'
So,' Willow said evenly, 'You're trying to tell me you're a vampire?'Tara turned on her patented shy smile. Willow had to concede it was a little fangy.
'It kinda looks that way. I'm a nice one though. I'm not going to bite you. I couldn't. You're my girl.'
'No such thing as a nice vamp.' Willow muttered. 'Show me those teeth again.'
Tara displayed her fully developed set of vampire fangs. Willow had a good look, and tug, then kissed Tara full on the mouth.'
'Feels sort of nice.' She conceded. 'You sure no-one's bitten you recently?'
'You.'
'Apart from me! Goddess, Tara, you're a vampire! Doesn't that bother you at all?'
Tara pouted. 'You don't love me anymore, just because I'm undead.'
'You are not undead!' Willow said irately. 'Is it just the teeth?'
'No. I missed class this morning 'cos I burst into flames on the way to the lecture.'
'Are you okay, baby?' Willow asked, suddenly concerned.
'Yeah, we heal pretty quickly. And then, of course, there's the craving.'
'Oh my God! Blood?'
'Chocolate. You know it's that time.'
'So you don't want blood?'
'Well I did have a craving for Miss Kitty earlier.'
'Tara! Don't you dare!'
'Joke. Hee hee.'
'I'm always up for a joke, but that was beyond the realms of light entertainment.'
'Reflection!'
'What?'
'We don't have one!'
Tara rushed over to the mirror. 'Ooooh!'
Willow hurried up behind her. A faint, translucent image of Tara looked back at them.
'Ahhhh.' Tara said, as if watching a firework display.
'Mmmmmm.' Willow added. A germ of a thought was beginning to brew in the back of her mind. 'What other vamp stuff is there?'
'Like?'
'You know, vamp mythology guff?'
'Jeez Will, you're the pro!'
'I know, I know. I've gone blank. Yes! Got it.'
She grabbed Tara's hand and dragged her out of the room. She pulled Tara after her down the dorm corridor and knocked randomly on one of the dormroom doors. There was no answer. She tried another. A pretty teenaged girl that Willow knew vaguely as Sarah opened the door.
'Hey.' Willow said.
'Hey.' Sarah replied, slightly suspiciously.
'Don't invite us in, okay?'
'O-kay…'
'Go in, Tara.' Willow instructed.
Tara went to walk through the open door, tripped on an invisible obstacle, and fell face first into Sarah's room. The two girls helped her up. Blood streamed down her face from where she had cracked her nose on the floor.
'I hurt by dose!' she announced.
'Are you two auditioning some kind of cabaret act?' Sarah asked, 'Cos, take it from me, it needs work.'
'Sorry Sarah. Tara here is pathologically clumsy. Trying to break down the psychology.'
'So, am I a vamp or not?' Tara asked cheerily.
'You sound like you want to be one!'
'Well, I could be all grrr! And scare people. You could be my goon.'
'Why do I have to be your goon? I could be your fiendishly clever lover. Why am I even saying this? I'm gonna wake up in a minute.'
'Hey, let's go see Buffy!'
'What, so she can stake you?'
'Ooh, dusted! No, she'll know. She's The Slayer and she's a babe!'
'Tara!'
'Sorry, vamp me's kinda party girl, I think. But Buff, good idea, no?'
'Yes. But if she stakes you, we're gonna have a big fight, and I might have to kill her all to death, and then where will I be? Dead girlfriend, dead best friend.'
'Oh, she'd mash you!'
'True.'
'Let's go.'
'Okay.'
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'Well, this one just takes the cookie.' Buffy observed, running her fingers over Tara's fangs again.
'She's got the teeth, the sensitivity to light, half a reflection and she trips up when she tries to go into a room uninvited. Willow, are you thinking what I'm thinking?'
'Three words.'
'Ethan.'
'Bloody.'
'Rayne.'
Buffy sighed. 'Round Robin.'
'It's a spell. Clearly a spell.' Giles didn't get any further, doubled up in laughter as he was. Anya was practically on the floor in paroxysms of mirth.
'What is wrong with you people?' Willow howled. 'Tara could have burned to death this morning! You find that funny?'
She looked for support to Buffy, who was too busy glaring arrows at Giles.
Xander was taking another close look at Tara's fangs. He made a very poor show of hiding his lust towards Tara. 'God…that…is…so…sexy.'
'You think?' Tara seemed happy with this. 'Sorry Xander, these teeth are for Willow alone. You're very nice though. Except you're a boy.'
'Anya? Honey? Do you mind staying at your place tonight, there's a few things I need to contemplate?'
'You're sick, Xander. Don't think that I don't know you're sick.'
'Do you have to be here?' Willow said to Anya. 'You don't care about Tara.'
'Actually, you're wrong. I do care about Tara. It's you I don't care about.'
'Woah there ladies,' Xander interjected, 'Normally I like a cat fight as much as the next man, but since I love you both I'm going to have to say, woah there ladies.'
'I knew it!' Anya squealed, 'I've seen how you look at her, Xander. You might as well wear a sign on your head saying 'I want to screw Willow Rosenberg'. Such a tragedy for you that she gets more girls than you do!'
'Okay,' Willow announced. 'Fist fight.'
'Fucking Ethan Rayne.'
Everyone stopped and looked at Buffy. She barely ever used that word. 'This happens every time he pulls one of his little stunts. Chaos theory, guys. Always gets us at each other's throats.'
'Literally, in Tara's case.' Anya suggested.
'And what's with you, Giles?' Buffy asked. 'Don't you care about Willow?'
'Of course I do. It's just..'
'Just nothing. If you care about Willow, you care about Tara. Did it occur to you that this condition might get worse?'
'Of course you're right, Buffy. I'm sorry, I'd been having a little drink…'
'You know what I think he's up to?' Xander interrupted. 'It's an initiation. New Scoob. Right of passage.'
'Very Ethan.' Buffy admitted.
'Could be you next.' Willow said pointedly to Anya.
'Clearly there is no demon inhabiting Tara.' Giles said. 'He's just pulling a variation on the demon trick he worked on me.'
'How do we find him?' Buffy asked.
'I still have friends at the Council. We can find him.'
'Then maybe we can do a little spell of our own.' Buffy grinned evilly.
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Ethan Rayne double locked his apartment and headed into the yard. He considered it sensible policy these days, to make himself scarce when he pulled one of his little 'gags' on The Slayer or her chums. LA would do for a while. He searched for his car keys. He was determined not to get a thrashing this time.
'Ethan Rayne?'
The girl who stepped out of the shadows was stunning. A cascade of blonde hair, big dark eyes, a full red pout of a mouth. Sprayed on leather pants and a matching lace up top that hinted at a very inviting cleavage. Ethan took a step closer. The girl stepped into the bright security light. She smiled, revealing the full vampire fangs.
'I'm grateful to you Ethan,' she purred, 'I was so boring before. I feel all liberated now. You know, I like guys and stuff now. Do you like me, Ethan?'
He took another look at Tara. She really was very appealing. 'Don't do anything you'll regret, dear. It'll wear off in a couple of days and you'll be sorry.'
'Hey Ethan. Don't you like Willow? Don't you think she's so cute? She's scared of me. She'll do anything for me. She'll join us, do anything you want. Anything. Or you can just watch us…'
Ethan's resolve was very close to breaking. He'd never had an invite quite so appealing…but..
'I'd love to. I really would. But I think that Buffy's round the corner. Sorry ducks.'
Ethan turned back to his car. A spine curdling hiss span him back round. Tara reared over him, wearing full vamp face. Ethan promptly soiled himself.
'Tara doesn't like to be turned down, Ethan!' She gripped his shirt and lifted him full off the ground. 'The sex would have been exceptional Ethan. Course, we'd have killed you afterwards. Now all you get is killed. Tough break.'
'What happened?' he croaked.
'Oh I was all forlorn after your little spell. Went for a wander and met this sweet little vamp. She was so pissed off at what you did to me she turned me. And I have to say, I'm loving it!
Ethan sighed. 'Bloody Chaos Theory.'
Tara sank her teeth deep into Ethan's neck. 'Ta, ta, old boy.'
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'Anything!' Buffy almost stuttered with joy.'I would have done anything to see his face! 'Honey, you look awesome!'
Tara, still in full-on vamp gear giggled. 'It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. He honestly soiled himself. I guess he'll be in the ER most of the night. Even minor puncture wounds have to be patched up.'
'Do the face again.' Xander encouraged.
Tara shook her head. 'Those spells are pretty tough. It's strange magic to do a demon face. And they're wearing off now. I'm gonna keep a low profile the next few days just in case.I don't know how long the fangs will last.'
'I've got you're stuff if you want to get changed.' Buffy offered.
Tara and Willow exchanged glances. Willow shook her head vigorously. Tara smiled. 'That's okay'
'Another Ethan tale bites the dusk.' Xander said. 'Can't we visit him with a plague of boils or something?
'Nah,' said Buffy. 'With Ethan around there's always an ass to be kicked. I like to kick ass. Its….
Tara and Willow slipped out without anyone noticing