Willow closed her eyes, held her hand suspended in the air for a second, then dropped it to her prey, thus selected in an adequately random manner. When her hand touched its smooth surface, she opened her eyes, lifted her prize to her nose, and inhaled deeply.

"Hmm.... Cream filled. No wait. Maybe caramel. No, cream."

She licked the chocolate-coated candy hesitantly.

"Caramel? Cream. Coconut?! Damn. Yeah, who gives a damn." She giggled, putting the chocolate candy back in the nearly empty box--her third box this afternoon.

Knock-knock.

Somebody was knocking on Willow's dormitory door. She didn't answer, burying her head in her pillow and hoping whoever it was would have the decency to go away. There was a short silence, and then the knocking again. Willow pulled the pillow over her ears.

A muffled "Willow?" reached her ears through the pillow.

She sighed. "Buffy, if that's you... Look, I know what you're trying to do, getting me to go to the party, and I appreciate it, but I really think I just want to stay home tonight, okay?" she said, sitting up.

"Er. It's not Buffy."

"Giles?"

"Yes."

"Hold on. I'm coming." Willow got up and started towards the door, then changed course halfway and ran to the bathroom, where she splashed some water on her face to get rid of the tear tracks. Back in the room she quickly shoved the box of chocolates under the bed, along with a somewhat rumpled photograph of Oz. Throughout the afternoon, she had been alternately clutching it and crying, and considering burning it in effigy.

"Willow?"

"Right there," she called out, running a hand through her messy hair. All right, cheerful happy Willow face on. Good. Remember I am happy. I am happiness girl. Right. She walked over and opened the door, smiling brightly at Giles, who stood in the hallway with a small, brightly colored box in his hand.

"Hey, Giles. What's up? Demon infestation? Files needing hacking? Imminent end-of-the-world?" she asked cheerfully. I am happiness girl. I am totally, completely, utterly, absolutely happy. I am not--

"Hello, Willow. Um, as for the situation--"

--thinking about Oz at all. Not one little bit. And I am certainly not going to break down and cry in front of Giles. I am happiness gi--

"Try broken heart?" he asked gently, his wonderful green eyes full of concern.

Willow stared, her lower lip starting to quiver. I AM happiness girl. I--oh, screw it. She burst into tears.

"Oh, Willow love, I am sorry," Giles whispered, automatically pulling her to him. She burrowed into his side, vaguely registering the fact that he was wearing the familiar tweed. His arms were strong and comforting as he held her close, whispering soothingly to her as she sobbed.

"Here...let's get you inside..." Giles said, guiding her inside with a bit of difficulty, for Willow was holding on to him as if she never meant to let go.

Once inside the dorm room, Giles managed to kick the door shut and lead her to the bed. They sat there for a few minutes, Willow crying onto his shoulder, her hands clutching his jacket like a little child's.

After a bit, the young witch quieted and was content just to stay in his arms, still and silent. He wondered briefly if she had fallen asleep, but then she moved and sat up, and he had to fight the impulse that wanted her to stay. She had been so small and fragile in his arms....

Willow sniffled, looking embarrassed at her break-down. Her face was blotchy and her eyes red, her hair mussed. Giles thought she looked beautiful.

"Um. Sorry about that, Giles. I- I just kinda lost it there for a bit... s-sorry," she sniffed, looking down at her feet. She sniffled again. Wordlessly, Giles handed her a handkerchief.

"Thanks," she said with a tremulous smile. An awkward silence followed, then Willow looked down and saw the box in Giles' hand.

"What's that?" she asked curiously. Giles looked down and blushed, realizing he was still carrying what he had planned to bring her. "Ah yes. It's well. It's a box of chocolates... I-er, you see, Buffy had mentioned to me that, that, you were, well, rather, um... well, you were a bit devastated after that whole um, yes, THAT, and I-I've been told that, er, chocolate really, uh, really works wonders for the devastated," he said, embarrassed and cursing his suddenly returned stutter. To his surprise, Willow looked at the box of chocolates, got to her feet, and ran for the bathroom. He distinctly heard something that sounded like lunch coming back up, then the toilet flushing.

"Um, Willow, ah... are you all right?" he said hesitantly, getting to his feet. The only sound he heard in reply was a peculiar kind of gasping, wheezing noise.

Oh dear. I've gone and made her cry again. Damn it. Giles got up and made his way to the bathroom.

"Willow, love, I'm sorry. I--I didn't mean to... ah Willow?" he said, sticking his head inside the door.

Willow was sitting on the bathroom floor, hunched up and shaking back and forth. It took Giles a few seconds to realize she was laughing. Willow laughed until it hurt, a few leftover tears squeezing their way out, and finally opened her eyes to see Giles squatting in front of her, with an expression on his face that showed he had long since given up trying to figure her out and wasn't quite sure what to expect next. Their eyes met, and slowly they both started to chuckle.

Finally, Giles stood up and helped her to her feet. "I really think you should get out of the dorm for a while," he said with a smile. "It can't possibly be healthy in here."

"For sure," Willow said between giggles.

Some time later, the two strolled along one of the campus sidewalks, neither saying anything as the late afternoon sun threw their long shadows down the walk in front of them. There was a quiet peace in the air, and the sounds of other students, even a nearby group playing football, were muted and pleasant. A few dead leaves blew ahead of them along the sidewalk.

Finally Willow spoke. "I'm sorry about all that, Giles. I kind of fell apart back there."

He said nothing for a few moments, then remarked quietly, "Sometimes we need to fall apart, I think. At some point in our lives, we all do, most of us many times. If we're lucky, we have someone there who lov--who cares about us, who will help us pick up the pieces and put ourselves back together again."

Willow glanced at him, noticing the way the wind played teasingly with his hair before deciding it had better things to do.

"Have you ever fallen apart?" she asked quietly, returning her gaze to the sidewalk and pulling her jacket a little tighter around her in the cool autumn air. Again he was silent, and she wondered if her question had been too personal. But then Giles chuckled, the sound warm and reassuring. "I don't know how you could possibly think I haven't. Of course I have. After Jenny... That was probably one of the biggest times." You helped me pick up the pieces there, Willow. "But we all fall sometimes, Willow. Why would you possibly think me different?"

"I don't know. You just always seemed.... Strong. You were always the one who--who held us all together. Just because you were there, it meant everything was going to be all right," she replied softly.

Giles looked at her strangely. "Funny. I've always thought the same of you."

"Me?" Willow half laughed. "Me strong? Not really. No. I don't think so." She shook her head, an incredulous smile on her face. "Buffy... Buffy is strong. She holds us all together. Me, I just... I'm just research girl, Net girl," she said with a self-deprecating smile.

To her surprise, Giles looked displeased, dismissing Buffy with an impatient shake of his head. "Buffy... Buffy can do as much to tear us apart as she ever does to bring us together. And do NOT refer to yourself with the word 'just.' Willow," and his voice took on an amazed note, "you are one of the most incredibly talented, smart, strong and beautiful people I have ever met, and yet you have the unmitigated temerity to refer to yourself with a 'just'! You are not 'just' anything," Giles finished, a bit angrily.

"Oh. Um. Okay. So... sounds like you've given this some thought?" she said jokingly.

He glared at her for all of one second before smiling back, then sighed. "Seriously, Willow, you mustn't keep thinking of yourself as... as lowly as you do. I forbid it," he said, his voice stern. "Promise me you'll start realizing what an astonishing young woman you are?" he said solemnly, eyes twinkling. Giles stopped walking and wouldn't proceed until he had extracted a nod from her on the matter. Satisfied, he continued walking, Willow feeling bold enough to slip her hand through his arm.

After a few moments, Giles broke the comfortable silence by saying, "Willow, about back in your dormitory... I just want you to know that, well, if... if you ever need to talk, if you ever need somebody to listen, or need to cry, or you just..."

"Need to fall apart?"

He smiled briefly. "Yes. If you need to fall apart...."

"You'll be there."

He exhaled. "Yes. I'll be there."

They walked in silence a little longer, then Willow said with a mischevious grin, "So, you think I'm beautiful, huh?"

Giles blushed charmingly.

When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You're caught in a one way street
With the monsters in your head
When hopes and dreams are far away
And you feel like you can't face the day
Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash
Then crash and burn
You're not alone