2

Takes place during Tabula Rasa. Willow pretending to quit for a week for Tara.

Willow set up her altar with rose quartz crystals and red and pink candles. One particularly large, red pillar had four letters carved into it: T-A-R-A. That candle seemed to be the focal point of the altar, everything else was arranged around it.

"I'm going to get you back baby." Willow said, "I promise."

Suddenly the room began to hum, as though someone had plucked an invisible harp string. The noise filled the entire bedroom, steady and low. Willow closed her eyes, focusing on the hum of magic, grasping it with her mind, tapping into it. A rush of pure power flowed into her, stimulating her cells and causing the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck to stand up. This was magic. Real magic. This was what she couldn't give up. Not even for Tara.

Willow opened her eyes and they were black.

"I call upon Suadela, Mhaya, and Arianrhod

Goddesses of love, I command you

Bring my love back to me!"

She took a handful of herbs from a bowl on the altar and scattered them into the flames, releasing a pungent smell into the room.

"Accept my offering.

Do my Will."

The candle flames jumped high and started spouting a thick red steam as Willow began the incantation.

"do ut des

Do ut facias

Ad vitam aut—"

"Willow!" Xander's voice came from the doorway, angry and frightened. Willow had been so caught up in her spell that she hadn't even noticed the door open.

Willow turned a black-eyed glare at him, "It's called knocking!" The door slammed shut by force of her will. She took a second to center herself and to bring her mind back to a peaceful place before beginning the spell again.

"do ut des

Do ut faci—"

Knocking came from the door, disrupting her concentration, "Willow! Let me in!" Xander yelled.

"What's going on?" Willow heard Dawn's voice

"Oh, not much, Willow's just locked herself in her room to do inappropriate magic" And Anya's.

Willow groaned loudly and let go of the thrumming stream of magic she'd tapped. The black in her eyes slipped away, leaving behind a much more natural green-gray. She wouldn't be able to do her spell with so many people out there to distract her. A quick flick of her wrist allowed the door to open. Xander almost fell into the room.

"What's going on in here!?" He asked, his eyes falling on the altar, "Why are you doing magic?!"

"We heard chanting and Latin," Anya said, still in the doorway, "and smelled something decidedly unpleasant, so we knew that something weird was going on. Xander thought it was you but I stood up for you Willow! I said 'Well it's not necessarily Willow, it could be Galarkian Jumble-imps, they're known for their Latin and bad odors.' but Xander was convinced that it was you up to some no-good witchcraft. And I guess he was right, so: yay Xander!"

Everyone stared at Anya for a second before turning back to Willow, disassembling her altar.

"What were you thinking Will?" Xander asked, "You promised Tara you wouldn't do any more magic."

Willow was quiet. Not answering, not even looking at her best friend. All she did was put away her magic equipment. She was especially careful to hide the red candle with Tara's name on it; she didn't need to be in any more trouble than she was already in. Incense, candles, athame, crystals, herbs all went into her trunk until all that was left was a small wooden table with a purple cloth over it.

"Willow?" Suddenly Dawn was next to her, a hand resting on her shoulder. That was the last straw, Willow couldn't hold in her tears anymore.

"I just want everything to be OK again!" She said between sobs.

Dawn's forehead crinkled, "I thought if you didn't do magic everything would be fine?"

Willow shook her head, her eyes glistening. "No." She said, "Tara said 'a week and we'll see.' We'll see." The words had been haunting Willow since they'd been said.

Anya laughed and everyone turned to look at her… again. "Willow, you're being stupid!" She exclaimed before dissolving into giggles.

Xander sighed, "I think what Anya's trying to say is, we'll see, doesn't mean anything Will."

"Yeah!" Dawn exclaimed, "Mom used to say 'We'll see' all the time! Like when I wanted to take driver's ed!"

"Dawnie you never took Driver's ed." Willow said, but the meaning of their words had seemed to sink into her.