"Welcome, gentle viewers," could be heard through the bathroom door, and Anya knocked impatiently. "Andrew! You're taking too long! Masturbate like a normal person and then get out of the bathroom!" she ordered. She opened the door after he didn't answer, glaring at him. "What are you doing in here? Get out!"
She shooed him out, their hostage houseguest clinging to his video camera. "I'm chronicling life here in Slayer headquarters!" he protested.
"You're wasting time and being obnoxious," Anya argued.
"I'll need to interview you," he offered as an enticement. "You and Xander are key figures!"
Anya considered this momentarily, obviously intrigued. "Okay, you can interview us, but nothing sexy on tape. Xander's penis is just for me!"
Andrew looked disappointed and she glared at him. "You won't regret it," he said and Anya pulled him out of the way of the bathroom line. "How about individual interviews first?"
She nodded, leading the way downstairs. Buffy and Willow were sorting through papers at the dining room table but they didn't look up as Anya and Andrew trooped into the living room to do their interview.
"I thought you told him to stop playing with that thing," Willow commented dryly, her eyes still skimming the text in front of her. The Hellmouth's energy had been growing wildly in the last few days and it was starting to affect the students at the school so the Scoobies had been trying to find a way to close the seal, hopefully restoring the school to its normal, Sunnydale normal at least, level of radiant evil.
"I did," Buffy responded, rubbing at her head. "This is impossible," she groaned. "It would be wrong to drink while we research, right? We're not in high school anymore."
Willow laughed, still turning pages in her book. "Do we even have anything to drink in here? The house has been full of underage girls for months now."
"I'm sure Spike has something hidden somewhere," Buffy complained. "He's always got that flask in his coat pocket!" She realized what she was saying and wrinkled her nose distastefully. "On second thought…"
"We have juice," Willow offered in what was supposed to be a cheerful voice but was just tired. "How about…never mind, shovels aren't going to work. Maybe we should just find Spike's flask…"
Buffy looked up from her book with a laugh. "You're sounding a little jumpy on the subjects over there. Are we out of juice? I know it couldn't have lasted long enough to go bad. The girls are like locusts in the kitchen."
Willow looked confused herself, frowning as she tried to remember. "No, I mean, I think we're fine for juice. Huh?"
They both laughed helplessly and Buffy got to her feet. "I'll get us something to drink, juice or otherwise."
"Thank you," Willow said, dropping her head into her book. She heard the door open, but couldn't be bothered to lift her head. Her mind was working and she tried to think through the problem, muttering to herself. "It started with blood…maybe there's something…" She jumped as fingers pushed her hair off her neck. "Tara," she breathed, recognizing the touch instantly.
"You're jumpy today. Is everything okay?" Tara asked, both hands rubbing her wife's shoulders gently.
"Just stumped. And the school is still going nuts," Willow said, still not picking up her head. "That feels good."
"You're welcome," Tara said, giving Buffy a smile as the Slayer returned to the table with several glasses. "Talk me through what you're thinking," the witch prompted. "Maybe I can help."
"I'm sure you can," Willow said, breathing deeply as Tara's touch relaxed her slowly. "Okay, so the seal was triggered because Jonathan and then Spike bled on it, right?"
"Okay," Tara said. "Blood starts it."
"And now you're caught up," Willow said, obviously frustrated. "I've got no ideas."
"It's alright," the blonde soothed her, thumbs pressing more firmly against Willow's tense muscles. "Let's look at it from another side. Shedding the blood was a violent act, right? One was even a murder. That's what opened the seal. So what's the opposite of murder, of blood?"
"Anya would say sex," Buffy commented, blinking as Willow lifted her head at that. "You know, because sex makes life, murder takes life…like opposites…" she explained, voice slowing down almost doubtfully as she reached the end of her explanation.
"So we have to go…have sex on the seal?" the redhead asked, confused. "Because we're not on board with this plan."
Tara was blushing brightly and she shook her head. "I d-doubt sex is t-the answer. Maybe something like remorse, sorrow?"
Willow blinked, standing up quickly and turning to kiss Tara. "I married a genius!" she bragged before kissing her again, on her knees in the chair to get closer.
"Look who's talking," Tara said, smiling. "What are you thinking?"
Willow looked over her shoulder at Buffy. "Are you up for scaring the pants off of Andrew?"
The Slayer perked up, grinning. "As long as you don't mean 'pants off' literally, I'm in!"
"You've got a plan?" Tara guessed.
Willow nodded, taking hold of her wife's wrist and turning to sit in her chair correctly, pulling Tara around and into her lap. "Okay, so the murder started it up. And from everything I've read the only person who has a chance of shutting it down is the one who activated it."
"Andrew," Buffy chimed in.
"Yeah. And like Tara said, remorse for what he did could be just what we need to seal it back up. Temporarily, at least."
"So I take him down to the basement and make him feel bad?" Buffy asked. "Is that all?"
"Tears," Tara said, curling one arm behind Willow's shoulders, fingers playing with the back of her wife's hair. "He has to cry tears of remorse on the seal."
"Exactly," Willow agreed proudly, grinning up at her.
Buffy let her arms swing at her sides, wiping them on her pants before draining her glass in one long swallow. "Okay, I'm on it."
"The school is pretty Hellmouth-y right now," Willow reminded her. "Maybe you shouldn't go alone."
The Slayer sighed, glancing out the window. "The girls are about to be inside for the night, but it's still too early to take Spike. Can you call Xander? I'll call Wood too."
"Okay," Willow said, pouting as she realized she'd have to let Tara off her lap to get the phone.
"I'll get it," Buffy said, laughing. "No need to get up, Tara."
"Best seat in the house," Tara commented quietly, blushing.
"You've got that right!" Willow agreed, cheered by their success, even if there was no proof that their idea would work. With the way the First had been rallying against them, any success was to be celebrated.
Buffy returned with the phone and they each made their calls, the Slayer interrupting Andrew's attempt to document their lives to drag him with her to the high school. Willow kept Tara on her lap while the potentials returned indoors from their training in the yard. She was amusing herself by whispering into her wife's ear, her good mood overpowering her lack of sleep.
Willow grumbled as the phone rang on the table, Tara picking it up and answering it. "Hello?" Willow listened absently to the one sided conversation, her hand tracing invisible patterns across Tara's thigh. "Oh, she's right here. One second."
"For me?" Willow asked, surprised. "Who is it?"
Tara shrugged, one hand over the speaker of the phone. "Someone named Fred. It sounds like a girl though."
Willow nodded distractedly, taking the phone. "Oh, she is," she said. "Fred? What's wrong?" Her face went white as the answer came through the phone. "Okay. I'll be there as fast as I can. You all be careful. He's dangerous!" She clicked off the phone, forgetting momentarily that she couldn't get off the chair. "Hon, I've got to go!"
Tara got up obligingly, following her as Willow rushed upstairs to their room. "You've got to go meet this woman Fred?"
"Yes," Willow answered, already throwing ingredients for a spell into a duffel bag. She realized what it sounded like after a moment and she froze, looking up from her frenzied packing. "Tara, no. It's not like it sounds."
"I trust you, Willow," Tara interrupted, voice calm and sincere. "I'd just like to know where you're going, how long you'll be gone, things like that."
"You come!" Willow interjected. "Come with me!"
Tara leaned against the frame of their doorway, shaking her head. "I don't need to go. I trust you."
"Angelus is back. I'm going to need some help with the spell. Please come?" Willow requested. She finished her packing and crossed the room to where Tara was lingering at the door. "Angelus scares me, Tara."
"Of course I'll go with you, sweetheart," Tara said. "You know I have nothing but faith in you though, right?"
Willow nodded, taking her hand. "I know that," she affirmed. "Thanks for coming with me though."
"Now?" Tara checked.
"Yeah." Willow was already leading them down the stairs. "I'll call Buffy's phone on the way out of town. We need to get to L.A. as soon as possible. The Angel thing can't wait."
Tara nodded, surprising Willow by sliding in behind the driver's seat. "I'll drive, sweetie. You're tired and I'm sure you have some preparations you'll want to do on the way."
Willow gave her a grateful smile and a quick kiss before she went around to the passenger side. She was reading while Tara got them on the freeway, putting her book back in her bag as they neared L.A. and their exit so she could give her wife directions.
They pulled into the hotel and Willow took a deep breath. "Ready?" she asked, looking across the car to Tara.
"Yeah. Are you?" the blonde responded.
Willow nodded, opening her door and picking up her bag. "Thanks for coming, Tara."
Tara nodded, squeezing her hand as they started to walk toward the hotel. "We're away from the Hellmouth. You're feeling better, aren't you?"
Willow shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah, I'm just nervous. Angelus is one of my worst nightmares and he's in this building."
Tara frowned but didn't say anything as they entered the lobby, glad to see that wherever Angelus was wasn't in this room. Angel's team was talking at the counter and Willow jumped in as a teenage boy stated that Angelus needed to be put down. "I don't think so. I think you need a witch." They all turned to look at her in surprise and she managed a smile. "Did I come at a bad time?"
Wesley stepped forward, his jaw hanging. "Willow."
The teen glared, his arms crossed over his chest. "She's a witch?"
Willow glanced at Tara, smirking. "Yes. Both of us. Hello. You must be Angel's handsome, yet androgynous, son."
"It's Connor," the boy shot back, attitude hostile.
"Nice to meet you," Willow said. "This is Tara, my wife."
"Wife?" he demanded. "You're both…"
Wesley gaped at the witches while Fred stomped on the teen's foot. "Ah, yes, well…it's good of both of you to come. Did the call of magic draw you here?"
Willow shook her head, waving with her free fingers around the strap of her bag. "The call of Fred."
He turned to look at her, relieved. "Of course. Bring in the only living person to ever reensoul Angel."
"She has a fresh brain. I thought she might see some things we missed," Fred reasoned, smiling shyly. "Thanks for coming, Willow. And Tara. Thank you both for coming."
"You're welcome," Willow said, grinning back. "I'm just glad Angelus isn't in the room. Seeing him isn't something I'm eager to do."
Fred shuddered. "No, he's mighty unpleasant. He's in the basement in a nice big cage we built."
"Sounds good," Willow said. "Anything else we should know? Where's Cordy?"
Connor let out a growl that was surprisingly animalistic and Willow and Tara exchanged glances. "Unfortunately, the guy you're all trying to magically reensoul shot her with a crossbow. She's not up for visitors."
"Okay," Willow agreed, not wanting to antagonize the obviously temperamental teen. "I'll talk to her once it's done, if she's up for it."
Wesley nodded, waving them in. "Shall we get you both caught up on our dilemma?"
Fred looked excited and skipped over to give Willow a hug. Tara gave her an arched look as the tiny physicist scampered off again to collect some books and Willow gave her an elbow in the side. "She's cute," Tara commented in a whisper and Willow narrowed her eyes at her.
"I didn't notice," Willow said pointedly, squeezing her hand around Tara's.
Wesley was doing his best to ignore them, the same way Giles acted on the rare occasions that they were overly affectionate in front of him. He explained what had been going on, that they had removed Angel's soul in order to retrieve information from Angelus, but the jar with the soul had been stolen from their safe.
Willow was frowning, thinking it over. "So the jar…"
"The Muo-Ping," Fred supplied cheerfully.
"It's sacred," Tara said.
"But made of glass," Willow countered. "And therefore crunchable."
Tara tried to think it through. "But wouldn't we need to have the jar? Of course, if we had the jar it wouldn't be a problem."
"There might be another way," Willow said. "What about Delothrian's Arrow? That could find it for us."
"Delothrian's Arrow is used to protect good magic, is it not?" Wesley asked. "And the jar is a sacred object."
"The soul is what's sacred. The jar is just glass," Willow said. "And the spell would have no problem breaking every jar in the world, but the soul gives us something specific to aim for."
Wesley smiled, starting to feel relieved. "You've gotten stronger," he commented.
Willow blushed, glancing at Tara. "It wasn't all good, but I had help. And someone to bring me back when I went too far."
Tara brushed one hand over her wife's knee, giving her a tight smile. Wesley watched the exchange, nodding seriously as memories of his own darkness rose. "I understand. It's good that you have each other."
There was an awkward pause and Willow cleared her throat. "Okay, well baby, you want to help me with some bells?"
"I can help!" Fred offered eagerly.
Tara gave Willow a crooked smile as Wesley followed Fred out of the office. "You hear that? Fred would love to ring your bell," she teased and Willow wrapped an arm around Tara's waist, pinching her side warningly.
"Nobody touches my bells but you…" Willow whispered, pausing. "That sounds weird. I meant…"
"I know what you meant, sweetheart," Tara assured her. "I was just picking on you. Fred can ring bells if she wants to."
"Not…"
"Literal bells, Willow," Tara interjected, resting one hand over Willow's at her side. "Don't pinch me again, please," she pleaded teasingly, giving the redhead a smile.
"Fred, there are some bells in the bag there," Willow said, gesturing to her duffel on the floor. She quickly explained what the physicist needed to do, ignoring Tara's tiny smirk.
"Are you ready?" Wesley asked, watching Fred start her pacing and rhythmic bell ringing.
"Yeah, no problem," Willow said. She closed her eyes, gathering her energy.
Tara could feel the change instantly, the darkness suddenly very present and powerful. She pushed herself off of the counter, suddenly tense. "Will…" She was too late as a bolt of orange energy came out of nowhere and struck Willow hard in the chest, sending her flying across the room.
A sudden booming voice echoed in the room. "Stay your hand, witch! You will not interfere with what must come to pass." Willow tried to cast a spell but was forced back into the wall with a groan. "You think to banish me?" the voice demanded.
Tara crossed the room to Willow quickly, supporting her. "There's somebody in my head," Willow groaned, her head thrashing.
"It's going to be okay, Will," Tara whispered. "Take my hand," she prompted.
Willow felt their energy combining through the touch, her mind clearing as Tara's familiar presence replaced the strange, angry one. "Vetsche invadoria disparu!" Willow shouted and the dark energy retracted in surprise as she forced it to withdraw.
"Are you okay?" Tara asked, brushing hair back from her face.
Willow was breathing hard, but her eyes were clear. "Don't let go," she stated, pushing herself to her feet with one hand, still holding Tara's with the other hand. A marble floated to her and she started the spell to shatter the jar. Everyone jumped when there was suddenly a gigantic demonic head in the air above them, but Willow kept up her chanting. Another strike of energy shot at the witch, but Tara's free hand lifted, blocking the attack.
"I can't…Willow," she breathed hard, squeezing her wife's hand. "Can't do both."
Willow nodded. "You hold it off, I'll break the jar." She let go of Tara's hand and her eyes flashed dark for a few heartbeats before she regained control and released the marble to find its target. She strained as whoever was fighting her redoubled their defense, and blood started to drip from her nose. The demon head above them roared and Connor bolted off to check on Cordelia.
A few seconds later, the head had vanished and Willow slumped as her struggle ended suddenly. Wesley barely caught her and Willow pushed herself up slowly. "The soul is loose," she said. "Whatever that thing was though, it's still out there. We need to get this done, now."
Tara nodded, giving her one lingering look before she went to set up the spell. Willow curled herself into a seat on a couch for a few moments, trying to regain her focus and calm. She'd come closer to the darkness than she had in a long while. Tara had the ensouling spell set up on the reception desk when she finished her hasty meditation and Willow gave her a grateful smile as she settled the orb into its spot in the center.
"Ready?" Tara asked, getting a nod from Willow. Fred was standing by to wave the burning herbs and Willow started her part of the chant while Wesley watched. The orb was glowing as Connor returned but he didn't stay, heading straight down into the basement.
Willow finished her spell at a shout, the energy shooting through her as the orb vanished. She was breathing hard, but was pleased by her success. She gave Tara a reassuring smile, distracted as Faith ran past them, following Connor into the basement.
"Was that?"
"Faith," Wesley answered, already following. "She came to help us with Angelus. She was in a coma though."
"Again?" Willow asked in disbelief, following him down the stairs.
The scene was frozen as they reached the basement, Lorne dashing in behind them. "She's alive! It's a miracle!" he announced as the tension broke with Connor taking a swing at Faith. The Slayer blocked the blow without trouble, easily taking him down.
"Ain't you been training this kid to fight?" Faith asked, looking at Angel in relief.
"Weren't you just in a coma?" Wesley responded.
She shrugged. "I guess comas aren't the thrill ride they used to be. Didn't feel like sticking around for eight months this time." She looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Willow and Tara on the stairs. "I guess you being here means that the big guy is back to his old self again."
"Angel?" Willow asked, just to check. He nodded and stood back as Wesley came forward and unlocked the cuffs.
"It's really me," Angel assured them as Wesley hesitated to turn the key. "Willow's a veteran at this one by now."
"I even did Spike," she affirmed, realizing what it sounded like as Wesley and Angel turned to stare at her. "His soul. I put it back."
"Spike has a soul?" the men asked simultaneously, both shocked.
"It was that or kill him," Willow answered.
Angel scowled. "You should have killed him. When he loses it…"
"He's not g-going to l-lose it," Tara interjected, feeling shy around these people she'd never met, but feeling a need to defend Willow and their decision.
"It's permanent," Willow affirmed. Angel looked stunned, gaping at her.
"I…how…?" he wondered.
Willow looked at the others, swallowing thickly. "I looked into the curse. I found a way to change it, make it safe."
Angel took a few helpless steps toward her, his hands unknowingly trembling at his sides. "Did you…?"
Willow edged around Wesley to meet his gaze solidly. "Your soul is yours, Angel. It's not going anywhere." He didn't react and she smiled hopefully. "Do you like it? I haven't told Buffy yet. It was going to be like a birthday present. Or Christmas."
"Don't tell Buffy," Angel said hoarsely and Willow blinked in surprise.
"You don't want her to know?" she asked.
Angel shook his head, running one hand through his hair. "I…This is big, Willow. Thank you."
She gave him a cheerful grin and hugged him before he could stop her. "You're welcome, Angel. I think it'll make all of our lives a lot less scary."
He gave her an uncharacteristic smile at that, nodding. "You're right. And I'll tell Buffy, but I'd like to do it myself."
Willow nodded, one hand on his still chest. "Okay. I'm glad you're better." She gave the rest of the room a pointy finger and a stern tone. "Whichever genius decided to bring back Angelus, you should have called me first," she chided them.
Angel laughed, rubbing at his hair with one hand. "It was Wes' idea, but I went along with it," he confessed. "We'll call you next time. We'll need you to figure out a way to even remove the soul." He was sounding cautiously excited and Willow giggled, hugging him again compulsively before she let him go and took a step back.
"So, are you heading back to Sunnydale?" Wesley asked.
Willow nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm afraid this was just a short visit." She turned her eyes to Faith. "I know we could use another Slayer back on the Hellmouth if you've got some free time."
The dark-haired Slayer glanced around the room at Angel's friends, taking a deep breath and shrugging. "I guess I've got some time. Unless you think I need to finish my rehabilitation back in jail," she added, glancing at Angel and Wesley. "They'll probably add to my sentence, but I'll go back if you think I should."
The men exchanged looks and Wesley gave her a smile. "I think the fact that you asked that question tells me that you've gotten all you can from your time in prison. Buffy and the others will need you."
Faith shrugged, glancing at Willow. "I guess I'm with you," she said. Her eyes moved up to where Tara was lingering on the stairs. "You must be Tara. I know we've been talking the last few months, and we met that one time when I was in Buffy's body, but I was kind of being a bitch, sorry."
"N-nice to meet y-you too, Faith," Tara greeted her, smiling shyly. Willow gave her a smile over her shoulder, her tiredness showing in the shadows under her eyes. "Sorry it's such a short trip, but we should probably be going back."
Willow nodded, giving her a tight smile. "She's right. There's a lot going on at home. Faith, if you're ready…"
"Stay for dinner at least!" Fred exclaimed. "Y'all rushed down here to help us out, the least we can do is get you some dinner!"
The women exchanged glances and Faith shrugged. "I could go for some grub," she said. "As long as we got time."
"Fine," Willow agreed. "We're going to be driving after dark either way. And Buffy can keep it under control for the rest of the day."
Faith snorted, leading the way back upstairs. "B is slipping if she can't keep it going for one day without some backup from the Scooby sidekicks." She glanced sideways as Willow didn't respond to the teasing. "It's bad?"
"It's bad," Willow confirmed. "Really bad, Faith."
The Slayer nodded, her expression sobering. "We can eat quick and get back on the road. I wouldn't mind getting some non-prison food."
"And a-any food w-without having to f-fight t-thirty girls for it is g-good," Tara added, trying not to laugh as Fred skipped along at Willow's side, the pair chattering about something science-y.
Faith asked questions and Tara filled her in on what had changed since their last talk. They'd been keeping in touch every few weeks so there wasn't too much to catch up on, but the Slayer was a bit stunned by how many new girls had shown up in Sunnydale. Tara expressed concern over the fresh bruises that Angelus had given Faith, but she knew from being friends with Buffy exactly how fast Slayers could heal. Willow and Fred chatted through dinner, the tiny physicist hugging the witch excitedly before the three left to return to the Hellmouth. Willow caught Tara's look, but dragged the blonde out of the hotel by one hand before Faith could start teasing.
