The Summers House, 1700 hours.
"I can see it looking at me."
"What the heck is that thing?"
"Interesting."
"Mom, the thing does not… and I can't emphasis the 'not' enough, that this thing does not belong in this room."
"Buffy," said a frowning Joyce as she looked at her daughter, and then at Xander who had his arm around Cordelia's shoulder, Willow, Oz, Tara, and Sarah, "this is a Nigerian mask given to the me by a friend, it's going to be in the gallery show next week but I thought it's be nice to put it put here for a while and…"
"It doesn't fit the room, Joyce," said Sarah grimacing as she looked at the brown coloured mask. To her, and she could feel the same sensations from Tara as well, the mask gave off an odd feeling that she couldn't place. That feeling wasn't the only thing that put the two of the off, it was the aesthetics of the mask that did it as well. It looked like the top half of a demonic face, complete with fangs; enough to give the two witches a chill up their spines.
"See," exclaimed Buffy with her eyes wide open and motioning towards Sarah, "Mrs. Collins is right, it doesn't fit the room. In fact, that thing looks like it's angry at the room."
Joyce chuckled and shook her her before motioning evertone towards the door, and out of the room. The group, with Giles and Jenney coming to the house later on, were at the Summers house for a get together; the adults were going to have a meeting after dinner while Buffy and the others went out patrolling. It would be a few hours later that everything would implode due to a zombie invasion.
The Nigerian mask, which was capable of raising the dead, was later accidentally destroy after Buffy used it as a weapon against one of the many zombies who had crashed through the door where everyone had been hiding. The plan was to get out of the window, scale the drain pipe, and then run to one of the cars in the driveway. But the front lawn, and the backyard were full of zombies that were getting into the Summers house. Joyce was whimpering when she heard crashes and things shattering down below while the zombies were smashing through one door after another.
Eventually, Buffy grabbed the mask after Tara and Willow used magic to push some of the zombies away, while Sarah smashed a vase into the head of one of the undead. In the meantime, Giles had called out to Willow so that she could use her magic to push the zombies away from the cars in the driveway. Giles was on the roof, and he pointed at the Zombies as Willow uttered a spell, and a swathe of the creatures were pushed to the ground, however, they started to get up again.
"Tara!" cried Sarah as she grabbed a bedsheet before jumping onto the back of a zombie, "help Willow!"
Tara nodded her head just as Joyce picked up a jewellery box, and smashed it into the head of the bedsheet covered zombie. In the meantime, Xander, Cordelia, and Oz, pushed the door shut and leaned against it. They could feel the door being pounded on by the zombies while Xander screamed that they weren't getting his brains.
Cordelia had a quip prepared, but she was concentrating more on holding the door shut, as was Oz. There were six other Zombies in the room, with Buffy punching and kicking through them while Sarah and Joyce took one zombie down, the blonde witch sitting on its back while it was writhing underneath.
"It won't die… again!" she cried before hopping off the zombie and standing next to a frightened Joyce, "it's…"
All of a sudden, every one heard a 'crack', and then the Zombies just collapsed. Joyce and the others looked at Buffy, who was holding onto one half of the mask, the other half on the floor. She smashed it to the side of a zombie's head, and it broke in half; that was her story to Joyce who looked on with her mouth wide open at both halves of the mask.
"Told you it was angry at the room," whispered Buffy as she dropped the other half while panting. Joyce walked over the fallen bodies to her daughter and hugged her, whispering in the Slayer's ear that she was glad she was alright.
"So," said Cordelia looking at all the dead bodies, "what are we going to do about these things? Don't tell me we have to rebury them?"
"I'll call the Council," said Giles "they have a team that usually takes care of things like this."
That night, Buffy and Joyce spent the night at Sarah and Tara's apartment. And it was early the next morning that a team from the Watchers Council was able to come by the Summers house and dispose of all the bodies in an hour.
Library, Sunnydale High, 1300 hours.
It would be few months later that the Scoobies entered their senior year of high school. While Willow would be training with her mentor from the Devon coven in using magic, Tara, Buffy, and OZ would be assisting Sarah and the other school nurse during their down time. And it would be here that Tara, and later Willow after she would complete her training for the day, would help Oz with trying to control his transformations into a werewolf. Even Giles, Jenny, and Sarah helped in this endeavour for the young man to learn control… but all of them were certain that there was something that could help him, but it would take some time.
It would be the first day of their Senor year that Xander made a proclamation; that he would find Tara someone to date since she was the only one out of the group that wasn't dating anyone.
"No!" said Tara, Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia together when they were in the library between their classes.
"Oh for heaven's sake," mumbled Giles while Oz nudged a chuckling Willow.
"As if you know anyone," said Cordelia with an eyebrow arched upwards, who was seated next to Xander, who in turn was seating on the table.
"I do.." said Xander, "there's Scott Hope and…"
"He's interested in Buffy," said Cordelia as she looked at her nails before looking at the faces looking back at her. She then sighed and turned to Tara, telling her that he's not her type anyway. Tara narrowed her eyebrows at Cordelia, wondering what she meant by that remark. It was from Cordelia's knowing look, and her repeating that Scott wasn't her type, dis Tara realize that she knew that she wasn't interested in guys.
"Ummm… ummm…, right," she said nodding her head vigorously, "he.. he's not my type. I mean… thanks, umm.. Xander, thanks, but I'm fine."
"Ok?" said Xander as he scratched his head before wondering aloud that since this was their first day of being a Senior, they had to decide on where to go for lunch.
"Oh, I know," said Willow as she put her hand up and jumped excitedly. While Willow was talking about lunch, and then going back to Buffy asking Scott out on a date, Oz noticed the look on Tara's face before she got up, and then excused herself. Willow and the others nodded their heads before Oz watched the young woman leave through the library doors. He guessed that there was something wrong since Cordelia was mumbling under her breath before she said she'll be right back, and then got up.
"Yea, sure," said a confused Xander as Cordelia navigated around her chair and then headed towards the exit. Oz watched her leave before leaning towards Willow, and the whispering in her ear that he'll be right back as well. Oz walked out of the library, looked in both directions of the hallway.. stopping when he saw Cordelia gently pulling Tara into a classroom. Wondering if he should intervene, Oz turned again and was about to enter the library again… but he hesitated. Sighing, he walked towards the classroom.
For that one moment that Oz hesitated, Cordelia had already closed the door to the empty classroom behind her while Tara wrapped her arms around herself. She leaned on the edge of the teacher's table while looking nervously at Cordelia and then looking at the floor.
"You… you know? About.. about… I.. I mean…" shuttered Tara before she shook her head and looked at the young woman, and then looked away once again.
"I saw you a few times looking at Willow," whispered Cordelia as she leaned on the wall next to the blackboard, "and a few other girls too.. I mean just glances and… yeah. I'm not going to tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about."
"Ple.. please," whispered Tara as she shook her head.
"I won't," said Cordelia, "I promise. Buffy and the others may be a bit… you know… weird and all sometimes, but they'll be glad you told them."
"It's not easy," whispered Tara when there was a knock on the door. Tara and Cordelia looked at each other, before the witch turned to the door and asked whoever it was to come in. Tara straightened up as the door opened, and Oz walked in asking if she was okay since she left so suddenly.
"Yea," replied the blonde as Oz closed the door behind him and put his hands into his pockets, "I…"
Tara remembered what Cordelia had told her, that the Scoobies would understand that she was who she was. One part of her was nervous, and the other part wanted to tell OZ… she wanted to tell someone. Cordelia had already guessed, Sarah obviously knew about her interest in girls, but she had never said it out loud. She looked at the concern on Oz's face, and then she sighed before telling the young man that she had something important to say.
"Yeah, sure," whispered Oz as he took a step forward, "what's up?"
Tara looked at Cordelia, who nodded her head, and then looked at Oz while she was playing with her fingers. She knew that she could trust the Scoobies with her secret, but Tara was still terrified at how they could react if they found out the truth. So Tara took a deep breath, and spoke.
"Ummm…" said Tara nervously, "I… I… I was wondering if we should… you know… go to the Bronze.. or something… tonight?"
"Yeah," said a confused Oz as he glanced at Cordelia who sighed, and then at the nervous look on Tara's face. He suspected that there was something else that she wanted to tell him, but he just nodded his head at the witch; silently telling himself that whatever it was, can wait. That Tara would tell him when she thought it was time.
"We.. we should get back," whispered Tara while the others nodded their head. The three of them then left the classroom, meeting up with Xander and the others as the bell rang while they were walking out of the library. As Oz headed to Willow, Cordelia frowned at Tara before patting her shoulder.
"Your secret's safe," she said as Tara whispered 'thanks' to her. The group then headed off to their next class.
TBC.