some exciting new creature while out on patrol last night and the gang was gathering together for research.
Giles opens the door to admit her into the apartment. After she greets Xander and Anya she follows Giles into the kitchen.
"This isn't exactly how I had envisioned our evening," he apologizes.
"Me neither, but it's okay. Not really, but there an exciting new menace in Sunnydale, so what else can we do?"
"I promise that I will make it up to you."
"You better," she grins up at him.
Giles captures her lips in a brief promise-filled kiss.
"You expect me to do research after that?" Willow admonishes him.
"Whenever you need a break just ask me to help you make more tea," Giles winks and heads back into the living room after another quick kiss.
Buffy arrives and once the excitement calms down she tells the gang about last night's patrol.
"So I was walking near that run-down gothic looking house on Henry Street. That place is way creepy so I was walking quickly. I noticed this kinda greenish-blue ooze on the steps, but didn't really think much about it. Then behind me I thought I heard a scratching noise, like when a dog has really long nails and runs across a wood floor. It was kinda like that. I ducked behind a tree and saw this giant spider-like creature scurry across the porch. It was thinner than a spider though, more like a spider plant, if that makes any sense."
"Thank you Buffy. Now, you only saw the one?" Giles inquires.
"Yeah, but I get the feeling there were more inside. My spidey-sense was tingling, no pun intended."
A blanched Willow mutters to herself, "Why does it have to be spiders?" To Buffy she nervously poses, in true research assistant fashion, "You said it looked more like a spider plant than an actual spider. Does that mean that it had multiple appendages branching off or was it just spindly with a small body?"
"Spindly. You okay Xander?"
Xander has been sitting quietly during the explanation of the creatures. He knows how much Willow hates spiders and has been watching her reaction to this new menace.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How you doing Wills?"
"I don't like spiders." She shivers.
"I know," he whispers conspiratorially. He looks to Giles, "What can we do to help?"
"This creature sounds vaguely familiar, so I think that you and Anya may both be excused from research."
"Thanks G-Man." He looks at the paltry redhead. "What about Willow?"
"Willow, if it won't be too troubling, could you please stick around to look something up for me on that machine of yours?" Giles timidly asks.
"I'll be fine," she passively answers.
"Okay then," Anya stands, pulling Xander to his feet. "We're outta here."
Xander turns back to the room when he is standing in the open doorway, eyebrows waggling, "Of course I know that you just want me gone so that you can be alone with Willow."
He closes the door quickly behind him, but not before the girls holler, "Xander!"
"You do know that wasn't my intention for sending him home?" Giles nervously asks.
"I know," Willow blushes. "Besides, Buffy's still here."
"Actually," Buffy amends, "she isn't. I'm gonna head out and do some more recon. Maybe I'll be able to see something through the windows or something."
"Very well," Giles agrees. He is torn between being elated about being alone with Willow, but at the same time, there is research to be done.
From the doorway Buffy tosses back into the room just before the door closes, "Try to get some research done while I'm out."
"Well, they're subtle aren't they," Willow observes.
"Quite."
"So where should we start? Was there something specific you want me to look up on the net?" she asks, booting up her laptop.
"In a minute." Giles takes a seat next to Willow on the couch. She turns questioning eyes to look at him and he takes her face in his hands as he lowers his mouth to cover hers. Willow eagerly returns his kiss, opening her mouth to his questing tongue. Giles trails one hand back behind her ear and into the hair at the nape of her neck, the other hand slides down Willow's back to rest on her hip.
Willow scoots closer to Giles, sliding her arms around his neck. The kisses are wonderful, but she wants more contact and rises to her knees. She presses her body against Giles' and starts to move to straddle his lap. Giles increases the grip on her hip, preventing her from completing the action.
"What's wrong?" she pants, breaking the kiss to look at him.
"We really do have work to do," Giles sighs. "And if you climb onto my lap we may never get to it."
Willow pouts as he moves her back into a sitting position. "Well, you started it you know."
"I know, I'm sorry. I couldn't seem to help myself," he sheepishly admits.
"So you think you recognize this spidery thing?" Willow asks, picking up her laptop again.
"Ah, yes," he confirms returning to his chair, and removing himself from temptation. "From what Buffy described I believe these creatures are not any real threat to humans. If they are Spithre, as I suspect, they are not much different than any household spider. I believe that they have poisonous fangs to stun and/or kill their prey."
Giles searches through his books until he finds the one regarding arachnidan creatures. Meanwhile Willow types Spithre into her demonology search website and waits for a hit.
"Oh here it is," Willow exclaims some time later. "It says that Spithre mainly prey on other small demons. Like how regular spiders prey on insects. So they're good guys." She breathes a sigh of relief.
"Yes, it would appear so. I presume that they have gathered here because of the Hellmouth energy. Perhaps they know of something bigger that is coming."
"Why does there have to be something bigger coming? Can't we just be happy that they aren't a threat to us? I'm sure Buffy will be happy that there is no slayage involved. And… everyone… will be relieved to know that there aren't giant flesh-eating monster spiders waiting to pounce on them."
"I am relieved that these creatures aren't a threat to us. However, this being the Hellmouth, the appearance of creatures of destruction – any type of destruction – generally points towards some larger cause, and will require further research."
"I knew this was too easy," Willow pouts, then looks at him with mischievous eyes. "I think I need some tea."
"Yes, of course," he distractedly answers. "You know where everything is." He rises and begins looking through the bookcase for any possible prophecies.
"I said," she repeats from behind him, arms going around his waist, "I think I need some tea." Her warm breath tickles his ear and her lips graze the back of his neck. Giles shudders in her embrace.
"Ah, tea." He turns in her arms and she lifts her face to meet his lips. Her hands slide up his back to grasp his shoulders, giving her better leverage. Giles tosses the book that he was holding onto the chair and wraps his arms around Willow.
A minute later Buffy bounces back into the apartment, not bothering to knock. "Well that was a complete b…" she notices her watcher and best friend wrapped around each other and quickly runs back outside. She closes the door behind her, then knocks loudly, this time calling out, "Giles," as she enters.
Willow and Giles quickly separate, embarrassed at being caught, again.
"Aren't you supposed to be researching?" Buffy chides.
"We are. I mean we were." Willow insists. "We found out what the spider-things are. They're harmless, to us, not to other demons though."
"Yeah, I kinda figured." Buffy agrees. "From what I could see, they were feasting on a demon. I think that's where the ooze comes from – demon extract." She makes an icky face.
"Giles seems to think that the Spithre's, the giant spider-things, appearance in Sunnydale is a bad omen. I was trying to convince him that we should just be happy that they aren't dangerous. But you know Giles…" Willow gestures to Giles who is once again sitting in his chair, trying to find a reason for the appearance of the Spithre.
He looks up when he realizes that both girls are looking at them, trying to restrain their laughter. "I'm sorry. Did I miss something funny?"
They both start giggling uncontrollably. Giles merely rolls his eyes and returns to his book.
When Buffy regains the ability to speak she jokes, "So what do you think is coming? Some kind of demon insect invasion?"
"Actually, yes." Giles looks up from the book and places it in front of Buffy. "Apparently there is a form of demon insect celebration that takes place the day after tomorrow at "the feeding place of hell." We are, for all intensive purposes, on the feeding ground for mystical and demonic energies. All forms of demonic insects will be gathering here to feed and mate and destroy all in their path. And the Spithre are here to stop them."
"Can't we just let them take care of it then? Do we have to get involved?" Buffy asks.
"I suppose that depends on just how many Insects descend upon Sunnydale."
"Do you think I should try to talk with the Spithre? You know, offer myself as an ally? Would I even be able to talk to them?"
"I don't know that communication would be possible," Willow offers. "Since they don't get involved with humans at all, I wouldn't expect that they'd be able to speak to us."
"I agree," Giles adds. "If it appears that you are needed to battle the Insects then I'm certain that it will be apparent that you are on the same side as the Spithre when you attack the Insects and not the them."
"Well how will we know if I need to fight? And how do I fight them? Do we even know what these Insect-demons are?"
"I believe that it will be a mixture of different species of demon-insects. This book isn't very specific. Why don't you allow Willow and I to continue researching this celebration and we will get back to you on whether or not you will need to fight, and how to do so if need be."
"Do you really think I should leave you two alone? I saw how you do research."
"Out," Giles barks, unwilling to give in to her taunts.
"It's okay Buffy, we can get the work done before we play," Willow confides as she walks Buffy to the door.
"Whatever you say."
Willow closes the door behind her friend and turns to watch Giles rub the bridge of his nose.
"You know she's just teasing?" she asks, making her way over to him. She sits on his lap, arms going around his shoulders.
"I know," he answers, angling his head so that Willow can have easier access to his neck, which she has begun to nip at and kiss. "I just don't appreciate being the butt of her jokes. She acts like we are just a couple of hormonal teenagers."
"I am," Willow giggles, taking his earlobe into her mouth. "And you love it."
"That I do." She turns his head back to face her and goes about proving to him just how hormonal she is.
On to Storm Series 5 ~ Rocky Shores
Copyright© July 2003