The sun was still down, the moon high and large when the peace of Revello Drive was broken by a scream. Willow and Tara each snapped up in their bed, rushing into the hall. Dawn appeared from her own room, looking at the witches in confusion. Spike dashed soundlessly up from the bottom of the stairs and their eyes turned simultaneously to Buffy's room.
Dawn was first through the door, seeing Buffy sitting up in her bed, sheets tangled around her legs while she gasped for breath. "Dawnie?" the Slayer asked, disoriented. "Will, Tara? Spike?" She yanked her sheets up to cover her shirt. "Out!" she demanded, pointing him back toward the door.
He threw both arms up in the air, grumbling. "Fine! Try to help you, make sure you're safe, and this is the thanks I get."
Buffy let out a deep breath, seeing that he didn't go far, just leaned against the doorframe of her room with his back to the others. "Good enough, I guess," she muttered.
"Buffy, what happened?" Willow asked, worried. "You screamed."
"Bad dream," the Slayer gasped. "There were these guys, in robes. They were chasing this girl." She looked up at her friends. "I think they killed her." Her eyes focused on Willow. "Does 'from beneath you, it devours' mean anything to you?" she asked, frowning.
The witch shook her head, confused. "No, should it?" she asked.
"No, I don't think so, but she said it, and I didn't know if it was, you know, something mystical people might know about that I'm clueless on," Buffy explained.
Willow glanced at Tara for confirmation, shrugging. "Nothing I've ever heard before. We could call Giles," she suggested, looking at the clock on Buffy's bedside table. "He's awake for sure."
"I can call him later," Buffy decided.
"The Hellmouth," Spike chimed in from the hallway, still not looking at the women. "It's beneath us, it devours." He shifted his weight, arms crossing over his chest.
The others exchanged looks, Buffy's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You know, he may be right," she admitted, smirking as he grumbled in the hall. "But I'll call Giles, just to ask," she added, taking a deep breath.
"And you can brag on your new job," Willow reminded her, trying to break the tense atmosphere that still lingered in the room.
Buffy groaned, flopping back in her bed. "Aww, man, it's my first day today, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Dawn said, glaring. "Unless you don't want to go. No one would blame you, Buffy," she encouraged her sister. "Do it! Quit!"
"She's not going to quit," Tara chided, nudging the younger girl with an elbow. "And she's not just doing it to torture you," she continued preemptively, giving Dawn a knowing look.
Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. "Whatever," she said, shrugging. "Well, if nothing is going on, I'm going to get some more sleep before I have to get ready for school."
She left the room with a final huff of annoyance at her sister and Willow took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Was this the first time you've had a dream like that?" she asked. "I've never heard you scream like that."
Buffy shook her head, sitting up and leaning her elbows on her knees. "I've actually been having them every few days for weeks now. Every night a different girl. I just… this time I saw them kill her."
Willow and Tara exchanged looks, the blonde sliding one hand into the back of Willow's hair, squeezing her hand once before letting her fingers comb down the length of her hair. "I'll let you guys talk," she murmured, giving Buffy a nod before she left the room.
The old friends locked eyes and Willow curled her leg up underneath herself. "Is it always the same?" she asked.
"No," Buffy answered. "Always different girls, different cities, they get killed different ways." She took a deep breath. "But there's something they have in common! I just don't know what it is. But, Will, I know they're out there - more of them!" She let her breath out, shoulders slumping. "But they're going to die."
Willow sighed, frowning down at the Slayer's legs concealed beneath the sheets. "Have you told Giles about the dreams?"
"No, not really. I mean, I guess I was hoping they weren't real." She slumped further, leaning her head against her crossed arms. "I'm not so sure anymore. It felt real, Will." She lifted her eyes to meet Willow's without lifting her head. "I could feel it…" She didn't say anything else, the look in her eyes telling Willow exactly what her friend meant.
"Call Giles," the redhead prompted. "I don't know what else to tell you, but he'd want to hear about this. And he might have some ideas." She grimaced as sunlight started to glow outside of the window. "Good morning," she groaned, covering a yawn with one hand.
Buffy laughed wearily. "Sorry about the screaming wake-up," she apologized. "What time is it in England?"
Willow did the mental math quickly, laughing. "Noon."
"Perfect," Buffy groaned, one hand trying to locate her phone blindly on the nightstand.
"You're not going to try and sleep?" Willow asked, standing up as Buffy rolled to try and get a hand on her cell phone. "It's a big day, with the new job and all."
The Slayer sighed, shaking her head. "That's exactly why I don't think I'd be able to sleep." She'd been going to the school for the last two weeks as an observer, but today would be her first day interacting with the students.
Willow nodded, rubbing tiredly at her hair and dragging her hand down over her face. "Okay, well tell him we all say 'hey' and send love, all that good stuff," she requested, pointing back over her shoulder. "I'm going to try and catch a little bit more sleep."
"Cool," Buffy agreed, laying back down flat in her bed with the phone held above her face while she dialed.
Willow could hear Dawn tossing and turning in her own room, the teen's door closed behind her. Spike was gone as well, evidently retreating back to the basement before the sunlight filled the living room and left him trapped in the upstairs hallway.
The room to her bedroom was open and Willow was surprised to see that Tara was in the middle of getting dressed. "Aww," the redhead pouted. "No trying-to-go-back-to-bed snuggles?" she asked, sliding up behind her and curling her arms around her fiancée's waist.
"Breakfast," Tara answered.
"Come on," Willow protested. "It's not even six!"
Tara leaned back into her, hands resting on Willow's at her waist. "I have some things I wanted to do today. And we're already awake."
"Oh, well those kind of things don't require you getting dressed," Willow reminded her.
Tara laughed, swatting at Willow's arms. "Not those things," she corrected her. "Just a few errands to run."
"Errands? What errands?" the redhead questioned in confusion.
"I'm not telling you," Tara said teasingly, her hands moving back and forth lightly over Willow's arms. Willow's jaw dropped, the witch immediately pouting again. "It's a secret."
"Secret? We're getting married! No secrets!"
Tara turned her head to press a kiss to her cheek. "It's nothing bad, sweetheart. You trust me, right?"
"Of course I do, but I don't like the sound of these secret errands," Willow protested, nudging her head against Tara's.
The blonde giggled, positioning her lips against Willow's ear. "Do you like the sound of our honeymoon?" she asked, voice low.
Willow shivered, swallowing with a suddenly dry throat. "Yeah, definitely like the sound of that," she agreed breathily.
"Well, then let me have my errands, okay?" Tara requested. "And think of it as a surprise more than a secret."
Willow nodded, feeling Tara's breath against her neck. "On second thought, I'm liking the sound of these errands more and more."
"I thought I might be able to bring you around," Tara teased, pressing a kiss to Willow's temple.
The redhead laughed, squeezing her gently. "You always do, hon," she agreed, reluctantly letting her hands slide off of Tara's waist. "You're so lucky you don't have classes today."
"You set up your own schedule, sweetheart," Tara reminded her.
"Yeah, yeah," Willow groused, swatting lightly at her lover's butt while Tara resumed getting dressed, her fingers buttoning the front of her blouse. "Boo," the redhead jeered softly as Tara's skin was covered, collecting a towel for herself. "There's no point in going back to bed by myself, so I might as well take a shower, alone…" she complained, winking over her shoulder at Tara.
"Whine, whine, whine, my love," Tara sent back, not taking the bait.
"I hope I can at least get lucky on this honeymoon of ours!" Willow responded loudly, grinning.
"I'd say that's a fair bet," Tara agreed with a laugh. "And tonight seems like it could be a possibility," she teased.
"I'll hold you to that," Willow promised. "And that," she added, pointing to their bed.
Tara arched an eyebrow at her, grinning. "Buffy's dream wasn't anything end-of-the-world-y, was it?" she asked, just to check.
"Not yet," Willow answered, shrugging. "She's calling Giles to get a second opinion, but so far there's nothing to interrupt any plans we want to make for tonight."
"Good," Tara agreed. "Want to go out?" She heard the water come on in the shower behind her and she straightened up her perfume bottle on the dresser after she dabbed some on each wrist and behind her ear where she knew it drove Willow crazy. "We could make a date of it."
"Yeah," Willow called over the water, grinning through the doorway at her. "That will be fun! I had a few last minute wedding things I wanted to go over with you."
"Over a month before isn't 'last minute,' baby," Tara responded, laughing. "Well, to anyone but you, at least."
Willow stuck her tongue out at her before ducking back into the bathroom, steam starting to cloud out through the open doorway. Tara left her girlfriend to her shower, going downstairs to get breakfast together for the rest of the household.
Xander picked up Dawn and Buffy for school on the Hellmouth while Willow went to her classes at the college, leaving Tara to run her errands. Buffy was the first one home, the Slayer obviously anxious, pacing the living room as soon as she came through the door. Tara looked up from the wedding book that had become a permanent fixture on the coffee table, trying to anticipate what Willow would be needlessly stressing herself out about.
"Is everything okay, Buffy?" the witch asked, putting the big binder back on the table.
The Slayer shook her head, still pacing. "Yes, no, I don't know." She laughed bitterly. "Less than helpful, I know," she commented. "I talked to this girl today who said she was going to die on Friday. I'm not really sure what to do about it. I mean, I told the principal, but he isn't going to do anything…"
Tara sat up straighter, her hands sliding over her thighs. "Sometimes kids say things, Buffy. High school is rough on everyone…"
"But it's high school on the Hellmouth! That place does stuff to people. Like, when we were there, there was this girl who was all lonely, and she turned invisible! And she was kidnapping people and trying to cut us, and that school did it to her. I don't want it to do anything to this girl."
Tara nodded, swallowing. "Sure, yeah. Well, we won't let it," she assured her friend. "What do we know about this girl?"
Buffy shrugged, running both hands through her hair. Dawn came in just then, scowling at her sister. "Dawn, what do you know about Cassie?" she asked immediately.
"Jeez, you followed me all day at school! Can't I get two seconds without you in my face?" Dawn shot back, dropping her book bag and storming upstairs.
Willow entered through the still open front door, looking up the stairs as they all heard a door slam. "I guess school didn't go great?" the redhead offered, eyes traveling between the blondes.
"Spectacularly," Buffy objected sarcastically. "Some kid told me she's going to die on Friday, but she insists she's not going to kill herself. She said she saw it… She said I was there, and we were in the dark, and there were coins, and then she was dead!"
Willow blinked at the outpouring, nodding. "Okay, well we'll figure it out. Maybe she's just being dramatic."
"I don't think that's what this is. She was specific. And it's like she didn't even care!"
Willow held up both hands in surrender. "Okay, well give me a second to boot up and we'll find out if there's anything about her online."
Buffy nodded, pacing again. "Thanks Will."
"Yeah, no problem," the witch responded, carrying her bag to the dining room table and starting up her computer. She took a seat at the table, Buffy and Tara flanking her on either side to read over her shoulder. Tara let one hand rest on the back of Willow's neck, fingers playing idly with her girlfriend's hair. "What's her last name?" the redhead requested, fingers poised over the keys.
"Um…" Buffy hesitated, trying to remember. Dawn stomped back down the stairs and the Slayer called a question over her shoulder, "Dawn, what's that Cassie girl's last name?"
"Newton," Dawn answered shortly. "I'm going downstairs to hang out with Spike."
"Cassie Newton," Willow recited, typing it diligently into the computer.
Buffy was scowling, leaning backward to watch Dawn take the stairs down into the basement. "What do you think she's doing down there with him?" she wondered out loud.
"Buffy," Willow chided. "Don't push her. She didn't seem too happy with you already. Don't make it worse." She clicked on something even as the front door of the house opened, Xander and Anya letting themselves in.
"We're here to mooch dinner," he announced, lifting one hand to wave as the women greeted them both.
Tara laughed, still playing with Willow's hair. "I haven't actually started dinner yet, but we've got some Scooby-age to work on until it's ready."
"On your first day?" Xander asked, leaning over Buffy to read over Willow's shoulder. "Whoa. Kids are dark these days," he commented, reading the webpage the redhead had pulled up.
"That's just how teenage girls are, Xand. Everything is life and death, and super dramatic and just must be expressed in the form of bad poetry." She smirked at him over her shoulder. "I can't say there's not one or two bad love poems I wrote out there."
The others laughed, looking at Tara in surprise. "Don't look at me," the blonde objected. "She's never written me any poetry."
"Then who was it about?" Xander asked. "Oz?"
Willow shook her head, sighing without moving her eyes from the computer screen. "No, dummy, it was about you, and no, you cannot read them. You missed your chance with this hot mama-yamma."
"He's married, Willow!" Anya protested, curling both arms around her husband's chest. "You can't have him!"
"I don't want him, Anya," Willow agreed. "I'm engaged to Tara, remember? She's the only one I want." She glanced up from the computer to give the former demon a reassuring smile. "I promise."
Anya seemed to consider this, nodding finally. "Okay, but I'll be very relieved when you two are married."
"Oh, me too," Willow agreed, leaning back to smile at Tara. "And trust me, it's better that I never wrote you any poetry. You probably wouldn't be marrying me now if you'd ever read any of my attempts at poetry."
"I don't know about that," Tara protested. "I'm sure it was good, baby."
The redhead snorted, shaking her head. "No, it really wasn't. I'm relieved that no one's ever found it or I'd have to kill them and myself out of embarrassment."
"You know it's now my life's mission to find these poems," Xander stated. Willow sent him a glare over her shoulder and he cleared his throat. "What's the story on this girl?"
"She came into my office today and said she was going to die next Friday," Buffy explained, still reading the site. "This is a lot of poems."
"Teens are dramatic," Willow agreed. "And speaking of dramatic teens, maybe you should give Dawn something to do, you know, get her to help us out. She could talk to Cassie, spend some time with her at school."
The Slayer stood up straight, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, maybe she'll forgive me for working at her school if she's involved with the Scooby stuff." She squeezed Willow's shoulder. "You keep working on that, I'm going to go talk to her."
The witch gave her a noise of acknowledgement and the Slayer backed out of the group surrounding the computer, moving into the kitchen. She opened the door to the basement, taking two steps before she realized that she was definitely hearing the sound of heavy breathing.
"Oh, hell no!" she gasped, a single jump taking her all the way to the bottom of the steps. "Spike!" There was a crash behind her and she turned to see that Dawn was sprawled on a training mat on the floor, breathing hard and sweating. Spike was on the far side of the room, sweating himself.
"Buffy," he greeted her dryly. "Little sis's got some real talent."
"You're dead!" Buffy growled, lifting him off his feet by his throat.
"Buffy! What are you doing to him?" Dawn demanded, rushing to her sister's side and trying to pull her back.
"What was he doing to you?" Buffy demanded.
Dawn blinked in confusion. "We were sparring! He's been training me. He threw me because someone made me lose my concentration!"
"Training you? That's what I've been doing…" Buffy said, confused.
"Me first," Spike chimed in, smirking.
"We've been working out since you guys were all in England. You weren't here, Buffy. Spike knew I wasn't a little kid anymore and he agreed to help me. We just didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't like it," Dawn explained, slapping the Slayer's arms. "Now, put him down!"
Buffy didn't comply, still holding him up. "Exactly how old do you think she is?" she asked, glaring up at the vampire. They'd had exactly one physical encounter before she'd left with Willow and the others for England but neither one had ever mentioned it and she knew that he knew without asking that if he ever brought it up she'd stake him without a regret. And if he came up with the wrong answer for her questions now it would be an even swifter death.
"Buffy!" Dawn squealed shrilly. "Eww! It's not like that!"
"Spike?" Buffy asked, ignoring her sister and keeping her eyes locked on Spike's.
"It's okay, little bit," he said calmly, hands trying to reach his pocket. "She's sixteen," he stated. "And I know it. And just so you know, 'little bit' is a pseudonym for a little sister type figure." Buffy didn't speak, letting out a deep breath and lowering Spike back to his feet. "Thanks," he said, finding his cigarettes in the pockets of his jeans and pulling one out, looking down at its crooked tip with a sigh. "You alright, kiddo?" he asked Dawn. "That was a bad fall."
Dawn nodded, rubbing at her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine," she agreed.
"How come he can call you 'kiddo' without getting his head bit off?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because he treats me like an adult!" Dawn shot back.
Buffy shifted her feet uncomfortably as Spike looked on, smug expression on his face. "Okay," she agreed slowly. "You're right. I'll do better, Dawn."
"I'll believe it when I see it," her sister protested, catching the towel Spike tossed to her and wiping sweat from her face.
"That's fair," Buffy acceded. "I could use your help with something. That girl at school, Cassie, any chance you could talk to her, figure out what her deal is?"
Dawn looked doubtful, but nodded. "Sure," she agreed, taking the bottle of water Spike handed her. "Thanks," she told him politely, grinning as he winked at her.
Buffy stood in awkward silence, shifting her feet. "Okay, thanks," she said, feeling the tension between herself and her sister still lingering. "You guys have fun, I guess." She retreated without speaking again, closing the basement door behind her when she reached the kitchen. She dropped into a chair at the table, letting her head lean against the tabletop, banging it repeatedly.
"How'd it go?" Willow asked sympathetically, giving her a friend a smile around the computer.
"Tara, you had a brother. How did you not kill each other when you were sixteen?" Buffy asked, not lifting her head.
The blonde witch blinked, unconsciously withdrawing to cross both arms over her stomach. "Um, well, I actually think he might have been trying to kill me when we were sixteen."
Buffy's head lifted in a hurry and she grimaced. "Sorry, Tara! I kind of forgot. I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay," Tara protested quickly. "No big deal, Buffy." She gave the Slayer a reassuring smile, looking down at Willow as the redhead gave her a quick look over her shoulder. "Donny isn't quite Dawn. She's just trying to figure out who she is. Cut her some slack."
Buffy nodded, groaning. "I'm going to give her some space," she agreed. "I just accused her and Spike of having sex," she confessed with a grimace, letting her head drop back to the table with a thud to hide her own face.
"What?" Xander bellowed, rising uncontrollably to his feet.
"They're not!" Buffy called him back quickly. "It was a misunderstanding." She quickly explained what had happened in the basement, blushing in embarrassment as she finished her story. "And so ends the tales of 'how Buffy screws up again - the Dawn edition.'"
"Very amusing," Anya agreed. "I don't get why Dawn does not want to have sex with Spike though. He's quite good looking. If I didn't have Xander's penis for myself, I would be interested to see how Spike does with his."
"What?" Xander bellowed again. "Anya!"
She just looked at him blankly. "I'm sure he could not give me as many orgasms as you do," she said in what was supposed to be reassurance.
The others exchanged looks as the couple started bickering loudly. Willow picked up her laptop without a word, leading the blondes into the kitchen while Buffy hit the stopper at the bottom of the swinging door that would separate the kitchen from the dining room and hopefully cut off some of the noise.
Tara started working on dinner and Willow and Buffy kept scouring the internet for clues. Willow suggested Buffy pick up Cassie's file from the school to give them more leads to go on. They called Dawn up for dinner, the teen pointedly ignoring her sister the whole time before retreating back downstairs to practice the card tricks that Spike had been teaching her.
Despite their best efforts, it was Friday before they knew it. Buffy was anxious to keep anything from getting to Cassie, so Willow agreed to joining her at the school to keep an eye on her. Dawn had done her part buddying up to the other girl, but couldn't find anything.
Dawn was distracted after school and lost track of Cassie, but Buffy sent her sister home with Xander while she and Willow stayed on campus and searched. Buffy kept searching the basement, convinced the Hellmouth would play a role in anything that happened to Cassie. Willow kept herself further away from the basement, searching the other three floors from the top down. Most of the classrooms were dark and locked, but the sun was still going down by the time she returned to the ground floor. She realized that she had naturally turned to go toward the library, which was now the principal's office and remained the surface portal to the Hellmouth. With a shuddering breath she turned her back on it, deliberately walking the other way.
Buffy was coming out of the basement when Willow passed the door to the stairs, the Slayer shaking her head with a sigh. They both looked over when the lights in the library flickered, exchanging looks. The outer doors were locked but the flicker of fire was more visible, shadows moving around the room. Buffy put her shoulder into the door at a run and it shook but didn't open. The second hit knocked it open, a crossbow bolt flying in the same second and narrowly missing Willow's face.
"You okay?" Buffy gasped, rolling to her feet.
Willow rubbed a hand at her cheek where the tail had burned past her ear. "I'm okay. It missed."
The Slayer nodded, staying low as they heard the people reacting to the crash of their intrusion. "I'll fight whatever is up there, you get the girl," she said, getting the witch's nod before she lunged into the middle of the circle of robed young men. "I'm here to tell you," she stated as she kicked the first one who jumped at her. "These's human sacrificing-demon raising ritual things, they never end well when I'm around."
Another boy jumped on her back and she flipped him into a bookcase. A kick sent another boy flying and Willow bolted past her to where Cassie was tied up in the middle of the emblem the guys had painted. The witch got the ropes off of her wrists and started back toward the door with her just as the demon the boys had summoned appeared. Willow quickly jerked Cassie behind a low bookcase as Buffy backpedaled from slashing claws.
"I need a weapon here!" the Slayer called, looking for anything in the debris that she could use. "Or some help!"
Willow checked her surroundings, not seeing a weapon anywhere near her. "Stay down," she told Cassie sternly, pushing the younger girl's head down. One Latin word had a ball of fire balanced on her palm and she slung it at the demon's back. The fire spread quickly across his back quickly and Willow ducked.
"Thank you!" Buffy called, jumping back into the fray. "Now get her out of here!"
Willow obeyed immediately, guiding the teen toward the door with her. Cassie was leaning heavily on Willow's arm, her free hand on her chest. The witch turned away for a second to check on Buffy, Cassie pulling her the other way suddenly. "Buffy!" Willow called, struggling to catch her. "I need help out here!"
The Slayer was there a second later, but Cassie was dead before they got her lowered to the floor. The old friends' eyes met over the girl's body, both stunned and silent. Buffy double checked Cassie's pulse while Willow scrambled to dial an ambulance. They were still sitting in the hallway floor when the EMTs showed up. They explained what had happened and were allowed to leave. The medic told them that it appeared that the girl's heart had given out.
Buffy and Willow were silent as they walked home, the Slayer opening the door to let them in. Dawn and Tara were on the sofa and Spike was lounging on the floor, his head propped against the base of the couch. "How'd it go?" Dawn asked, sitting up.
Buffy didn't speak and Willow just shook her head. Tara was off the couch in a second, crossing the room to wrap Willow up in a comforting embrace. Buffy blinked in surprise as she was folded into a hug by Dawn a moment later.
"You tried, Buffy," her sister breathed. "You couldn't have done anything."
Buffy's voice was hoarse as she spoke. "You don't even know what happened."
"But I know you, Buffy," Dawn protested. "If there was anything you could have done, you'd have done it. You've been trying to figure out a way to save her all week."
The Slayer sighed, leaning her head against her sister's shoulder. "What kind of demon was it, Slayer? I'll help you take it down," Spike offered, sitting up.
"I got the demon, but thank you, Spike," Buffy said, giving him a bitter smile.
"Then what happened?" he asked, frowning.
"Her heart gave out," Willow chimed in, her face buried in Tara's neck. "There was nothing we could do."
Tara breathed deeply, leaning her head against Willow's. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."
Buffy curled her arm around Dawn's shoulder, guiding her sister back to the couch. Willow and Tara went to an armchair rather than the couch, the redhead curling herself into her fiancée's lap, taking comfort from her presence, the steady beat of Tara's heart against her back.
They didn't speak, just sat in silence, Buffy silently worried about her new job, the mysterious dreams she was still having, and their apparently imminent being swallowed into the Hellmouth. Spike hadn't had any more crazy episodes, but she wasn't sure he'd tell her even if he had. After tonight though, she had some hope that Dawn might tell her if the vampire confided in her.
It was dark before anyone spoke again, Buffy rising from the couch to patrol. Spike and Dawn followed her into the darkness, leaving Willow and Tara alone in the dim living room. The blonde was the first to break the quiet, whispering into Willow's ear. "I'm sorry about what happened today. What can I do?"
"Don't ever die," Willow answered promptly. "I don't know what I'd do if…"
Tara shook her head, her own fingers finding the still fading scar on the side of Willow's neck where she'd been grazed by a bullet earlier that year. "You know I can't promise you that, sweetheart. But you know I absolutely would if I could."
"I know that," Willow agreed reluctantly. "Your heart's okay, isn't it? Nothing to worry about, right?"
Tara smiled against her hair. "Nothing to worry about," she agreed. "And if there ever is anything to worry about I'll tell you." She squeezed Willow closer, letting her eyes close. "You'll be in the doctor's office with me, holding my hand if anything ever happens." Willow stiffened and Tara shook her head preemptively. "Not that anything is going happen."
"Not if there's anything I can do to stop it," Willow promised seriously. She shuddered, arms curling over Tara's arms around her waist. "Can we talk about something else? I don't like thinking about this."
"I'm not going anywhere," Tara promised. "And we're getting married in five weeks." She pressed a kiss to Willow's cheek. "Can we go to bed?"
"Of course," Willow agreed, keeping Tara's arms around her waist as she stood up, pulling the blonde behind her, short, shuffling steps carrying them toward the stairs slowly. "Five weeks, really?"
"Really," the blonde agreed with a low laugh. "I love you."
"I love you too," Willow responded, leaning back against her. "I can't wait to marry you, Tara."
The blonde laughed, spinning Willow out as they reached their room. The redhead stumbled, tripping over a stray pair of shoes and crashing into the bed with a laugh. Tara kicked off her own shoes and jumped onto the bed beside her, landing on her stomach as Willow rolled onto her back. "You okay?" Tara checked. "No sprained ankles, or anything, right? Don't want you limping down the aisle."
"I'm good," Willow answered. "Thanks to you."
"I didn't do anything, sweetheart," Tara said, one finger reaching over to brush red hair back.
"Yes, you did. Tara, I saw a girl die today. A girl Buffy spent all week trying to figure out how to save. And you, you're everything good in my life." She leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek. "And you have this uncanny ability to make me feel good. Even today."
Tara smiled, hand resting lightly on Willow's collarbone. "Well, I'm glad I do." The redhead yawned helplessly, covering her mouth belatedly. "Let's get you ready for bed," Tara prompted, but stopped Willow as the younger girl started to sit up. "You just stay here, okay? I'll call you when your bath is ready."
Willow blinked, nodding wordlessly. Tara slipped off the bed and walked gracefully into the bathroom to start water running. "Hey," Willow called after her.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Tara called back.
"Rather than me taking a bath by myself, can you make it a shower and you stay to wash my back for me?" Willow proposed.
There was a pause and Willow heard the water switch from the bottom faucet to the shower. She pushed herself up only to be greeted by Tara's helpful hands. "That sounds like a deal," the blonde agreed, taking Willow's arm to lead her into the bathroom.
