first off these are brilliant picspams and totally gorgeous!! And second, I'm so delighted you picked this relationship to think through - you're so right about the way in which Willow's own adventures in magic are a mirror for Giles' but a fun house mirror that gets distorted in different ways, including blowing the proverbial top of our heads off with her power! And it does say something really wonderful about the generosity of man that Giles could sit with her in England and be her mentor again. Though I kind of think that love is also present in the very way he brought the lump of power back with him to Sunnydale when he went to face her the first time - isn't it that lump of power that has allows her to feel the grief not just of her own existence but of all existence?

The only thing I wish was that Giles had tried to train Willow earlier and I often wonder why he didn't. I remember times when he worried about her over extending herself taking on spells that were particularly advanced, but I've always been confused as to why he didn't talk with her more about it in the beginning, and train with her. Sometimes I've chalked it up to his own attempt to balance magic-as-an-addiction - that he was/is addicted too, and so only used magic when it was necessary and couldn't in good conscience train her; sometimes I've wondered if he was somehow embarrassed? I'd be curious what you think!

(also, fantastic first post!! welcome again!!)