The girl runs with remarkable speed and wraps herself around Willow. Willow rather stunned just doesn't know what to do. Xander just shakes his head "Well this is new. Anything you care to share Will?"

Willow still can't answer. The little girl pulls back a bit "Mommy have you found Daddy yet?"

"Daddy!" Willow blurts out. Oh this is so not good.

The little girl just gives her a funny face "Yeah the bad man sent Daddy away and you said you would find him. You said you just needed to open the right door"

Willow looks at Giles for help. Giles thinks he has a basic understanding "I think I might know what's happening"

"Well come on share G man" Xander implores

"I think Willow, not our Willow, but one in another dimension was responsible for the portals and when we exposed Dawn's blood one connected to this world"

"And what? My daughter just fell through" Willow says with seriousness that surprises everyone

"Yes" Giles responds

"So let me see if I've got this straight" Xander begins "This is Willow's daughter from another dimension, a dimension where she like guys apparently. That Willow was opening portals looking for the father and we accidentally ended up with.." Xander stops "What's her name?"

The girl looks at Xander "It's Tara silly. Uncle Xander you're always so funny" the girl giggles.

Xander smirks "Hey in any dimension the Xand man is funny. Ok my life is now complete"

Willow looks at the girl. Tara! She named her daughter Tara (For understanding hence known as little Tara) and wow is this girl smart. She can only be what? 3, 4 and she speaks better than some adults she knows. Willow's thought are interrupted by Giles responding to Xander "Yes you've seemed to sum it up nicely"

At this moment Spike walks in from his daytime sleep "So what have I missed?"

Little Tara looks at Spike and then to Willow "Mommy why is there a vampire here?"

Spike stares at the girl sitting on Willow's lap "Mommy? Something you want to share Red?"

Willow is shocked at the calmness of the girl but more importantly "How did you know he was a vampire?" Willow asks.

"Silly Mommy, he has no heartbeat" little Tara explains matter of factly.

"Wait, you can hear heartbeats?" Buffy asks.

Little Tara nods.

"Still waiting for an explanation" Spike says. Giles sighs and retells the story. Tara who has been deafly quiet this whole time just watches the little girl who shares her name sit on Willow's lap. It occurs to her if they can't get her home then she and Willow have just become parents a lot sooner than they expected.

Spike listens to Giles and looks at the girl. "Yeah can see the resemblance. She's definitely yours Red"

"Oh gee thanks Spike for pointing out the obvious. I think I had that when she called me Mommy" Willow snaps at him.

"Whoa easy Red" Spike backs up.

Tara rubs Willow's back and Willow looks at her "I'm sorry. This is just a lot to take in"

"I know" Tara answers softly.

"Who are you?" Little Tara asks Tara.

Tara pauses "I-I'm T-Tara" she stutters out.

Little Tara smiles "We have the same name"

Tara smiles back "Yes we do. How did you get yours?"

"I was named after Mommy's friend. She's in heaven" little Tara explains.

I'm dead Tara thought then checked to make sure she didn't say it out loud.

She's awful bright for a.. How old is she?" Buffy asks.

Little Tara looks at Buffy "Silly Auntie Buffy, I'm 4"

"Oh sorry" Hey I'm an auntie, Buffy thinks to herself cheerfully.

"So how do we get her back home?" Dawn asks after listening to all this.

Willow groans "Not a clue"

Little Tara yawns. "Can we go home now mommy?"

Oh great Willow thinks. What the heck does she do now? "I'm afraid not yet. We'll stay here tonight ok?" Willow says to little Tara.

The little girl nods as she leans into Willow and begins to drift off to sleep. "Buffy a hand" Willow asks when she realise getting up with a 4 year old is not going to happen.

Buffy gets up and takes the girl. Even she notices the weight "Whoa she's heavy. I wonder what the other you feeds her"

"I don't know but I'll guess we'll find out when she wakes up hungry won't we" Willow answers nervously as she stands up. Oh goddess she is so not ready for this. She takes little Tara back and realises Buffy is right, she is heavy. "I'll take her to my room" Willow then walks off.

"Well this is an interesting way to start the day" Spike observes.

"I have questions" Xander says.

"I think we all do Xander" Dawn says amazed at Xander's ability to state the obvious.

"I meant along the lines of how she can hear heartbeats and why is just way too smart for a 4 year old"

"Not to mention I'm dead" Tara adds.

"Tara we have no way to know if that is you" Giles points out. "As for Xander's points, I don't know. Wait Tara you can see auras right?"

"Well yes but I wasn't really looking, sort of in shock here"

"She's probably just part demon" Spike says.

They all look at him.

"What?"

"I don't think a Willow in any dimension would have a child with a demon" Xander tells Spike.

"Shouldn't we find out. After all she's stuck here. If she is part demon the more dangerous parts of her lineage won't show till she's older"

"I hate it when you're right" Buffy tells him.

Spike smirks "You love me really"

Buffy makes a face "Eww I'm so over that"

"Keep telling yourself that pet"

Tara stands up "I'll go and check on Willow" and read the girl's aura which she doesn't say.

Tara walks into her and Willow's room to find Willow lying next to little Tara. She sits on the bed next to them "Hey" she says in a whisper.

"Hi" Willow responds in the same low voice.

"How is she?" Tara asks.

"Asleep. Spike's right you know. She does look like me except for the eyes. I'm assuming they come from the father" Willow is studying little Tara's face.

"Spike thinks she's part demon" Tara tells her.

"The heartbeat thing right"

Tara nods.

"She does possess power. Now I'm not distracted by what was going on I can feel it" Willow says.

"Well she is your daughter Willow I'm assuming that would make her a possible witch"

"It's more than that. It feels.." Willow struggles for the words "I don't know different"

Tara looks at her and tries to see her aura. It appears beautiful and white and very powerful. It's strangely reminiscent of the sun, not like a demon power at all.

"Tara?" Willow asks noticing her silence.

"I'm reading her aura. It's not dark like you would get from a demon. It's white and pure but you're right about the power though, she has a lot of power"

"So not a demon" Willow says hopefully. She doesn't want any version of her ending up with a demon.

"I don't know. It's not like anything I've ever seen. It actually reminds me of the sun's aura"

Willow looks back at her daughter for lack of a better description. She looks so sweet. Perhaps whatever version of her had this girl was luckier than her. She sighs and looks at Tara "You know by letting her sleep now, we'll probably never get her to sleep tonight"

"She was tired Willow and you know it may have been night time in her dimension"

Willow acknowledged that Tara had a point there. "I wonder what happened to the father. Little Tara here said the bad man sent him away"

Tara smirks "Little Tara?"

"Well I'm going to get you two mixed up if I don't say something different"

Tara laughs before she puts on a serious face "What are we going to do?"

"Different dimension or not, she is my daughter and I'm going to look after her"

Tara moves forward and hugs Willow "I'll help you know"

Willow wraps her arms around Tara in return "I know"


As Willow predicted little Tara refused to go back to sleep until the early morning. She was just glad she was used to late nights. When she wakes up the next morning she finds little Tara next to the window almost bathing in the sunlight that is streaming in. Tara has slept in another room so not to make things more confusing than they were already. The little girl turns and smiles "Morning mommy" she says in her cheerful way.

Willow couldn't help but smile in return "Morning. So what do you want for breakfast?"

Little Tara makes a face "You're not cooking are you?"

Ok so Willow's double obviously wasn't a master chef. Goddess the look on little Tara's face is so adorable. "That's not answering the question Tara"

Little Tara looks at her and Willow could swear she sees cogs move as the little girl thinks "Ooh I know. Pancakes"

"Ok then pancakes" Willow wasn't that fond of them so she guessed little Tara got it off her father. Despite everything, her being gay mostly, she would really like to meet the man who in a sense gave her this daughter. Oh goddess in one day she was getting really attached to her, perhaps too attached.

At breakfast Willow watches in some amazement as little Tara makes her way through enough pancakes to give Buffy a run for her money. Willow has no idea where she puts it all. The others are also somewhat stunned.

"Healthy appetite she has there" Xander says to Willow.

"Tell me about it" Willow replies. "So Giles any ideas about you know what?" Willow didn't want to say in front of little Tara this not being her home or her not being mommy.

"Not really I'm afraid. I mean we could open a portal no problem but we have no idea where to open it to" Giles informs her.

"I was afraid of that" Willow says sadly. She then spots Buffy and little Tara fighting over the last pancake.

"Auntie Buffy it's mine" little Tara proclaims.

"Don't think so. Never come between a Slayer and her pancakes" Buffy jokily says back.

Buffy moves her fork towards the plate with the last pancake, but before she gets there Little Tara in a blur grabs it and places it on her plate. Even Buffy could barely follow her movement. Little Tara sticks her tongue out at Buffy and starts eating.

"Did you see that?" Dawn says open mouthed.

Willow nods affirmatively.

"Giles how did she do that?" Buffy asks.

Giles just shakes his head. A 4 year old that could move as fast as a slayer if not faster. Maybe Spike was right about the part demon remark yesterday. "I'm afraid I'm not sure. Tara did you read her aura?"

Tara has been eating quietly still trying to come terms with all this. "Yes I did. I didn't see any demon power in her. Her aura was white and pure, which isn't unusual in a child"

"Yeah but most children couldn't kick Buffy's butt" Xander says in a joke. He gets a patented Buffy glare in return.

"Perhaps we could test her blood" Giles suggests.

Willow rather horrified wraps her arms around little Tara "No way Giles! You are not cutting her open"

"Willow I'm not suggesting that. We just take some blood, with a needle like normal people do" Giles says trying to reassure Willow. He can't help but notice she's already rather fond of the girl. This was going to be trouble.


Willow is sitting with little Tara as one of the medically trained slayers prepares to take some blood. Little Tara is not happy "Mommy I hate needles"

"So do I but this has to be done so you'll be brave for mommy right" Willow tries to sooth her.

Little Tara nods and the slayer, Kate, gets the needle ready. However when she tries to puncture the skin the needle breaks. Kate brings it to her eye level "I don't think we'll get blood this way"

Willow just stares at the needle. Ok just what manner of being fathered her child? Wait did she just think 'my child'? Yep she did. Oh this was trouble.

"So the needle broke" Xander says trying to sum up what happened.

"3 needles actually. Kate wanted to make sure" Willow informs the gang who are all sitting around a table.

"So her skin is unbreakable" Dawn summarises.

"Looks like" Willow answers.

"Where is Tara?" Giles asks then notices Tara sitting there with them "Not you the other Tara.." he trails off.

"We're going with little Tara and she's with Auntie Buffy" Willow tells him.

"Doing what?" Giles asks

Willow smiles "Hitting Spike. Buffy wanted to see if she was strong as well as fast. Spike's good for that"

At this moment Buffy walks in with little Tara holding her hand. She breaks free and runs to Willow "Mommy!"

"Hello there" Willow says as she picks her up "Have fun?"

Little Tara nods "I hit the mean old vampire" she says enthusiastically.

"Where is Spike?" Tara asks.

"Unconscious" Buffy replies as she sits down.

"Wait Spike got beaten up by a little girl" Xander could barely contain his glee "Tell me you took pictures"

Buffy smirks "The whole thing's on the security recording"

Xander bursts out laughing "Oh this is priceless. I'll get years of fun out of this"

No-one notices Dawn scratching herself.

"She knocked Spike out" Giles repeats somewhat flabbergasted.

"It's his own fault. He got on his knees and told her to hit him as hard as she could. She right hooked him, his jaw dislocated and out and he went out like a light" Buffy recounts the events.

"She knocked Spike out with one punch!" Giles could barely believe it.

Dawn is now glowing green and Tara notices "Err Dawn, you're glowing"

"I am? Oh not again" Dawn says. She can't believe this. At that moment a portal rips open.