Destinies

She had begun hearing their voices as a teenager. At first, she supposed a slight fascination with Joan of Arc had caused her sudden schizophrenia, but as time passed she realized it was different. As part of a long line of witches, she was well aware of the supernatural. It hadn’t been too much of a stretch for her to believe the voices were real. When they were finally
revealed to her as The Oracles, The Powers That Be proved to be a powerful guiding force. They had always led her to make the right decisions. These mysterious beings had chosen her and she hadn’t known their purpose for a long time. Tara had followed their advice as best as she could, realizing that she had been chosen for a higher purpose. Tara was the antithesis of someone
with a destiny. Shy and awkward, the stuttering young wicca did not fit the profile of a person with a mission.

Tara had grown up a child prodigy. Doted on by her Wiccan relatives, she was touted as the great promise. All the attention was almost too much to bear for the little girl. Like other child geniuses, Tara found social life at school much harder. Constantly reminded of her difference at home, other children seemed mysterious to her. Unlike other prodigies, Tara’s talent was a secret to her peers. Instead of having something to be proud of, Tara felt ashamed to have a secret. Her social life had been mostly lived in her head. Astounded, Tara almost felt unworthy of the PTB’s attention, sure that they could have
found another more confident, more powerful witch.

Nonetheless, she was happy that their careful guidance had led her here, to Sunnydale. UC Sunnydale to be precise. Just enroll and take some classes, they had told her. Higher Education is certainly not a bad thing by anybody’s standards. Tara had always been a good student, always willing to please. Nothing delighted her more than the demanding schedule of higher education.
Secretly, she hoped to pursue the craft on campus. Away from her family, she felt empty and alone. She hoped practicing Wicca with someone would make her feel at home. A naturally shy girl, Tara had yet been able to bring herself to seek out like-minded witches. And now it seemed too late. She feared what the future would bring, because The Oracles had finally given her the assignment. The one thing she was meant to do, her job, her part in the big plan. Fighting evil would now be something Tara could help with. And, surely being a part of something, even something as dangerous as this, would be better than being nothing at all.

Sitting on the bench in front of Stevenson Hall, she waited. She was on the look out for a blonde girl, the Slayer, Buffy.

Silly name for the Chosen One, Tara thought. Just yesterday, The Oracles had taken her to their world and shown her what the girl looked like. The image of the Slayer had appeared. Pretty, like a cheerleader were Tara’s initial thoughts. Her orders were to follow, observe and stay out of the way. She was to become familiar with Buffy. Eager to get her first real look, Tara struggled with her natural urge to look down at the ground. Several blonde girls trickled past Tara as they cheerily exited the dorm. One by one, they seemed like clones of each other. “Sorority Girls,” Tara murmured, “they don’t know the meaning of the word.” Tara began to worry this would not be the day to meet the Slayer, her own class was in 20 minutes and she hated being late.

The blonde witch was about to get up, when someone caught her eye, not a blonde, but a redhead with shoulder length hair ending in a cute upturned flip around her neck. Wispy and light, the young girl walked as if on air. At least, that’s what Tara saw. So taken was she by the sight of this girl’s bright aura, that she almost missed the Slayer, walking in step beside the redhead. They seemed like close friends, best friends perhaps. With a quick chant, Tara cast a listening spell. Clear as a bell, their voices rang in her ears.

“I’m just happy to have my voice back,” the redhead’s voice was light and sweet. Tara remembered well the situation with the voices, or lack thereof. She had been warned to steer clear of that incident, although she had been sorely tempted to dabble. But The Oracles had made it clear that it was not her time. Not yet.

“I know, but I'm worried about things with Riley now. He knows about me, I wonder how he'll deal. Defeating the gentlemen and bringing everyone's voices back just brought everything into the open,” Buffy’s tone was somber. So they had returned everyone’s speech, Tara thought.

“Buffy, I am sure you two can work it out. You both have secrets, it isn’t just one-sided,” the other girl was trying to be positive.

“You’re right Willow…” Tara didn’t hear the rest of the Slayer’s sentence for all she could hear was that name, Willow. It suited the redhead. Willow.

“Willow,” the blonde Wiccan had actually said the name aloud. It was a good thing they had been far away. She continued to watch and listen as the two friends stepped closer to her. Tara used all her strength to concentrate on Buffy, seeing as that was who she was supposed to be paying attention to, not Willow. Buffy exuded confidence and strength. She walked aware of her surroundings, ready for anything, without fear. Willow walked aware of the stares and the looks. They were 10 feet away from her and Tara could no longer stare comfortably. Her natural shyness helped her as she stared at her crossed arms. Side by side Buffy and Willow walked past Tara. Buffy walked on the far side unaware of the unassuming blonde witch. Unable to control her impulse, Tara looked up just in time as Willow walked by right in front of her. In that instant, Willow turned her head and locked gazes with Tara. Beautiful green eyes gave Tara a puzzled look. Remembering her purpose, Tara looked away
quickly, fearing she would blow her cover.

When they were far enough away, Tara allowed her gaze to drift from her fingers and up to the fading figures. Willow’s attention had returned to her blonde friend.

“Well, I should see him now, sometimes I wish he wasn’t Professor Walsh’s TA” Buffy giggled as Tara continued to surreptitiously listen in.

“Oh, I am sure you won’t mind staring at him for an hour or so,” Willow spoke in teasing tone. Tara was relieved Willow hadn’t mentioned the weird blonde chick on the bench. That was really a bad move. Tara cursed herself as she broke the spell. I can’t blow this! she demanded of herself, Not for my hormones.

Tara’s sexuality had been another point of isolation for her. Already feeling different, she learned in her teens that girls made her tick. This attraction made it even harder for Tara to have friendships. Afraid the object of her affection would find out, she stayed away from said girl. Having grown more confident in what she wanted, Tara had begun to appreciate and look at women. But why this Willow, why her? Tara lamented her luck. Always falling for the wrong ones. In one second, Tara had found a place where everything seemed right, in the green ocean of the redhead’s gaze. Tara shook her head and laughed at her romanticism. She thought maybe she should ground herself in reality and do her job. Willow is just cute, heck really cute, but that’s it. She had come here to do the PTB’s bidding and she could not be distracted like this. Their restrictions had been few; she could have a life, one that didn’t interfere with her purpose. Willow would definitely come between Tara and her duty, if the blonde witch allowed her to.

Tara picked up her books and headed to her class. It looked like surveillance time was just beginning. She already knew that it was looking to be more fun than she had imagined, but not for one second would she admit to herself that it was because of Willow. But she promised herself not to spy on their conversation again; it didn’t seem right or fair to them, to Willow.

***

She broke her promise to herself that same night. The Oracles had contacted her during a rather distracted study period in her room, instructing her to follow Buffy that night after dark. Tara had come to treat communing with The Oracles like just another telephone call, their voices were that clear in her head. She had actually been thankful for the opportunity to move away from her desk. Usually she enjoyed the solitude to study, but tonight her books had sat open on her desk in front of her, as she had decidedly not studied them at all. In fact, she had been tapping out a repetitive little rhythm on her teeth
with a pen, whilst her head kept replaying the scene from earlier today.

Willow.

She rolled the word around in her head, trying it out for size. And just as she had thought from the moment those eyes had met hers…it fitted perfectly.

Oh dear Goddess, she thought, the pen's rhythm speeding up slightly against the top row of her teeth, I don't need this now…I just don't need a beautiful woman with a voice like soothing birdsong to walk into my life. What about duty? she asked herself.

***

After The Oracles had given her her nightly instructions, she realized that she felt a lot calmer. More focused. Conscious of what needed to be done. She had to watch the Slayer tonight, observe how she worked…tactics and all that. In recent months, Tara had been able to lay her hands on some copies of the Watcher's diaries. She felt that in some way, she knew the Slayer, her purpose, what she was, what she would become. She had been waiting all her life for this responsibility and was damned if some gorgeous female was going to distract her. As The Oracles always told her, it was easy to fall prey to human emotions, but she must remain aloof and single-minded.

So no more Willow, Tara told herself firmly. No more thinking about how her lips curved upwards in the prelude to a smile...

She shook her blonde head, rising from the desk and walking towards the door to grab her coat. This was probably going to be a long and chilly night.

***

"Tell me again why I came with you?" Willow shivered in the cool night air that was rapidly dropping specks of dewy moisture onto her skin. She drew the edges of her coat around her and looked across at Buffy, who was leaning against one of the huge trees, twirling a stake around in her hand.

The Slayer glanced over in the redhead's direction and shrugged at her. "Because I'm your best friend and Friday night is girl night."

"Hmmm…Friday night, I could be out on a date with some hot guy or something." Willow grumbled, hopping from one foot to another.

She wasn’t fooling Buffy or herself. Willow hadn’t been out on a date since Oz left. She shook her head, letting a few strands of burnished hair fall forward onto her face. "I wish you and Riley would hurry up and get it on…he's better equipped to do this with you."

"He's better equipped period." Buffy gave a salacious grin, eliciting the same response from her friend. Giggling, she pushed herself off the tree and walked around in a small circle. The tip off she'd had from that lousy demon guy at Willie's had assured her that this was where the vamps gathered to perfect their game plan before a group feed. She had learned that a small group had begun to feed in a pack, to make pickings easier. No wonder, then, that a few students had mysteriously disappeared off campus in the last couple of days. Although, she mused, the faculty had kept that one quiet. As always in Sunnydale, if you ain't talking about it, it ain't happening.

"I wish they'd hurry up." Willow's voice reached her. She swung around and faced the redhead, loving the way that Willow stood by her no matter what. She had known Willow wanted to stay home, but Willow had refused to let her go out alone, what with the Riley situation on her mind most of the time. A sigh escaped her body. Riley. With all the problems that brought she wasn't sure why she bothered at all.

"Will, I promise as soon as they appear I'll do a quick stake and then it's home for-" she cut off as a rustle in the nearby bushes alerted her Slayer senses. She held up a hand to halt Willow's ready response, instinctively crouching into fight mode.

Her eyes swept the shrubbery, narrowing to seek her prey.

Tara almost stopped breathing. Her hiding place gave her a great view of the Slayer and Willow, but she had whispered an invisibility spell just to be sure. And then she'd sworn she'd felt something on her leg. By the time she had realized she was making a noise, Buffy had already heard it.

The blonde Wiccan felt guilty for doing the listening spell again, but as the two girls' voices were being carried away by an opposite wind, she felt that she somehow needed to know what they were talking about. Her heart sank as she heard Willow talk about going out with a boy. Well what did you expect? she asked herself, almost irritated with her previous wonderings about the redhead. Girls like Willow are almost always straight, and almost never alone. Figures. At least it wouldn't be a problem for her now. Oh yeah? her inner voice teased, so all of a sudden you're going to stop staring at her just like you're doing now huh? Tara forced herself to tear her eyes away from Willow, who was standing like a pillar of stone, locked into a pattern with Buffy in the little clearing. She caught her breath as Buffy passed by, gazing balefully into the bushes that protected her shadow.

"Oh come on guys," she heard the Slayer say in a tired tone. "This is no time for hidey seek. Let's get this done and over with."

In an instant, three large figures burst from the trees on Tara's right. They lumbered over to where the Slayer stood, fists balled up in front of her, a stake held in one hand.

"Hi, I'm Buffy,” the Slayer said, "And you are… well…you're kinda gonna be dead real soon."

In the next few minutes, Tara watched, open-mouthed, as Buffy whirled, kicked, punched and dispatched all three vamps in what seemed like an elegant dance routine. Her agility was amazing, the blonde noticed, and she was so quick and strong. She moved as though she knew all their parries off by heart, thrusting and staking in a fluid movement. The almost simultaneous explosions of dust laid testament to the superiority of the Slayer, and it was then that Tara knew her task would be not only difficult, but rewarding as well. In that moment, Tara felt something strange, a vague feeling of kinship. The effusive thought quickly moved in and out of her, before she could pinpoint it.

The slaying done, Buffy shoved the stake into her sleeve and strolled casually over towards Willow, slipping her arm through the other girl's. Tara felt a wistful pang as the two exchanged smiles and leant against one another.

"Mochas?" she heard Willow's light voice inquire.

"Oh yeah, extra sugary." Buffy replied in the same tone, and the two of them wandered back towards the path leading off campus.

If they had looked back towards the clearing, they would have seen a shadow emerge from the bushes and gaze at their retreating figures for a long time before moving. And even though Willow felt something warm and longing at the back of her mind; something she couldn't quite define or put her finger on, she never looked back.

***

Tara continued to spy on the Slayer and her best friend for a few weeks. She was getting quite good at the secret agent business. She supposed part of the reason she was chosen was her shyness. Nobody ever gave her a second look. She looked so comfortable alone no one ever questioned her motives. Tonight was one of her nights off. She had begun to know Buffy quite well. Something
about Buffy made her feel like they would get on well. Ignoring Willow was also becoming easier; well almost. The two young women were so entrenched in her mind, the blonde witch felt like she needed a distraction. What better way to distract herself than with some coffee. A nice Latte would suit her just fine. Tara grabbed her keys and headed out of the door.

***

Tuesday nights at the Espresso Pump weren’t especially busy. Although college towns had a way of making coffee joints very popular any day of the week. Outside, Willow walked past a table, where a couple of guys were talking and smoking. Willow was a bit jealous of their comradery, the kind that she and her date were not enjoying. Willow’s date was opening the door and waiting for the redhead to step inside. With an uncomfortable smile, the Wiccan squeezed through the door. There were many students crowding the tables, studying, or rather pretending to. Willow waited while Skip, her date, found them a table.
Why did I ever agree to go out with this guy? Willow wondered. Just because she was over Oz didn’t mean she wanted to date again. Buffy had been persistent, though. Now she had to spend the evening with this plastic guy. Cute, sure, if you like that “I’m a big frat guy” type of look. Willow began to scheme; maybe I could pretend to be sick. All options had to be considered,
because the conversation was going nowhere.

“Yeah, so I think that with any luck, I might make captain this season,” Willow heard Skip say these words and couldn’t believe that this kind of thing was important to this guy.

“That’s wonderful,” the hacker heard herself say the words, as if someone else was speaking them. She desperately hoped he didn't hear the yawn looming at the back of her throat as she spoke. Glancing down at her watch, she wondered if five minutes was long enough to wait before making her excuses and leaving.

The fizz of the steamer was making an eager Tara impatient. The steamed milk on top of the Latte was her favorite part. She liked feeling the warmth on her upper lip, letting it rest there for a moment before finally licking it off with a flick of her tongue. She had already waited ten minutes in line and was just about ready to burst. Finally, she saw the woman put the lid on her drink, pushing the plastic on with a squeak. Quickly grabbing it, Tara headed towards a table. She had finally found a table and had finished setting her cup down when she saw her.

It was funny; every time Tara saw Willow, time stopped. The red hair flamed in the blonde’s mind, heating her cells, her body. The green eyes brought a sense of peace, a sense of belonging. It wasn’t like the room disappeared, it was more like it all became fuzzy and Willow stood in the middle; shining, crystal clear. Then time resumed, but the blonde Wiccan felt like her
muscles had stopped working. She needed to sit. Without looking, Tara began to squat onto the chair. She realized too late that she had missed and had barely sat on the edge of the chair.

Willow was trying real hard to pretend to listen to Skip. It was becoming harder to not just stare at the funny collar on his white shirt. Then she heard a crash and heard the laughter that came half a second later. Turning her head towards the commotion, she saw a girl on the floor. Apparently, she missed her chair. One look at the blonde and Willow felt a sense of familiarity. Without a word, she stood up and ran towards the girl.

Tara was struggling to find her bearings, when she sensed Willow. She looked up and saw the redhead extending a hand. Without another recourse, Tara reached up for it gratefully. As soon as the contact was made, both girls felt it. A surge of energy flowed between them. Willow pulled the blonde up on her feet before quickly releasing her hand. Whatever had happened, it had scared Willow. She looked down at her outstretched palm, wondering what the heck had just happened there…it was as though she had been suddenly jumped with electricity.

Tara couldn’t look up. Her hair fell around her face before she finally raised her head and allowed herself to indulge in Willow’s features. “Thank you,” the blonde witch managed to say before quickly looking down again.

“No problem, Are you okay?” Willow wanted to protect this girl for some reason. The hacker couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew her. Maybe it was the magic, she thought. Magic? Willow had definitely felt magic coming from this girl. The realization hit her like a ten-ton truck, winding neon lights around the phrase inside her head. She'd just met another witch. Standing
right in front of her, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Another witch, a real witch! her mind screamed delightedly.

“Yeah, I'm, uh…fine,” Tara tilted her head, “it was nothing.” Oh my God, she’s a witch! This new knowledge was speeding through Tara’s mind. It was going to be even harder to keep this girl out of her head now.

“Well, it wasn’t nothing, but as long as you’re okay. At least you still have your coffee,” Willow couldn’t help smiling at this girl, this witch.

Tara wondered if she was going to fall again when she saw that smile. For a second, it felt like the sun had illuminated the Espresso Pump. The joy she felt at seeing a happy Willow forced Tara to smile as well.

“It’s a Latte,” Tara grinned.

“Hey, that’s what I am having.” The two witches stood there smiling at each other. “What’s your name?” Willow wasn’t sure why she was trying to make friends but it felt right.

“Tara.” She was never a good liar so she didn’t even try. It was a moment before Tara remembered that she wasn’t supposed to know Willow’s name; “What’s your name?”

“Willow,” she stood there enjoying the proximity of this shy girl. She liked making her smile. Not knowing what to say next she considered inviting herself over and joining this new friend, Tara.

“Hey,” Skip interrupted them, “everything okay?”

Willow deeply resented the frat boy now, “Fine,” she turned towards him, “I’ll come join you in a sec.” Skip nodded and walked away with a wave. Turning back to face Tara, the hacker noticed a different expression on the blonde’s face. She wasn’t smiling anymore. Willow thought she was sensing disappointment, or perhaps she was just projecting, “Listen…”

Tara broke in, “I gotta go.” She hesitated, her head bobbing, “I’ll take this to go and… "I- I'll see you later.” Before the redhead could say anything, Tara was walking past her.

No, not like that, thought Willow as she grabbed her arm. “Wait.” Once again the contact was too strong to deny. What’s going on? the hacker tried to wrap her mind around her feelings.

Why did it have to be Willow? Tara couldn’t believe her luck. Maybe she did, things had rarely worked out for her. Why should Willow be any different? She shrugged, “I’m sorry, I am just…I feel silly staying here now.”

Willow let go of the blonde’s arm, “I’m sorry too, I understand, maybe I’ll see you around, I live in Stevenson’s Hall, 214. Stop by.”

As if I didn’t know that Tara thought. With a smile, she nodded and left Willow standing there.

It was now Willow’s turn to stare. And curiously enough, she was noticing the curves of the blonde’s body. As Tara disappeared around the corner of the building, Willow remembered Skip. She definitely had to fake illness now.

Having convinced Skip she didn’t need to get walked home, Willow arrived alone to the dorm.

“Buffy, promise me you won’t set me up again,” Willow waved her hand at her friend as she plopped herself on her bed.

Buffy looked up from her bed; she had been waiting for the redhead to return, hopefully with some juicy details. “You didn’t have fun?”

“I guess I'm just not in the mood to meet new people,” the redhead answered, but as soon as Willow spoke those words, she knew they weren’t true. She had met someone new and it had been just the thing she was looking for.

“I'm sorry, I thought you were ready, you didn’t seem so sad anymore,” Buffy sat up and smiled at her friend.

“I'm not sad, I guess I am just…I don’t know,” the hacker felt a feeling akin to longing for something she couldn’t name. She settled herself down in her bed, drawing the covers up tight to her chin, and sighed lightly. She really didn't know what was going on, but her hand still tingled from that contact that she had felt when Tara had touched her. Tara…a faint smile curved the edges of her mouth, as she closed her eyes. Meeting another witch had been great, but somehow she guessed, way in the back of her mind, that that hadn't been the only reason she had smiled. Somehow, just thinking of the blonde girl had brought a feeling to the pit of her stomach that she couldn't quite define. And, she turned over and buried her head into her pillow, she wasn't quite sure that she wanted to.

***

The Bronze was its usual busy self for a Friday night. The dull thud of heavy guitar and bass could be heard from several blocks away and couples strayed down the street towards the entrance. It was dark in Sunnydale; an early evening shower had wet the uneven surface of the street, causing puddles to glisten orange under the streetlights.

As Tara drew near the best nightspot in Sunnydale (or so she'd been reliably informed), a flicker of alarm ran through her. She had been sure that coming here would be a change, but a change she wanted to make? Sure, The Oracles had guided her towards the Bronze in the hopes of expanding her knowledge of Buffy, but Tara had been the one to finally push herself into going in the hopes of expanding her social life.

She had been thinking about Willow again and had hung around the student dining area in the hopes of running into her again. But Willow hadn't appeared and Tara had seen it as some sign that the two of them just weren't destined to meet again.

Willow had said “stop by”, Tara remembered, but she also knew that it was a pretty safe bet that she wouldn't. Yeah, top marks for the shy girl, she thought ruefully. It wasn't that the invitation hadn't been made in earnest; Willow seemed like too honest a person not to be earnest, but Tara's own insecurities stopped her from knocking on the wiccan's door and saying, "Hi, remember me from that time we touched and I felt magic go through me like a lightning bolt?"

As she entered the Bronze past a particularly surly doorman, Tara smiled to herself at the ridiculous scenario in her head. Willow could wait…she'd have to…

The first thing to hit her was the heat. The air was muggy and thick with criss-crossed energies. She took a second or two to adjust to the change in temperature and density, allowing herself, with a slight flickering of her eyelids, to sense the changes around her. She had always been sensitive to the fine balances of human nature, even as a child. Now was no different, it was just that she could control it better. And, she reminded herself, that was what it was all about these days…control.

She reached out with her spirit and experienced the varying stages of human behavior intensified in the Bronze. Couples dating, couples mating, couples dancing…to her it was something she had observed as an outsider throughout her life, pairs drawn inextricably towards one another, reminding her that she was a loner. Alone, as usual.

The senses that returned to her gave her a fleeting glimpse of what it could be like to be with someone…meeting their eyes across the dance floor, communicating without words. She shook her head, giving a brief sigh, returning to the present. Looking around the room she reminded herself that tonight was a work night, no silly musings on what could have…her heart stopped.

Holy Goddess! Willow?

She narrowed her eyes as she watched the redhead lean against one of the huge pillars in the place, her hands moving around as she talked animatedly to Buffy. As Willow spoke, Tara saw Buffy nodding, agreeing, smiling. But every time the Slayer turned her gaze away, a cold look crept into her eyes and her fake smile dropped away instantly. It was almost as if she was bored.

Tara drew closer, weaving her way through the throngs of people, but keeping a safe distance. She again whispered the words of the listening spell and turned, making sure that Buffy and Willow couldn't see her.

"So you think the Council will want to get Faith from the cops?" Willow's voice trembled slightly as she turned the conversation to more serious matters. Buffy had resisted coming out tonight, feigning slaying as an excuse, but Willow needed to be out and in the company of other people. She had found her mind wandering back to the Espresso Pump and a blonde witch called Tara
more times than she cared to think about. Besides, ever since Faith had woken up and had instigated a single, painful fight with Buffy in her own home, the blonde Slayer had seemed kind of distracted, as though all she had experienced with Faith hurt her more than she cared to admit.

Faith turned her head to look at Willow, barely able to disguise the contempt she was feeling for the girl right now. The last topic she wanted to broach, now that she was firmly entrenched in Buffy's body, was how she had gotten there in the first place. Transferring bodies had been quite a ride, Faith grinned inwardly, and the Buffster was a pretty good place to be right now. That was until Red showed up and started being all 'caring friend'.

"Who knows Re…I mean Will." She answered, reveling in the sound of Buffy's voice speaking her words. Who's second best now B?

"I guess it must have really taken it out of you huh?"

"Oh you know me…" Faith answered lightly, "I don’t take that crap from anyone, especially her."

"But after all she did…" Willow lowered her gaze, not wanting to go back to that place again. She had tried so hard to still not get upset about what Faith had done to her and the gang. But it was imprinted on her memory like a bad dream. Faith with a knife in her hand. Faith hitting her. Faith's face as she enjoyed it.

"I guess she did what she felt she had to." Faith was growing uncomfortable with all the questions. Why didn't the stupid witch just shut up?

"If killing people is something you feel you have to do, yeah." Willow muttered.

Faith grabbed Willow's wrist in an easy, swift motion, squeezing it hard so that the Wiccan's eyes widened in fear. A surge of joy swept through Buffy's body, although it was Faith that was experiencing it. She enjoyed making the girl afraid of her, just so when push came to shove, everyone knew who was on top.

"Now listen to me Willow." Faith's voice was low and intentionally threatening. Willow's mouth opened but no sound came out, her green orbs fixed on the familiar face that was now leaning towards her, chin jutting out defiantly. "Faith is gone. She's as good as dead. I don't want to hear anymore about what she did and why she did it. It's not important. What matters now
is the future. Understand?"

Willow nodded soundlessly.

"Good," Faith nodded. She let go of Willow's wrist and in an instant a huge smile crossed her face as the band on stage began their final song of the night. "Oh god I love this tune," she grinned, swaying for a second to the beat then putting her hands on her hips. "Gonna dance. See ya later Will."

Willow watched as Buffy leapt into the crowd on the dance floor and began moving around the frat guys there in an almost predatory manner. She swung her hips suggestively towards them and then back again, bewitching them into her sphere. A frown crossed the redhead's face, this was so unlike Buffy. Maybe Faith had left her mark after all…she looked down to her wrist, where faint finger marks were imprinted red on her white flesh. Pain was beginning to tingle slightly around the edges of the marks.

She reached down and rubbed slightly, before she was aware of a figure standing in front of her.

Lifting her gaze, she found herself looking into two of the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Eyes she had seen before, eyes that had occasionally jumped into her head when she was daydreaming in class.

"Hey," Tara said, noticing how Willow was rubbing at her wrist. "You okay?"

Willow noticed how Tara's gaze flicked downwards and she attempted to stop the rubbing and act natural. "Oh sure!" she said enthusiastically. So much for the natural act Will, she told herself. "Uh…how are you?"

Tara smiled and pushed self-consciously at her hair. "Um…fine I guess. I sort of wanted to check this place out…and…uh…here I am."

"Great!" Willow replied, wishing that she didn't feel the need to put exclamation marks after everything she said. It was just that, after what she had felt in the coffee shop that day, Tara had been on her mind a whole lot more than she had imagined. Now she was standing in front of her, it seemed harder than ever to string a sentence together.

The two girls smiled at one another, both unsure of what to say. Tara knew what she wanted to say, having listened to Buffy rip into Willow like that. Her mind had reached out to try and establish the kinship she had previously felt with the Slayer, but nothing was there. Not even a flicker of recognition. And then it had hit her. Buffy wasn't Buffy. Buffy was Faith. She'd heard about the other Slayer from The Oracles, some kind of antithesis to Buffy, she'd been told. And the mixed energies she was getting from the figure, who was now whirling around the dance floor, told her that she had to do something about it.

A passing frat guy who'd had too much excitement and possibly not enough beer stumbled against Tara, pushing her into Willow. Tara put out her arms and felt the fragile shoulders of the redhead as her body met the warmth of Willow's. The flicker of energy both had felt in the coffee shop returned, only this time it was more acute and powerful. It enveloped them both in
a roaring moment that was cut short by Tara practically jumping away from Willow. She moved backwards, hardly daring to look at the redhead in front of her, knowing that she had felt it too.

"Wow," Willow breathed, trying desperately to regain some composure, then giving up entirely. "Oh wow…." she met Tara's eyes and grinned foolishly. "Did you…?"

"Yeah," Tara nodded. She couldn't help smiling back. "I did." She was aware of how fast her heart was beating, of how much she wanted to feel that energy again, of how little sense her mind was making right now. "I didn't know you were a witch Willow," she lied.

"Or me you," Willow answered, "I mean…I didn't know that you were…that you knew I was…" She shook her head and waved a dismissive hand. "That was so cool!" she said, a look of wonder on her face.

Tara blushed and looked away, her peripheral vision catching sight of Buffy weaving her way around three guys all at once. Instantly she snapped back to the present and turned back to Willow. She reached forward and caught hold of the girl's hand, all business-like and focused. Just don't think about her that way, she told herself, remember what you have to do first.

"Willow, can I talk to you about something?" she raised her eyebrows as the redhead nodded speechlessly. Tara looked around at the crowds surrounding them. "In…in private?" she added. The slight pressure on her hand as Willow nodded again made her look down at their joined hands. She smiled faintly to herself, then let go. "Come on," she said, leading Willow out of the
Bronze.

***

Willow walked into Tara’s room. Immediately, she was surprised at the atmosphere here. Dark walls and corners contrasted with wispy lights hanging throughout the room. Usually, the décor would frighten her, but here she felt safe. Tara sauntered in, oblivious to her companion’s thoughts. She had to concentrate, think about Buffy. If she didn’t get the Slayer back, her whole
mission would be a failure.

“It’s about Buffy.” Tara decided she couldn’t beat around the bush, there was no time.

“Wait, how do you know about Buffy?” Willow was searching the blonde’s eyes.

“Willow, I have a duty, which I can’t get into right now, but I sensed a change in your friend. She’s not her.”

Willow mulled this over carefully in her head. “I did sense a change, but how did you? I mean…how do you know Buffy’s name? What do you know about her?”

Taking a few short steps, Tara found herself standing close enough to smell the other girl’s perfume mixed with the smells of the Bronze. “I…” Tara hesitated not knowing what to say. The Oracles were real good at hiding when they were needed the most. She supposed this was some kind of test. How much could she, or should she tell Willow? “I can’t reveal all now, but I am not here to do her harm. I know that Buffy is the Slayer; I know Faith is too. I just know that if we don’t help your friend, you might lose her. Faith has her body and she’s trapped in Faith,” Tara hoped the redhead understood.

“What?” Willow couldn’t hide her shock. She was so confused. Who was this girl? Honest questioning eyes held her gaze. The shy figure was so close it was making it hard to concentrate. Maybe, it was the magic between them, maybe it was hormones, but Willow decided to trust. Trust her instincts. “Ok, but how do I know for sure?”

Slowly spreading across her face, Tara’s smile appeared unexpectedly. She trusts me. Why? I can’t believe it was this easy, I wish I could tell her. Tara was lost in the moment, especially when Willow's reciprocal smile came. After a minute or two Tara began to explain the spell, the nether realms spell. She became a serene, confident woman, as she grabbed books, searched
for ingredients. Willow couldn’t take her eyes off the blonde girl. Not only was the blonde a powerful teen witch, but a wise, knowledgeable one. She suspected Tara knew as much about magic as a certain watcher she admired greatly. And she had great power, Willow could sense it in every inch of this shadowy room.

The actual spell was an experience both witches would never forget. It was so sexual, Willow wondered if she was the only who had felt that. Basking in the afterglow of the intense magicks, the redhead sneaked a peek in Tara’s direction. The other wiccan’s sweat streaked face and heavy breathing was enough to make the redhead flush with heat. The sensual intimacy between
them was something Willow could only compare to her relationship with Oz, but not quite. The thought was entirely disconcerting.

“Um, that was intense.”

Likewise, Tara was rendered speechless. She’d done this spell before, yet it had never been like this. “I, um, it, never,” Tara decided continuing this was pointless. For some reason she found this embarrassingly funny, she lifted her gaze with wide open, sparkling, blue eyes and gave Willow a surprised half chuckle. The redhead thought the whole thing so charming she herself joined in and laughed with her.

A few minutes of amiable companionship soon ended when Tara remembered about Buffy. “Did you see her?”

“Tara, you were right, Faith is in her body and she’s in Faith’s body.” It had been like being there with Buffy and seeing what she was seeing. Buffy was in trouble.

“Well, we have to get them back to their own bodies.” Tara suddenly became serious again leaving behind the carefree woman of a few minutes ago.

The sudden change in Tara was unnerving to Willow. She found herself wanting desperately to bring that smile back to Tara’s face. What is this about? It’s just cause she’s a powerful witch, that’s it. The hacker seemed satisfied with this for the moment.

Rising quickly to her feet, Tara reached for yet another huge tome. The experienced wiccan seemed to have an endless supply of magicks books. “I think we can conjure up a katra. With it they can return to their bodies, but we have to find Buffy.”

Another spell was just exactly what Willow wanted to do. She imagined magicks with Tara would be an addictive activity. Again Tara became a whirlwind of activity. The redhead couldn’t help but follow with admiration, relegating her role to asking “what’s that” type questions, as she peeked over the taller girl’s shoulder. The only other girl Willow had ever admired was Buffy. It wasn’t an understatement to say that it took a lot to impress the hacker. Meanwhile, Tara was feeling unusually proud. She had rarely practiced with anyone outside her family. The opportunity to show others what she did best was something to be relished, especially when she could share it with someone like Willow, an obviously powerful, but inexperienced Wicca.

Finally, Tara held in her hand a small box with a green stone inside. “Ok let’s sit and try to figure this out.” Tara mixed a concoction as Willow drew two overlapping circles on the floor. The girls sat across from one another and placed the small box in the middle so that it rested inside both circles. Tara reached out to hold Willow’s hands. Instantly, the witches felt their energies mingle. Magicks had never been like this for either one of them. Intense rushes of energy forged through their bodies. Blue eyes met green, making it impossible for either girl to think or move.

Eventually the energies mingled and reached a balance inside them, spreading like a warm glow from their innermost core. Willow felt an intense need to pull the blonde close. Tara’s body and soul also felt the tug. With an almost superhuman effort, Tara managed to master her conscious mind again and focus on the task at hand. This is business she kept repeating to herself.

Hand in hand, they began to recite the Drakonian spell. Feeling the strange language pour forth from her lips, Willow could nonetheless feel the power in the phrases. She could also feel the waves of magic as its strength grew between them. Opening her eyes, she could see Tara’s pale skin begin to flush. A lonely bead of sweat was making its way down Tara’s throat into more intimate recesses inside her shirt. Willow found herself wishing she could touch that drop or be that drop. It was in that moment of brazen admiration that Tara opened her eyes. For one second the hacker managed to meet the gaze and share her feelings with one look. Having being caught in such a vulnerable state, Willow could barely keep the invocation going and looked away.

In that instant, Tara had seen something in her partner, but instead of dealing with it, she put it aside. Recanting the spell with more fervor, she found shelter in the power of the phrases. Willow also found that she could set her feelings aside by concentrating on the enchantment.

Their combined potency soon took effect. The stone began to glow a bright green color, illuminating the dark room.

Their combined joy was overwhelming any other feelings they had been having. Even for Tara, child prodigy, spells had never been so easy before. They sat there smiling at each other like children who have just found the secret stash of cookies.

Serious again, Tara said, “We have to find the real Buffy.”

With a fading smile, the redhead replied, “Yeah, I think maybe Giles can help with this. He was a Watcher and the Council has her.”

With a little luck and the conjuring of Willow and Tara, Buffy was soon back in her body and Faith had fled. Tara had put off the inevitable and was able to sneak away in the commotion of the aftermath. She had to decide what to say and who to say it to.

As if on cue, The Oracles called out to her. The Oracles rarely made an actual visit to Tara. They usually spoke in her head. Once, they had taken her to their plane of existence, or a place where they could at least manifest themselves. They had lots of power of this she was sure. On this occasion, they opened a portal. Soon, Tara was standing in front of them.

“You know the slayer is very important to us.” The solemn voices made a shy Tara even more withdrawn. She nodded.

“Buffy is special, we sense in her something new, something different. And you can help her reach her potential. You and she have a destiny to fulfill together. You both have secrets. Secrets that haven’t been revealed to you yet. Today is the day you find out and you will tell Buffy the next time you see her.”

“I have secrets?” Tara’s eyes were wide open in anticipation. A strange silence filled this temporal space as The Oracles allowed Tara to become accustomed to the idea of being unaware of herself. Slowly, The Oracles spun the tale of her childhood and the secret of the Slayers.

***

It was a sunny day on campus and Buffy was letting herself enjoy a brief moment of relaxation and pleasure. These moments had been all too few lately, and it was such a release for her to lie back on the vast green in front of Stevenson Hall and allow the sunlight to wash over her. She had just closed her eyes when she felt a shadow fall over her. Ready to dispose of the shadow with force if necessary, her eyelids flicked open, her blue gaze staring angrily up at the figure in front of her.

Her expression changed when she recognized Tara, Willow's witch friend, shifting nervously from foot to foot, a tentative smile on her full lips.

"Hey…Tara right?" she said, watching as the blonde nodded wordlessly. Willow hadn't stopped talking about Tara. For days since they cast the spell to return her to her rightful body, all Willow could do was wax lyrical about how great and powerful Tara was, how Tara did spells so successfully, how Tara knew so much about magic. It had sort of gotten on Buffy's nerves to begin
with, but these days she was finding it amusing to hear her best friend talk at length about the greatness of the girl who was standing shyly in front of her, clasping both hands together, pressing them against her body in an effort to force the words out.

"If you're looking for Willow I think she's in the library." Buffy offered, "Some kind of psyche test or something. Anyway, she's got her head buried in a book. On a day like this too!"

Tara shook her head, her blonde hair weaving in and out of the sunlight that streamed through the golden strands. "Um…I was kinda looking for you Buffy," she said.

"Yeah?" Buffy was surprised, but didn’t show it. She assumed that Tara had some kind of information. She didn't question her presence, seeing as it had been Tara that had saved her from the Faith thing and all. "Sit yourself down then," she motioned to the ground beside her.

Sitting down, Tara drew her legs underneath her and bit at her bottom lip. This was always going to be hard, but she was unsure of just how to start it all. She took a breath and decided to just jump right in.

"I've got a link to the Oracles," she said bluntly. "They talk to me…I mean…I sort of work for them."

Buffy narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together before speaking. "As in the Powers That Be?"

"Yeah." Tara nodded, her head bobbing up and down, "They guide me and help me…sort of…um…they wanted me to talk to you."

"Cool." Buffy grinned, pushing herself up on her elbows and flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "So what message from the other world do I have?"

"They wanted me to come here and meet with you to…um…well, work with you I guess." Tara watched as the other girl's smile faded. "You need to go through some kind of training and development. It's not hard really, just long and involved."

"Long and involved? Hey, already did that with the Watcher's Council. Not sure I'm ready to go through something like that all over again." Buffy's voice held a flat note of resistance. "I mean, I know you've got powers and all Tara, but why should the Oracles be interested in me? I'm just the Slayer in town, nothin' more."

"You have to do this for your own good."

A bitter laugh came from Buffy's throat, never touching her eyes, "Right. To save the world from demons blah blah blah…"

"No," Tara held up her hand, catching back the Slayer's attention. "To save yourself from…uh…yourself."

A short silence followed as several expressions crossed Buffy's face as she tried to make sense of what Tara had just said. Finally, she took a short breath and sat up straight, resting her hands onto her knees. "Ooookay then,” she said, her voice serious now. "I have to save myself from myself? In what way?"

Tara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and half smiled at the Slayer's expression, worried and bemused. "Don't worry Buffy, that's why I'm here. I'm here to help you. The Oracles sent me to guide you through this. It's my destiny just as it's yours. You see," she paused for a second, thinking her words through, "although you kill demons and help to fight them…not all demons are evil. Not all demons work for the dark side…some are quite benevolent."

"Huh," Buffy considered this. "And I'm here to help these benevolent demons?"

The blonde smiled again, almost chuckling to herself. "No Buffy. You are one." As Buffy opened her mouth to protest, Tara began to talk again, feeling strangely confident in this new role. It suited her, as her voice steadied itself, no stuttering or faltering, coming out clearly and strongly. She slipped into her dutiful role so easily. "The Slayer has always been part
demon. I guess it's the only way that she could ever cope with her duties and her destiny. Most of the time she's been able to control the demon part of her. You know, keep it hidden and not a part of her life. But…" She stopped and sighed, her eyes dropping from Buffy's face to fix on her patterned skirt for a second."

"But…?" The question hung in the air between them for a minute before Tara raised her eyes back to Buffy's, meeting them in understanding and kinship for a second.

"But all you've done…all you've been through, your time is only just beginning. As you grow in your powers, the demon grows and it now threatens to take over. Without help, you…the person will perish. The Oracles told me that, and you need help now to fight your inner demon. You need to complete training with me and learn to control the demon otherwise it will totally engulf you by your 25th birthday."

"Fight my inner demon…" Buffy echoed, the words rolling around in her mind. She looked again into Tara's blue eyes, seeing there complete honesty, purity and truth. A wave of trust swept through her. She had no other reason to believe this girl other than the candor with which she had spoken. But there was something else, something in this quiet girl's whole demeanor that told her she could help, that she could be trusted…that she was somehow linked to Buffy and her whole life.

"Tara…I believe you and all…but how come you know so much about this? I mean, did the Oracles tell you everything?"

"Uh…no…" Tara's shyness returned suddenly and she looked down at her skirt again, this time fiddling with a loose thread on the hem.

"So what then? You have the number of the demon hotline?" Buffy almost laughed at how absurd that sounded.

"Well…kinda…" Tara grinned back at her, "You see…I just found out I'm part demon too."

***

It was late when Willow returned to the dorm room that she shared with Buffy. She had made sure that she wasn't around campus after dark; not that she couldn't take care of herself, she had told her inner self quite fiercely, it was just that Buffy worried if night fell and she didn't know where her best friend was.

As she drew closer to the door, Willow thought she heard voices emanating from their room. She stopped for a minute as her hand reached for the handle. Buffy rarely had visitors, and the other tone that she could hear sure didn't sound like Riley. A frown tempered her brow for a second, as she twisted the handle and entered the room.

Two figures sitting on Buffy's bed turned their heads to look at her as she stood in the doorway. Whatever conversation they had been having stopped abruptly as the redhead closed the door behind her and dropped her bag onto the floor. A smile crossed Buffy's face as she leapt to her feet, whilst the other figure hung her head almost guiltily. Tara, Willow recognized the
blonde with a feeling of elation, which was suddenly overwhelmed with panic at seeing her stance and embarrassment. What the heck is going on here? she asked herself, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Will!" Buffy folded her arms, glancing back at the blonde witch on the bed behind her. "Tara's here."

"So I see," Willow picked up her bag and walked to her own bed. She glanced across at Tara, who sat there, hair hiding her face, which was surely bright red by now. It's like I caught them in the act, Willow thought, then suddenly caught herself short for thinking such things. But that's what it looks like…what's the matter Will…jealous? She shook her head slightly and sat down on her own bed, facing the two guilty blondes.

"Uh…Tara came by to talk to me…about…uh…"

"A paper I'm stuck on," Tara finished, raising her head to look across at Willow. As always, her heart clenched, as she took in the pale skin and green eyes. Green eyes that were now filling with something like disbelief. Tara couldn't tear her eyes away as Willow folded her arms and made a soft snorting noise, trying to stop herself from bursting out laughing.

"Yeah. You came over to ask student of the year about a paper?" she looked between the two of them, knowing that they were both lying. "Sure." Her gaze roamed over Tara's face, reminding her mind of how she almost fell into the pools of blue looking back at her worriedly.

A faint stirring in her threatened to assuage the annoyance that was building up in her chest. She wished she knew why she was reacting to Tara in this way, wished she could explain it away with her usual affinity to logic. But it wasn't a logical feeling. It only served to remind her of the feeling she'd experienced during the spells she and Tara had cast together. And it was beginning in its own way to grow stronger every day. Not for the first time since the katra spell, Willow had found herself meandering aimlessly past Tara' s dorm, wondering if the blonde would emerge and she could make polite small talk just to hear that low, sensuous voice again.

Mentally, Willow shook herself. Going all googly eyed over a girl had never been in her book, never. Sure, so is that why you're all jealous 'cuz Buffy's been alone with Tara and you haven't? Hard as it was not to just sit and stare, Willow tore her gaze from Tara and turned it on Buffy. That was easier. Her best friend and local Slayer was still wearing that fake smile. She could always read Buffy like a book; a very easy book with large print and pictures.

"Buffy…what's going on?" she finally said, her mouth settling into the resolved line that Buffy had seen before.

The Slayer frowned, looking down at the floor. She opened her mouth to say something then shut it again, her face working out exactly just what to say before her mouth expelled it. She looked across at Tara, who was gazing at her with what looked like a pained expression on her face. She shrugged and flopped back onto the bed next to the blonde witch.

"We have to tell her," she said simply.

Tara gasped and clasped her hands together in her lap, twisting her fingers together. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice low and urgent.

"Well," Buffy glanced across at Willow, who was growing more impatient by the second, "She's my best friend in the whole world. She's been through more with me than anyone I've ever known. It's only right she should know this. I mean, it's pretty big."

Tara urged herself not to look across the room at Willow, trying to keep her mind fixated on the task at hand and her duty. It just wouldn't do to get distracted now, even if it was by a talented Wiccan with the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen.

"What?" Willow urged, leaning forward and glaring at them.

Tara held out her hands and shrugged. "It's your call Buffy. I'm just here to help you, I don't tell you who should know this."

"What?" Willow almost shouted, drawing two blue pairs of eyes back towards her again. She watched as Buffy drew a breath and started to tell her the whole story from the beginning.

***

It had been a very long night and Willow's head was still reeling from the long hours of talking she, Buffy and Tara had done. In Sunnydale, finding out your best friend was part demon wasn’t really a big deal; Tara had come as a bit of a surprise, she was the antithesis of someone demony. She was overtired this morning, and yawned her way through her first lecture until she had forced herself to go back to the dorm and sleep for a while. Missing two classes had previously been unimaginable for a student like Willow, but these days she had turned her attentions to other priorities, and felt that maybe she needed to give herself the occasional break. Besides, it wasn't like she was missing much; she'd already read most of Professor Baker's works on computing anyway. She'd make it up on the finals, she told herself, offering some kind of placebo to her older, more worried self.

As she turned the corner of the corridor, she found herself replaying moments of the previous night. It had been intense, all that talk about demons and training and control. Buffy had been totally hanging on Tara's every word, she remembered, as the blonde witch had explained things quite calmly and slowly, making sure that Willow could understand everything she was saying. She had talked of the Oracles and destiny and purpose, all the sort of stuff that Giles used to spout, only, this time, Willow found herself entranced by the other girl.

She had found herself watching Tara's mouth as she talked, drinking in each word that came from her. Her eyes had been transfixed on the full lips that seemed so inviting to her, whilst a soft heat had suffused her body with what she slowly recognized as desire. Desire? Oh god….desire. The mere thought of it now made her blush and she almost bumped into another student hurrying
towards her.

Apologizing absent mindedly to thin air, Willow found a tiny smile working its way across her lips, as she thought about Tara. That was happening way too often these days for it to be a coincidence. She loved having Tara around, and to hear that she was going to be around a whole lot more had sent another little thrill coursing its way down her body.

She'd tried to analyze the feelings that the other girl invoked, but couldn't get a handle on them at all. Maybe it was the magic, she had told herself. But that somehow seemed more like an excuse than anything else. And trying to pinpoint exactly what it was about Tara that bewitched her so much was impossible too. She had sat on her bed listening to the other girl talk
and had realized that a grin was plastered across her face. More than once, she had caught Buffy sneaking a glance at her, watching how Tara was affecting her. Worried, Willow had tried to hide what she was feeling, but struggling against what was shining out of her had seemed like a pointless task.

A figure caught her attention, snapping her out of her reverie. Her heart leapt as she spied Tara knocking on the door to their room. Drawing nearer, Willow touched the other girl's arm. Tara turned, almost jumping out of her skin, then, seeing Willow, a foolish grin crossed her face, crinkling tiny lines at the corner of her eyes. Willow felt her heart melt at the sight.

"Hi," she said brightly, "Looking for me?"

"Uh…no…Buffy actually. Is she here?" Tara tore her eyes away from Willow's just in time to miss the disappointment that filled the green orbs. Looking at Willow's eyes was something she felt like doing a lot of these days.

She had dreamt about them last night, something that worried her greatly. In the midst of her duty, she'd quite forgotten the strong attraction she had to the redhead, an attraction that didn't have anything to do with demons or Slayers or even witchcraft. It was something that had sprung up all of its own accord, and, judging by past experiences, Tara knew that it would only put her off course in the end. Raising her gaze, she felt her heart sink as the look on Willow's face grasped her emotions even tighter and squeezed ever so gently at her, deep inside.

"Buffy's at class. She won't be back until lunchtime." Willow said, her voice bordering on miserable. Stupid! she chided herself, Tara is here to help Buffy, that's all. What on earth made you think she'd want to see you?

"Oh. Okay." Tara shifted from foot to foot, as though wanting to say something but what, she couldn't quite figure out. "I'll um…I'll come back later then."

"Well, I could make you a drink and you could wait if you like," Willow said breathlessly. She shrugged across at Tara, who blinked several times, her gaze flickering away down the corridor. "Or if you have to go…" She decided to give her the option of leaving, just to make it easy on them both.

"I'm…uh…" Tara appeared to be wrestling with some kind of inner turmoil, before she sighed and shrugged back at Willow. "Sure. Okay."

Willow opened the door and they both entered. Gesturing to the bed, the redhead tried not to watch as Tara moved across the room and sat on Buffy's bed. Buffy's bed. Willow bit her lip and turned her back on Tara to disguise the emotion working its way across her face. When she swung around, she noticed that Tara drew her gaze sharply away from her figure, looking instead
across to the cage where Amy skittered madly around the wheel, glad to have her mistress home again.

"Juice?" Willow asked.

"Sure," Tara replied, still looking across the room at Amy's cage.

When Willow returned with the drinks, she found Tara leafing through a copy of Gardner's Witchcraft Today that she kept on her bedside table. Sitting down opposite the girl on her own bed, Willow grinned. "Just a bit of light reading," she said.

"He's okay I guess," Tara smiled. "Kinda slow on the real meaning of the craft though…I mean…he's all Sabbaths and rituals…he doesn't see witchcraft as a living breathing thing."

Willow was suddenly reminded of the intimate moment after the nether realms spell and lost herself in Tara's eyes for a second. A slow flood of heat spread throughout her body, making her shift in her spot on the bed. Looking across at Tara, she was suddenly aware that the blonde witch knew exactly what she was thinking, and as their two gazes met, the air suddenly crackled with intensity.

"I was kinda hoping we might…you know…do some more spells or something." Willow began, trying to control her voice, make it sound more normal.

"Spells? Sure." Tara agreed, a faint smile spreading across her full lips. She glanced down at the book in her hands. "You have a lot of power Willow."

"I do?" Willow thrilled at the way Tara said her name.

"Yeah, I've never met another witch I could do spells with as easily." Tara nodded slowly, her fingers smoothing over the book's surface with a gliding motion. She brought her gaze back up to meet Willow's, her eyes sliding up the other girl's neck until blue met green. She has such a beautiful neck, Tara found herself thinking, wonder what it's like to kiss it.

"Well, I've never done spells like that. I mean, not as intense before. You know, it was kinda…" Willow started several times, then trailed off as she felt Tara grinning into her gaze.

"Yeah it was," Tara giggled again, a musical sound that had Willow almost falling off the bed in delight.

"I guess if you're spending time with Buffy you might find some time to teach me more about magicks?"

A shadow passed over the other girl's face. Tara's smile dropped slightly; she frowned down at the book, breaking the connection with Willow's eyes. Her lips parted and she seemed to whisper something to herself that the redhead couldn't quite catch.

Her head jerked up and she blinked quickly. "Uh…Willow I have to…I have to go. I just remembered." She got up from the bed, intending to replace the book on the bedside table, but it dropped from her hands and just as she bent down to pick it up Willow did exactly the same thing.

Their hands touched and an electric current ran from fingertip to fingertip. Willow gasped aloud, looking up, her face inches from Tara's. She could smell the lavender scent the other girl wore, could feel her light breath on her cheek. The closeness was so overpowering it was as though the redhead's mind was spinning out of its place above her. Her mouth dropped open and she saw her own face mirrored in Tara's clear eyes. She's feeling it too! her mind screamed at her. The quickening of the blonde girl's breath confirmed her thought in an instant.

Tara broke contact. She stood up, moved away from Willow. Stepping back she stumbled against the bed and almost fell back onto it.

"I have to…have to go…" she mumbled, shaking her head. "Um, tell Buffy I'll…I'll see her later." Turning on her heel, she practically ran from the room.

As the door clicked shut behind the blonde, Willow slumped on the floor against her bed, sighing deeply. Leaning her head back she closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. She had just fallen like a ton of bricks for the only woman in the world who had run away from her, the only woman in the world who was going to be spending a lot of time with her best friend.

***

“Buffy, you have to relax.” Tara was spending yet another afternoon in Buffy and Willow's room. Tara herself was finding it hard to relax nowadays. Ever since she had found out about being part demon, Tara had begun to actually feel it rise inside her. She had never been aware of it as an entity. Now, she felt it inside her all the time, struggling to get out. Fighting it was becoming increasingly harder. She wondered if The Powers That Be were aware that she may not be the best choice to help Buffy. Fighting her feeling for a certain redhead was also driving her to distraction.

“I can’t, I have to be alert at all times. I am the Slayer.” Buffy was struggling to just find a silent spot in her mind.

“Well, you're going to have to. You have to become aware of everything inside of you.” Tara could feel the penetrating stare of sad green eyes.

Willow was not keen on being subtle at the moment. She was lying down on her own bed. Propped up on her elbows, she wasn’t even pretending to look at the open book below her. Tara had felt it, she was sure of it. The touch the other day, she was sure she had seen desire in Tara’s blue eyes. She had to know what was going on. Openly staring at Tara helped her in two ways, one she could get her eyes filled with the blonde beauty, her image burned into her mind. The second reason was to see Tara’s reaction. It alternated between returning the intense stare to pointedly avoiding her.

Tara could feel the appraisal warming her skin like the sun. It was a complete surprise that she could tell what the other witch was thinking and doing. The connection between them was undeniable, an invisible lifeline between them. The days of training had made it perfectly clear, this was way more than a witchy connection, kindred spirits. This was the one, but why her and why now? Tara’s thoughts inevitably led to Willow. Unable to stand it for another second, Tara looked back at Willow.

“I am trying, it’s just, how can I clear my mind and be at peace, when there’s so much danger lurking everywhere?” Buffy was becoming mildly irritated with the lack of attention. What’s going on between those two? She had noticed a certain tension around them whenever they were near each other and, as much as it intrigued her, it was starting to interfere with the training.

“Huh, sorry I didn’t catch the last part.” Tara had become lost in Willow for longer than she had intended. This wasn’t working. I am blowing everything, the last thing that means anything. Everything else in my life is gone, I have a purpose again and I cannot lose this.

“Ok, I think we’ve had enough for tonight, neither one of can concentrate.” Buffy didn’t allow any protest to come from Tara, as she ushered her out the door. “We’ll try again tomorrow, don’t worry.”

Tara had a strange urge to cry and to her surprise to hit something, she couldn’t mess this up. “Listen wait, I want to do this right. I am sorry about today, it won’t happen again. Come over to my place tomorrow at 3, I should be less distracted there.” She felt a rage build inside of herself, a rage she had never allowed herself to feel.

Willow caught the last of this sentence, she’d been looking at Tara the whole time and managed to catch Tara’s eyes before she quickly withdrew and practically ran down the hall. What she saw scared her… she saw rage.

“Tara’s such a great gal. She’s smart and competent. She’s helped me so much already.” Buffy sat down close to her best friend.

“Oh I'm sure she's really helping you,” Willow spat out her sarcasm.

Was Willow jealous? Maybe she thinks I’ll trade her in as a best friend. Buffy wasn’t sure where her thoughts were taking her. “She’s great, though, she’s so worried about training me and I am like three hundred times more aware of myself already. She just doesn’t realize how she affects me.”

This was just too much for Willow to stand. She felt the jealousy rise in her with the force of a volcano. Tara not coming over here anymore was just the last straw, “Yeah, Tara’s so great blah blah. It sounds like you have a crush on her or something Buffy!” The Slayer gushing over another girl brought out some of the rage she had seen in Tara’s eyes.

Suddenly, Willow’s concerns made sense. All the looks they shared, all the touches that they thought no one noticed. If they needed something from across the room, they managed to make sure to walk past each other. Realization hit Buffy and a slow grin crept over her lips as she observed the dejected form of her best friend.

“You know, I don’t, but I think you do.” Buffy challenged the redhead.

Willow was too stunned to answer. Of all the things she thought the slayer would say to her, this was not one of them. “I…oh Buffy.”

Buffy reached over towards Willow and took the little redhead in her arms. “It’s okay, tell me what’s going on.”

Willow allowed herself to feel the comfort of her best friend’s hug. “She’s so wonderful Buffy. She’s like, such a powerful witch and a great girl.” She wanted to say it, felt the urge to say it. Weeks of watching Tara train Buffy were all that she had needed to allow her feelings to grow. “It’s so much more than a crush.” Willow smiled at Buffy, eyebrows raised, and shrugged. Unable to say anything, the Slayer just held Willow. “I think she hates me though, she looked really mad when she left. I can’t…” Willow found wet stuff making its way down her cheeks, "I need her.”

“Willow, I don’t think she was mad at you. I think she was mad at herself. I’ll talk to her and see what’s going on, ok? Don’t worry, she talks to me about you all the time.” Buffy stroked Willow’s hair.

“She does?” Willow didn’t dare believe that to be true. A glimmer of hope worked its way into her heart.

“I think she’s asked me more questions about you than I’ve asked her about this demon thing.” Buffy giggled. “Just be prepared to be just friends though, I can’t have you mad at my teacher, I need her and I need you, ok?”

“Yeah, of course. I'm a grown up. I can handle it.” Willow desperately hoped she could.

“Hmm…” Buffy wasn’t sure how to ask this. “Wills, I didn’t know you were you know, gay.”

“Buffy!” Willow poked the slayer’s ribs.

“Ouch,” Buffy feigned pain.

“I'm not gay, well I don’t know. I may be gay, at least bi. I can’t help it, I look at Tara and she’s just so …sexy.” Willow giggled.

“Well, I wouldn’t know, but she is attractive.” Buffy was terribly amused. Her best friend had a crush on a girl. Strangely enough, Buffy thought it was terribly cute.

***

The next afternoon, Tara was surprised to find how much she missed Willow. It was incredible that not having her around was worse than having her there. In the moments when her heart couldn’t take it any longer, all she had to do was look over at the hacker. Willow’s welcoming gaze stilled the storm of emotions inside her. At other times, the sight of a sleeping Willow was enough to put a smile on her face for days. Now in her room, her longing was the same, except there was no way to satiate it. Looking around her room only reminded her how lonely she was. Buffy was great and they shared something special, but her
heart longed for more, something of her own.

Buffy was amused and frustrated at Tara’s beguilement. She wanted her witch friend back, well, both of them. “Tara, let’s stop this for a second.” Clearly Tara was not going to teach her that simple spell this afternoon. Tara was confused when she finally settled her gaze on the Slayer. “How did you learn to control your demon?” Buffy asked innocently.

“I, hmm…my mother.” Tara looked away, a frown on her face, as she swallowed.

Buffy suddenly became very aware that something was clearly bothering the blonde witch, “Tara, tell me, it’s okay. I’m like you, remember?”

Tara smiled and struggled to open her mouth. She had to tell someone, everything was starting to overwhelm her and she feared she would succumb to her worries. “My mother knew I guess. She taught me how to control it, from birth. As far as I can remember, she told me. I mean, I was a powerful witch and I guess that helped. I don’t think any child could do what I have been doing, unconsciously at that. She never told me what it was. She let me think I was controlling my anger. She said we all had strong feelings but if I did this spell I could keep it all under control. I learned so many spells and relaxation techniques. I assumed every powerful witch was like me with lots of unspent energy to take care of. It all became a part of my daily routine.”

“Your mother sounds like a great woman. I wonder why she never told you.” Buffy was amazed at the calmness this girl/demon exuded.

“She loved me. My mother and I shared something special. Her love enveloped me and protected me. I always felt so safe and peaceful, like no matter what the world threw at me, she would be there and things would be ok. Then…” and now Tara finally cried. She cried for her mother and for the years of loneliness and for her longing for Willow. She cried with an intensity that even surprised the Slayer. It took all of Tara’s strength to control the emotions inside and lessen her sobbing.

Once again, Buffy found herself holding on to a crying Wiccan. Buffy knew what it was like to feel apart and alone. If it weren’t for Willow, she might be in the same boat as Tara. Willow was the rock she could depend on. From the beginning, Willow had offered her unconditional friendship. Willow had so much inner strength, few people even knew about it. If you were lucky to be blessed by her love, you could tap into her source and be a stronger person. She had so much security inside; surprising for a girl who seemed so insecure on the outside.

Tara began to calm down. “I’ve missed her so much and,” Tara was choking on her words, “I could do nothing to help her.” Tara couldn’t speak anymore.

“What happened to her?”

“I have all this power, all these spells memorized for what?” Tara’s words were full of spite. “When my mother got cancer, do you…” Tara’s breathing became heavy, “do you think I could help her? Nothing I did could drive that sickness from her body. I sat by idly, while her body decayed and she wasted away to nothing. She became a hollow shell. She couldn’t even speak to me anymore. Her eyes told me of her pain and of her love and I couldn’t help her. She was all I had until this came along. At least I have a purpose. Buffy I am throwing it away. My mother knew and was proud that The Powers That Be had chosen me. She didn't know what they wanted from me but they had chosen me years ago. Mother must have known it had to do with the demon. She wanted this for me. She wouldn’t be proud of me now, losing my cool over a…” Tara sighed, disgusted at herself, ashamed not of her feelings but of her lack of focus because of their intensity.

“A girl…” Buffy finished for Tara.

Tara pulled away from the Slayer, shocked.

“Tara, I think your mother would want this for you. She would want you to find love.” Buffy knew that this couldn’t go on. Tara needed Willow and her best friend needed the blonde witch. No denial and avoidance could change that fact. She was losing her friend and her teacher and she wouldn’t allow it. There was only one way to get this ship back on course. She couldn’t imagine what things had been like for Tara. Her loneliness was palpable, her pain almost unbearable. She deserved some happiness. The PTB be dammed. Sometimes they didn’t know what was best. Buffy was an expert at defying the higher ups. They made their plans from their pedestals and they forgot the complexity of humanity. People did things that were inexplicable and when you threw love into the mix, well, expect the unexpected.

“Do you know what I am talking about?” Tara whispered.

“Willow,” was the only word the Slayer spoke.

***

Buffy had been watching Wilow for over half an hour now. The redhead was perched on the end of her bed, a notebook on her lap, a pencil in her hand. She was trying to remember some scientific equation and scribbled sporadically, then cursed under her breath and drew a firm line through her notes. Ever since Tara had taken the training away from their room, Willow wandered like a lost soul, her eyes gazing at Buffy like she was the only link to Tara that she had these days. Buffy had been training at Tara's for a whole week now, whilst she decided how she could alleviate the situation for the two witches. During that time, she had watched her best friend go from bad to worse; Willow's normal enthusiasm for her studies and her craft had waned.
Mostly she just sat around the room, waiting for Buffy to return and tell her about her training.

Tara wasn't any better either, Buffy gave a wry smile. The blonde had a way of doing 'puppy eyes' better than anyone she'd ever known. Every time Buffy even mentioned Willow, Tara had given a little sigh to herself and changed the subject rapidly. It was hellish to watch them both so alone, when they should be together. The Slayer being the only link between them at the moment had driven Buffy to perform 'above and beyond the call of duty' as she reasoned it to herself. After all, what's a little subterfuge when I've got a demon to control?

Willow knew that Buffy was watching her. She knew that her friend cared. After her confession about Tara, the Slayer had been more than sympathetic, offering some kind of comfort, however small. But it just wasn't enough. Willow hadn't realized what a great part of her life Tara had become. She missed seeing the blonde witch's half smile as Buffy complained about a certain incantation or method; she missed the way Tara looked at her even more. That thrill Tara's blue eyes sent through her had touched her in a way she had never experienced before, not even with Oz. And then there were the spells…she sighed to herself,
realizing that the tiny sound attracted the gaze of the Slayer once more. The spells that she and Tara did together underpinned their attraction to one another. At this present moment, she would have given anything, anything, to see the raw emotion in Tara's eyes as they joined together. Remembering, a sexual wave crashed down her spine. She sighed again.

"Okay, okay, I can't take much more of this." Buffy stood up from where she had been attempting to read on her bed and put her hands on her hips decisively.

"What?" Willow gazed up at her best friend, eyes wide and open.

"I can't stand you and Tara mooning over each other this way!"

"Mooning?" Willow shook her head, "Who's mooning? I don't moon. I'm doing uh," she gestured down at her notebook with her pencil, "I'm doing chemistry. That's not mooning in anyone's book."

"Really?" Buffy leant over and grabbed the book from Willow's grasp. On the page in front of her were symbols connected with witchcraft, tiny love hearts and the name 'Tara' written in swirling script. She looked back at the redhead and raised her eyebrows. "Not mooning huh? And this is your book I'm assuming?"

Willow lowered her gaze and leant back on her bed. "I can't stop thinking about her Buffy. She's like…just there all the time, you know?" The blonde Slayer nodded slightly and Willow let out a sigh. "I can't think about anything else. I mean, I'm almost wishing I was a demon so I'd at least get to see her sometime."

Buffy let out a short laugh at Willow's despair. She remembered the last time she'd visited Tara for training and the blonde Wiccan had said much the same thing about Willow. It was amazing really, the way these two had so many of the same beliefs and attitudes. The only difference was that Tara was constantly battling with the demon inside her and Willow was a center of human calm. Only yesterday Tara had stopped their training saying that it was getting harder for her to be consistent and that she was struggling with the whole demon thing. For her own sake, if not for Tara and Willow's, Buffy had decided to take matters into her own hands.

"What about if I try to take your mind off things a little?" she ventured.

Willow shrugged. "Fine, if you think you can."

"I was thinking maybe you and I should have a little get together. You know, we've hardly seen each other since the training started," she watched as Willow nodded imperceptibly in agreement. "I kinda thought it would be nice if we spent some time alone, you know, doing girlie stuff like we used to?" She waited for approval from the redheaded witch in front of her but received none, so she moved forward to sit beside Willow and placed her arm around the other girl's slight shoulders. "How about a picnic on the lawn, I hear it's kinda nice in the sunshine. You do remember sunshine don't you Will? That bright light in the sky…"

"Okay okay!" Willow said, half laughing. "I'll do your picnic. As long as you bring lots of sugar. I need sugar."

"Then sugar you will have!" Buffy squeezed her friend's shoulders. "Things are gonna be okay Will," she said, "Trust me."

***

Tara had got the note from Buffy early in the morning, slipped underneath her door. At first she had frowned, thinking it strange that the Slayer should want them to meet in the open air, but when she had pulled back her curtains and let the dazzling sunlight into her room, she had smiled at the pleasant thought of being outside on a day like this.

Buffy had wanted to meet her at Jackson's Bridge, which wasn't a bridge at all, but merely a spot beside a man-made lake where the ground curved inwards to provide a crossing over the water. Near the edge was an old gazebo that serviced many couples wanting privacy and quiet. Tara remembered she had mentioned it once to Buffy in one of their little chats that punctuated
the training. She had done a particularly successful spell there one evening, and was considering going there again someday.

The blonde witch closed her eyes for a second before she crossed the pathway through campus and groaned inwardly. These days, it was all she could do to function normally. Getting Buffy in touch with her inner demon was fine, it was just that Tara's own demonic presence was drifting closer and closer to the surface. It scared her sometimes, how powerful it was. How much it controlled her emotions and her thoughts. She seemed to be constantly reciting the same incantation she'd taught Buffy, although her mind kept drifting back to a certain redhead and how much she missed her.

As she neared the old gazebo, Tara found that she was trying to cover the hole inside her that was growing. The edges of it kept falling away to revel a darker, emptier self. She remembered what Buffy had said to her that day when she'd confessed all about her mother, and how it had led onto talk about Willow. The Slayer had been so sympathetic, so reassuring, that Tara had opened up completely and had realized at that moment, if not during the days after, just how much she truly loved Willow. In love with her? She half smiled, it's been so long since I've had such deep feelings for another woman I'd almost forgotten what it's like. But Willow was different, Tara felt that deep inside of her. The intensity between them was implicit, it needed no expression. Remembering the look that Willow was casting towards her that day in Buffy's room, Tara felt a glow begin deep inside her. She liked that feeling.

Turning the corner of the long row of hedges that shielded the gazebo, Tara saw a figure sitting inside, on a plaid blanket, surrounded by various goodies. She drew nearer. Then she stopped. The figure had a shock of red hair, and was staring back at her with an amazed expression on her face. A tiny frown began working its way down Tara's brow. She looked down at Willow.

"You're not Buffy." Willow said, feeling her palms begin to sweat.

"Um…no," Tara shifted from foot to foot. "And neither are you."

Willow stared at the other witch for a long minute, drinking her in. It had been so long since she'd been around Tara that the nearness of her made her giddy, like she was drunk. She looked around wildly, but saw only the green expanse in front of her and the lake beyond. They were very much alone.

"Buffy promised she'd be here!" she squeaked.

"She told me that too." Tara was twisting her fingers together in an effort not to faint away completely.

"She did?" Willow uncrossed her legs on the blanket, then crossed them again just as quickly. The realization hit her and her lips pressed together into a little line. "Oh…Buffy…" she began, then looked up at Tara and blushed. "Buffy," she said again.

Tara grinned sheepishly. "Buffy," she agreed.

"Well…guess you might as well sit down and eat seeing as the Slayer, who will soon be a dead Slayer, obviously isn't coming." Willow said grimly.

Tara sat down beside her and looked at the spread laid out on the blanket. "Great food," she murmured. "Look Willow, I'm sorry about this. If I'd had any idea that Buffy was planning…"

"Oh me too!" Willow interjected. "I mean, not that I don't want to see you…or not that I didn’t want to…I just mean that I wish she'd told me…but then I wouldn’t have come and we wouldn't have…" she trailed off miserably. "I'm not making much sense am I?"

"Funnily enough you're making perfect sense." Tara giggled, despite her growing anguish. She felt the demon tickling at the back of her senses, as always these days. In times of stress or great emotion it seemed stronger than ever. "Who'd have thought Buffy would be playing matchmaker?"

Willow blushed again, finding something suddenly very interesting on the plaid blanket. Her fingers reached down and began to pick at a loose thread; any excuse not to lose herself in those blue eyes that were now studying her intently. She felt Tara's gaze like a caress, sliding down over her face, touching her shoulders, brushing against her neck. Thoughts like that really didn’t help with the blushing, she found to her horror.

"I…uh…I've really missed you." Tara said quietly.

Willow chose that moment to look up and see two huge pools of clear blue shining at her. She's about to cry! Willow thought, suddenly disgusted with herself for not being more open or assertive or just…just something that Tara might need right now.

"Oh I've missed you too," she answered breathlessly. "I thought, you know, when you took the training to your room that you didn't, I mean, that you weren't, uh, you didn’t want to be around me."

Tara blinked, her face trying to work itself into something that would allow her at least to tell Willow she was wrong. She had so many words in her head and heart that she needed to say, but, as always, at the back of her mind was the nagging fear of losing her focus. Her duty was paramount, her responsibility to Buffy's training, to The Oracles, to everyone depending
on her through the Slayer meant that she opened her mouth and nothing came out. Instead, the emotion she felt inside bubbled to the surface, bringing with it shades of darkness she had intended to keep hidden way down below all of the anxiety she was feeling about Willow.

"I do want to be around you Willow," she found herself saying with great effort, "It's just that when I am around you I can't concentrate…god I can't think about anything or do anything when you're near me. And I have this thing inside me just waiting for the perfect opportunity to leap out and…." She let the tears run down her cheeks now; holding them back seemed useless. She shook her head and let her hair hang forward, hiding her face. As she did so, she felt the demon rising closer and closer to the surface, clawing at her throat as it forced its way into her head. A red mist draped itself lovingly over her eyes as the sobs caught in her chest and turned to heavy, deep breaths of pure energy. Demonic energy.

Willow had watched the girl in front of her lean forward, her shoulders shaking with sobs. She hated seeing Tara like this, hated the way she was so closed and protective of her feelings. In an unusual fit of forwardness, Willow reached forward and put her hand underneath Tara's chin, raising her head up so she could look once more into those eyes…she caught her breath,
a gasp escaping her lips.

The eyes that had captivated the redhead were now flashing a deep bronze, and Tara's face had worked itself into an expression of pure rage and pain. The soft open nature of the blonde witch had gone, to be replaced by a jagged series of frowns that split open her warmth and exposed a harsh interior that chilled Willow to the bone. Any other girl would have run screaming for cover. Any other girl would have left Tara alone to deal with her problem. But Willow wasn't any other girl. She did the only thing she knew how to do.

"Tara? I know you're in there." Her voice was soft and lilting as she attempted to speak directly to the woman she loved. "Tara please talk to me. I know you. I know you wouldn't be like this unless you needed help. Let me help you." She watched, almost with bated breath, as the creature in front of her gazed wonderingly at her, its eyes registering her voice as if it was some long forgotten memory.

Willow rubbed her thumb gently over Tara's (she hoped against hope it still was Tara in there somewhere) cheek and attempted to quell the feelings of fear that were rattling around inside her stomach. "Don't be like this Tara," she began again, her voice still soft, belying any of her true feelings, "I couldn't bear it if you hated me. I just want to be with you, see you, feel you near me. And if you just want to be my friend, I'll deal with that. But, right now," she moved an inch closer to the other figure, trying to ignore the harsh breathing that jerked its shoulders up and down, "Right now, I just want to let you know that I'm here for you, in whatever way you need me."

A low growl came from the demon's mouth as expressions of confusion and indecision flickered through its eyes and face. It was as though it was trying to say something, but just couldn't get the words out.

"Tara, I want to tell you something," Willow reached forward and took one of the demon's hands in her own. She bit her bottom lip for a second, feeling her heart rise up undeniably in her chest, pounding out the words that lifted into her mouth, onto her lips. "I have wanted to tell you this for days now, I only realized myself a week ago…god I've missed you so much…I want to tell you that I love you. I'm in love with you." As the final syllable left her lips, her eyes fluttered shut, knowing that whatever happened now, at least she had told and accepted the truth that had been burning in her mind for so long.

"Willow?" A pressure on her hand brought her mind whirling back to the present. She opened her eyes to see Tara looking at her, an expression of wonderment and joy on her face. "Willow? Did you just…?" Tara shook her head, unable to believe what the redhead had just done. And said. "You made it go away!" the blonde gasped in amazement. "You made it go away!"

"I…I did?"

"Yes! I was like, all worried and upset and I felt the demon take a hold and then you started talking and I felt…" Tara shook her head, only just really feeling the warm fingertips on her chin.

"You felt what?" Willow smiled broadly, a joy she had never found before flooding through every pore, every fiber of her body.

"I felt amazing." Tara's voice dropped to a low tone, her eyes seeking out Willow's and holding them, the electricity pulsing from one gaze to another. "What you said…did you mean it?" she asked, still unsure of the answer.

The redhead moved her hand to lie against Tara's pale cheek, feeling the coolness of the skin on her palm. "Oh Tara…yes, yes I did," she sighed. "I can't help it. I tried to be helpful and leave you and Buffy alone, I really did. But I love you. I love you so much."

"You know I love you too." Tara almost nestled her head against Willow's hand, her own grasping at the redhead's fingers in her lap. "I was trying to be all brave and responsible and do my duty but, oh Willow, I felt like I couldn't breathe with you around, I wanted you so much to know how I feel."

"How you feel? You mean like, right now?" the hacker's voice was trembling with the realization that was hitting her from every angle.

"Right now," Tara answered, nodding slightly as she slid her hand up Willow's arm to her shoulder, her fingers reaching up to curve around the redhead's neck, wondering at the softness of her skin and silky hairs that parted her grasp.

In a moment of slowness, but over too soon, the two girls leant their heads towards each other and soft lips met soft lips in an awkward kiss that slowly grew in confidence and increased in passion. As Willow put her arms around Tara and drew her in even closer, she felt a burgeoning happiness flow easily through her from the other woman. They were connecting at last.

***

Buffy paced the floor of her room. She had given herself and Tara the afternoon off, as affairs of the heart took precedence over her own needs and wants. She had known, as soon as she had realized the effect Willow had over her own demon, that the redhead could indeed offer that same peace to the blonde witch whom she was proud to call a friend. All she needed was to
love and be loved, she thought, knowing that that was what drove every creature through their existence. It was the primal urge that lit the desire to go on, to endure, to go through life. Tara deserves Willow, and Willow sure deserves someone like Tara, she agreed with her inner voice.

But she was struggling today. Patrol last night had yielded nothing on the vampire front, not even a single chaos demon had reared its ugly head. She had come home frustrated and edgy, unable to fulfil her role as Slayer for the second night in a row. It made her uncomfortable. It made her cranky. But worst of all, it made her vulnerable.

She had worked out with Tara that the slaying helped to calm the demon a little; giving in to the base violence that came with her job somehow managed to assuage the fire of the demonic presence in her body. It was growing stronger. But without a really good slay, she felt it tugging at her instincts. It was moving ever onwards. The demon didn't stop just because Buffy
couldn’t find a vamp to stake or some other bad guy to punish.

I wish Tara was here, she continued her pacing, she'd know just what to do. In their weeks of training, Buffy had come to realize that she relied upon Tara's knowledge and ability to deal with their situation. Whatever was going on in the wiccan's mind, she always gave Buffy priority and never gave up on her. But today was bad. Today was a day when the Slayer needed her guide and teacher. Although she was the one who had engineered the romantic meal for two, Buffy couldn't help feeling a little resentment at her own solitude and need.

She looked out of the window. It was twilight, the sun was sinking in a haze of red down behind the trees that lined the campus path, its fiery eye closing slowly on the day. The refractive light that came off the huge orb looked like trails of blood across the darkening sky. Buffy twitched, feeling a surge of power inside her body. Blood. She closed her eyes for a second, wishing the light away to claim the darkness that was emanating from her own mind. Blood.

She needed a kill.

Moving swiftly and surely, she picked up her jacket and moved towards the door. Patrol was coming early tonight.

***

"I can't believe you did that." Tara murmured softly as she stroked Willow's hair, the other girl's head in her lap. Remnants of the meal lay around them. They had eventually gotten around to eating once the kissing was over, although what had been planned as a lunch date had fast become an evening meal. Somehow the kissing part had taken longer than either of them had
ever envisaged. But it had seemed time well spent as they both reflected on the moment now, satiated and pleasantly full.

"What? Kissed you?" Willow smiled, her eyes closed blissfully. She reached up a hand and laid it on Tara's thigh, feeling the warmth flood into her fingers.

"Well yeah…but I didn't mean that," Tara grinned. "And I kissed you, by the way," she playfully tweaked Willow's ear.

"Oh did you indeed?" Willow sat up and turned to face Tara, drinking in for the hundredth time it seemed, the clear blue eyes and open face that shone with love for her. Leaning forward she pressed her lips against the other girl's, thrilling at the soft moan that escaped the ivory throat. Pulling away she flashed a mischievous grin at the blonde. "So I've kissed you now okay? We're even."

Tara stuck her tongue out at Willow, who feigned disinterest and settled herself back down into the other girl's lap, trailing her hand over the cotton covered flesh that supported her head. "So what did you mean then?" she asked, remembering Tara's comment.

The blonde wiccan resumed her stroking of Willow's hair, pushing the red fibers first one way, then the other, smiling down at the happiest grin she'd ever seen. "The demon thing," she said finally. "You made it go away. I mean, you helped me to control it. I never thought I'd…" she stopped. "You know Willow, the only other person who could help me do that was my mom."

"Eww," Willow pulled a face, "Don't like that comparison much, thanks all the same."

"Silly," Tara tugged at her hair, "I mean that she always used to tell me she loved me, and talk to me, just like you did. It always used to work when I would get upset. I mean, I don’t think I have ever changed like that you know. I would get angry or emotional but never... She had a way of making me feel really calm, at peace." She looked down at the redhead and sighed, "Just like you do."

Willow opened her eyes and looked up at the face above her. She never tired of taking in all of Tara's different expressions; serious, mischievous, soulful, joyful….she loved them all. "I do?" she echoed.

"Yeah." Tara nodded. "Because I know you love me and I love you." A deep sigh came happily from her lips. "It's like I've finally found what I've been looking for."

"Oh I know exactly what you mean." Willow nodded. "And the demon thing? Anytime." She sat up, shaking her hair back into place. "Hey, what about I go into business? Rosenberg's Demon Control; you feel it, we deal it…." She broke off into giggles, which were infectious and caught Tara's funny bone too.

As they were about to fall into another embrace, a sound from the nearby hedges stopped them. The rustling was accompanied by a swaying of leaves and branches, until a figure burst from the undergrowth and rolled in an ungainly manner across the lawn about ten feet away from them.

The figure groggily rose to its knees, shaking its maned head and flapping its paddle-like arms to steady itself. Whatever it was, it was looking around wildly for the cause of its concern, waiting for the next attack.

It didn't have to wait long.

Under the stare of two rather frightened witches, another figure leapt towards the demon; a recognizably agile figure that had a shock of untidy blonde hair and a ripped leather jacket. It turned on the demon and gave a roundhouse kick that sent the dark figure staggering backwards. Several punches and kicks later, the demon was lying on the ground, helpless and vulnerable.

"Oh my god…" Willow whispered, her hand reaching for Tara's. "Is that…?"

"Buffy." Tara finished for her.

It was indeed the Slayer. But not the same Slayer who had left her dorm room only minutes earlier. Somehow this Slayer was raw with a powerful, uncontrollable urge to hurt and maim. Stopping the demon hadn't been enough, and once she had chased him across campus, Buffy had made sure that she inflicted enough pain on him to prevent him from walking in a straight line,
never mind terrorizing anyone.

Now he was on the ground, she knelt on his upper arms so that he could not move, and delivered punch after crushing punch to his face and upper torso. As her fist sank deeper and deeper into his textured hide, she felt a surge of power flood through her, stronger than any exhilarating kill she'd ever had. She wanted to hurt him. She needed to hurt him, it was all she knew how to do. Aware that she was changing, she felt a mist fall over her gaze and a blaze of anger shoot through her body. It felt good. Hurting him felt real good.

Just as she drew her arm back to deliver another punch to the now lifeless demon, she heard a sound that stopped her. Somehow familiar, the sound called to a part of her that wasn't quite ready to do this. A part of her that remembered goodness and purity. It held her hand, poised in the air.

"Buffy!" Willow called again, standing up.

As her best friend turned to face her, she found that she hardly recognized her. Gone were the defined features of a pretty blonde, instead replaced by the hardened ridges of a snarling, angry creature. The athletic body that Willow had seen in action so many times was crouched, ugly, bulky. Buffy's hair had become matted and unkempt, as though she was trying to deny any
traces of humanity.

The creature that used to be Buffy stood up slowly and walked with a loping gait over to where Willow and Tara stood, each grasping the other's hand as though for support.

"It's the demon, Willow," Tara whispered, not once taking her eyes off the sight in front of her.

"You think?" Willow breathed. "Coz it just looks like she's having a really bad hair day."

She took a tiny step forward and took an incredibly large breath that didn’t really help much. "Buffy, it's me. Willow. Remember?" Her voice sounded much stronger and confident than she actually felt.

The creature cocked its head to one side, blonde hair straggling over one shoulder. Its eyes narrowed slightly as it looked first at one witch, then at the other. A low growl came from its throat, and it flexed its hands down by the side of denim clad legs.

"Buffy, let us help you, Tara and me." Willow said. "We want to help you."

The creature growled again, taking another step forward. Willow and Tara moved closer together, their fear growing. Buffy watched as they clung together and stopped moving. Some remnant of herself surfaced for a second and she saw in that time images of herself and these two women, what they meant, who they were. It filled her with shame. Holding her hands up in front of her face, she saw that they were covered with blood, whether her own or the creature she had just killed she wasn’t sure. It sickened her. She shook her head, taking a faltering step backwards. Her eyes met the gaze of the two witches again.

"What am I?" she managed to speak, somehow pushing the words from her mouth with great difficulty. "What have I become?" She shook her head once more, horrified at what she was feeling, what she was turning into. She needed to get away. Run from this, run from them before she hurt them.

Turning on the spot, Buffy began to run for the edge of the lake, reaching it and leaping powerfully across its thinnest expanse to disappear into the trees at the other side.

Willow turned to Tara, her lips pressed together in a tight line of worry and fear. "We have to go after her," she said, starting off towards the lake edge. But Tara caught her arm and held her back.

"No Willow," she said decisively. "She's too fast, we'd never catch her now."

"We can't just leave her like this!" the redhead's voice was thick with tears. "She needs our help…my help…she needs me. Tara, Buffy is my best friend."

"I know, I know." Tara pulled Willow into her arms, stroking the other girl's back comfortingly as the hacker sobbed against her shoulder. Suddenly she felt guided by the Oracles, feeling their presence inside her mind as strongly as she ever had before. A picture flashed through her head. She put her hands on Willow's shoulders and held the girl away from her. "I know how we can help," she said, her voice strong and confident. "We need to do a spell."

"A spell? Now?"

"No time to explain. Let's go back to my room and I'll tell you everything once we're there."

***

Despite her despair over Buffy, Willow couldn’t help but be elated at being back in Tara’s room. The last time they had been alone there was the time when they had done the nether realms spell. Tara held her hand as she guided her to her desk. “Willow we are going to do a demon finding spell. We have to call on the Goddess Thespia and find Buffy.” Willow listened with wonder as the blonde witch once again filled her ears with the knowledge of the dark arts. Tara’s explanations always filled her with excitement, much like the first time she had performed a spell or the first time she levitated a pencil.

They were in the final stages of the spell, Tara threw her dust into the square. A cornucopia of colors lit up the room. There were so many, Tara wondered how they were going to find where Buffy was. Luckily, Willow had the kind of logical mind required for putting this puzzle together.

“I don’t think this spell was meant for Sunnydale,” Willow giggled.

A worried Tara looked at Willow, her expression spoke of an impatience for jokes during crisis. “I don’t think I can figure this out.”

Willow sobered up as she started comparing the square on the floor to map in her hand. “Well, here’s the room” she said as she pointed to a teal color in the middle of the square. “The middle is where the spell is cast. The corners of the square are the cardinal directions. North was the topaz crystal.” Willow matched the map’s north arrow with the crystal. “Tara! Your color…it’s teal. What kind of demon is that?”

Tara thought Willow was a little too excited about her demon heritage. She flipped through the pages of the book and spotted the teal color. Unfortunately, the color only told of a general class of demon. “Apparently, I am not much of a threat. I can defend my family when threatened, but I won’t attack unless provoked. I don’t feed on people, some kind of vegetarian.
Ah, I am a shape shifter. It would account for the change in my face.” Willow shrugged. “What?”

“I guess I kind of thought you were a really mean bad ass.” Willow smiled mischievously. “You could have been my protector.”

“Oh Willow! I am kind of happy, it’s bad enough I am a demon. We’ll have to get you to describe my face and maybe we can find out exactly what I am.” Tara was surprised at how easily Willow was taking it all. Maybe years in the Hellmouth made everyone more relaxed about these things. “Willow, don’t you care?”

“About what?” Willow asked innocently.

“Me a demon?”

“Oh, that. I think it’s kind of romantic.” Willow reached for Tara’s squeezed it tight.

Tara sighed, feeling extremely lucky to have met this woman. She broke the contact slowly, returning to the task at hand. “How do we know what color Buffy is? I…I'm not sure what kind of demon she is.” They both stared at the colors on the square. There were hundreds. Most were some hue of red. It had been easy to spot Tara’s because there weren’t that many blues and greens. Tara looked at the book, leafing through the pages, hoping to spot something familiar. Then she spotted a single speck of silver. There wasn’t one other dot of silver in Sunnydale, it seemed. Willow watched Tara expectantly as she quickly searched through the book.

“What? Did you find something?” Willow moved closer to Tara so she could look over her shoulder at the old book in her lap.

“I am not sure…I think. There, it’s not here!” Tara said as she pointed to a page.

“What’s not here, Tara…” Willow was running out of patience and her friend was running out of time.

“Silver, it…it isn’t here and there’s only one speck of it on this demon map. I bet that’s…Buffy.” Willow stared at the lone little silver dot.

Comparing it to the map, she quickly guessed the location. “She’s hiding in the old high school.”

***

Buffy was sitting in the broken down halls of her old high school. Seeing Willow and Tara had brought her back. In the woods she had calmed down. She remembered the techniques and the spells Tara had taught her. Soon, she had control of herself again and the demon was once again contained. It was unnerving how much she had enjoyed crossing over into that realm. Faith had
made her feel like that once. It was not a place she cared to go to again. In spite of everything Tara had said, it hadn’t seemed real.

Now, the realization was hitting her. She was part demon and the demon was growing stronger. If everything was left unchecked, it would take over by her 25th birthday. She had always known her fate, but the irony of the Slayer being overcome by an inner demon was not lost on her. And then there were her friends. It was bad enough Willow and Tara had seen her, but they knew. How would Giles and Xander react? She couldn’t consider that. She hadn’t told either one of them about this entire thing. Part of her had thought that if she pretended it didn’t exist, then maybe it didn’t. So much for that theory. She had to decide what she was going to do. She couldn’t go through this again, maybe she should leave Sunnydale, become a loner again. Just the thought of leaving brought on a sickening rage that was becoming all too familiar. “Damn this demon,” Buffy spat out. Suddenly, her ears picked up the pitter-patter of steps.

“Did you hear something?” Tara questioned Willow as they made their way through the broken down high school.

“Maybe, come this way.” Willow grabbed Tara’s hand. The gesture was already becoming a regular activity between the witches.

The Wiccans were surprised to find a normal looking Buffy huddled in a corner. “Buffy.” Willow ran towards her best friend and wrapped her arms around her.

Buffy was about to protest but she felt a familiar peace run through her body. Willow’s love and loyalty were so strong, any negative feeling she was having was quickly driven away. She held on to her best friend, grateful for the unconditional love of one Willow Rosenberg. “Willow.”

“I am sorry guys, I never wanted you to see me like that.” Buffy pulled away from the embrace and directed her speech at both witches.

“Oh Buffy, it’s okay, I am like…reveal your demon face to me, kinda person.” Willow tried to ease the seriousness.

“What do you mean?” Buffy was confused.

“I kinda lost control today,” Tara came closer to Buffy, gave her a hand in standing up. Once standing the two blondes embraced.

“Yeah, Tara went all demony on me. It’s okay, cause I calmed her down!” Willow was beaming.

“I think you have that effect on demons Willow.” Buffy was grateful for her friends. She couldn’t leave town. She would be worse off without her rock, Willow, and without her teacher, Tara. “I think we have a lot of work to do, all three of us.” Buffy suddenly remembered. “Wait, how did it go?”

“You scoundrel, you set us up,” Willow mockingly punched her friend’s arm. “I am only forgiving you because you sorta lost your cool and your hair was all tangled up, not a good look Buffy.”

“But did you guys get with the smoochies?” Buffy ran her gaze between the two blushing witches. She smiled, realizing her success.

Suddenly serious Willow looked at Tara, once again allowing herself to feel the joy of having fulfilled her longing. She took Tara’s hand and kissed the knuckles. “Thank you, Buffy, you helped make my dreams come true.” If possible, Tara blushed even more.

“Yes, thank you Buffy. I…I don’t know that I could have…I am a coward. She’s what I needed all along.” Tara smiled sadly, thinking of what she could have missed.

“Well, we can sit here thanking each other all night, or we can go rest somewhere.” Buffy was dusting off what was left of her jeans.

“Listen Buffy, you are still kind of a big mess and I am worried. Let’s go back to my house, my parents are out of town. You can get cleaned up there and, you know, we can watch some cable or something. I'm tired of the dorm.” Willow didn’t want Buffy or Tara to turn demon again without her. She felt unsure of both of them tonight. She needed to be near them both, take care
of them. Sensing the urgency in Willow’s voice, both blondes agreed.

***

The events of the day were taking a toll on all involved as the night wore on. They had all cleaned up and cheerfully eaten a big meal before settling down in front of the television. It wasn’t long before the news came on, forcing everyone to consider hitting the sack.

“I think we should all crash in my old room, I can bring some sleeping bags and stuff.” Willow didn’t want to leave either girl alone.

“No.” Buffy interrupted. “You girls go have a slumber party, I am going to crash in your parents bedroom.” Her eyes flicked between two worried faces in front of her.

“But, Buffy,” Willow didn’t like the sound of this at all.

“No buts, I am tired. I need to be alone. There’s a lot I need to think about. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ll be fine. I promise you, ok?” Buffy didn’t really give Willow an option as she made her way to the large bedroom.

Willow looked after Buffy’s figure, “I can’t believe her.”

“Don’t worry, Willow. She’s fine, I can tell.” Tara wasn’t sure how she could, but the connection between her and the Slayer had increased even more since both had gone through their change. Willow had to trust the judgement of both of her friends.

“It’s just you and me then.” Suddenly the thought sunk in and both girls looked away from each other, embarrassed.

All of a sudden, the stress of the day began to fade. Willow took Tara’s hand and guided her to the bedroom. Tara felt Willow’s soft smooth skin against her own. She took the redhead’s hand and turned it over, stroking the fleshy palm softly. The intimate touch reminded them both of the day’s events: the slow sensuality of the afternoon. Their newly expressed love. As they entered the bedroom, both girls became nervous about the possibilities of being there, alone, but the need to be together overwhelmed any apprehension they felt.

“I am gonna get ready for bed. I’ll give you a night shirt if you want?” Willow spoke softly, shyly.

“Um…sure. I’d like that.” Tara reluctantly let go of Willow’s hand. They both got ready in roomy nightshirts.

Willow giggled when she saw Tara wearing the blue shirt with the Teddy bear on it. “You look so cute!”

“Stop it…“ Tara blushed as she lowered her head and stared at the ground. Willow thought the action only made her look even cuter, if that was possible.

Willow lay down on the bed and patted the empty spot next to her. Being a full size bed, there was plenty of space for both women. Tara slipped in nervously. She hadn’t ever given herself the pleasure of even thinking about what being in the same bed as Willow would be like. The redhead, on the other hand, had often envisioned this moment. She had even done a bit of research at the library about what being a lesbian was all about. Never let it be said that Willow Rosenberg didn’t come prepared. She whispered in Tara’s ear, “Goodnight,” and kissed Tara’s sweet full lips. They both allowed the kiss to linger, the newness of it sending shivers down their bodies. Willow wasn’t about to push her luck. She slowly parted their lips, staring into
deep, smoky blue eyes. She heard a sigh escape Tara, as their mouths separated. Willow smiled at the gesture while her eyes searched Tara’s.

Willow sighed as well. “Can I hold you?” Tara nodded her agreement as she allowed the redhead to rest her head on the crook of her arm and slip an arm around her waist. The flimsy material of the nightshirt was not enough to block the tingling sensation that the caresses of Willow’s hand on her stomach were causing. The sweet smell of Willow’s hair wasn’t helping either. Tara
soon found her lips touching the red strands, her nostrils inhaling Willow’s personal scent, one she had never before had the privilege of experiencing. She closed her eyes wishing she could make this moment last forever; she knew sleep would evade her. The impression of Willow’s arm was burning itself onto Tara’s skin.

The other wiccan was having an equally difficult time. The soft flesh under her hand was too pliable, it was begging to be cuddled and touched and kissed. The sweet smell of Tara’s perfume was fading, leaving Tara’s unique aroma behind. Willow opened her eyes to stare at the skin under the blonde’s neck, examining every pore. She had the most beautiful skin Willow had ever seen. So pure and untouched. Willow thought and quickly saw the error in her logic. She didn’t know for a fact that Tara hadn’t… been with someone else. Just the mere thought of someone else touching her disturbed the wiccan. She had an urge to kiss the skin, to make Tara hers before somebody else got the idea. Instead, she snuggled closer still.

The blonde witch was finding it harder to think; she took her hand and placed it on Willow’s cheek. She wanted to feel the pale skin against her hand, wanted to know what it would be like to touch more than just a palm, or a cheek. Settling for facial caresses, Tara began to stroke the redhead’s face, but soon her hand tired of the spot. It began exploring new territory,
tracing the thin brows with an index finger, feeling the slope of a nose, experiencing the malleable quality of lips. Here her hand stopped. Over and over again, with an increasing urgency, her finger traced the lips. Tara could feel Willow’s breathing increase in speed. Much to her surprise, she realized her own breathing was quickly becoming a pant.

Obviously this plan wasn’t working, Willow slowly lifted Tara’s shirt; she needed to feel the sensitive skin under the fabric. When her hand touched the soft flesh, the redhead felt the other woman lift her hips in a wave that traveled throughout the blonde’s body. She felt Tara’s hand as it lifted her face gently, forcing their eyes to meet. The women saw desire for the first time mirrored in each other’s eyes. Willow scooted herself up, closing the distance between them. The blonde turned her body sideways, so that their bodies met for the first time, full length.

Pressed tightly against one another, the girls began kissing. At first, gentle and sweet but soon with a growing passion that the public park hadn’t allowed. Hungry mouths devoured, tongues explored, as hands held on tightly. Willow slipped her thigh in between Tara’s legs, willing their bodies even closer together. Tara found herself pressing against the leg, relieving some of the tension that was building inside her. The movement enticed Willow to seek new ways of pleasuring. She kissed her way down Tara’s jaw line, down to her neck. Willow suckled on the sweet flesh, bring a quick reaction from Tara who threw
her head back in pleasure. An impatient Willow traced a pattern up Tara’s torso towards her breasts. Just as she was about to make contact, Tara pulled away, fear in her eyes.

“Tara…I am sorry. What’s wrong?” The redhead’s heart sank, afraid she’d gone too far, too quick.

“No. Don’t be sorry. I…it’s me.” Tara placed a soothing hand on Willow’s cheek. “I’ve never…” Willow got the confirmation she had been seeking. “And I am scared, not because I don’t want to or I'm not ready. It’s just… I don’t want to you know…lose control. What if…I mean…I could…” Tara looked away, ashamed of herself and the demon.

“Tara, don’t… don’t worry. I am here for you. I don’t care what happens, but I am here.” Willow grabbed the witch and pulled her close. She kissed her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her chin and every spot of her face. She wanted to show the blonde that she loved her, no matter what. And Tara did feel it. She felt Willow all over her, inside her. She felt the redhead’s spirit reaching inside, touching all of her, even the demon. In that moment, Tara felt whole and in control. The demon integrated itself with her, not fighting anymore.

Very soon their affection regained its eroticism and they began making love. Tara allowed herself the freedom to feel all the caresses and strokes. Willow gave pleasure in a way that she had never done before. That in itself was reward enough. At least that’s what she thought before Tara started to show her just how much she loved her. The release she felt was an experience she would not forget, a feeling she never wanted to end.

Even after it was all over the Wiccans slept in each other’s arms, the heat of their love making warming them all night, keeping their intimacy intact. They slept not because they wanted to but because they were tired. They knew the morning would soon come bringing with it more opportunities to know each other.

***

Buffy may have heard it all, if she had actually been paying attention. As she rested in her bed and considered the changes in her destiny, something occurred. A whirlwind opened up in front of her, not unlike the one that had sucked her old roommate Kathy in. Out came two figures who soon identified themselves as The Oracles. Angel and Tara’s descriptions matched these
mysterious beings. Buffy accepted their words in an open-mouthed, yet strangely comforted manner.

“Buffy, you cannot wallow in self pity.”

“I know, but I need some time to adjust.” Buffy couldn’t get used to being a demon… like the ones she killed for so long.

“You can’t run from it. Nothing’s changed. You were always a demon. Just remember, without this opportunity you won’t live past 25. You will be the first to do so. You have a destiny. New powers rise, we need stronger defenders. An experienced slayer will be invaluable.” Their voices echoed around her mind. She knew they were right. She was far more than the Chosen One.

“I just wish my friends weren’t involved.” So many times she had put them in danger and now maybe she was the danger. It scared her how little she would have to do to hurt them; what lay inside her was the distance between her and her closest friends.

“It doesn’t work that way. You all have destinies. Yours is just more obvious than theirs. Earlier you thought damn the authorities, but them,” they gestured towards Willow’s room, “they were meant to be. The three of you have been brought together to help in the fight to come.”

In a world full of prophecies, a predetermined destiny was not a surprise. Buffy thought about her life being tied to her friends and smiled. This certainly couldn’t be bad. And just as these thoughts brought a peace inside her, a certain rogue Slayer made her way into Buffy’s consciousness, jabbing a pin prick of worry into her mind.

“But what about Faith?” She asked aloud but the mysterious beings had left, as suddenly as they had appeared. All that surrounded her was the darkness of the room and a growing uneasiness that she couldn't shake, try as she might. She looked off into the deeper, darker recesses of the room and let the image into her mind again. Faith.

THE END