The large group settled down and Buffy leaned back against Oz. He smiled against her hair and whispered into her ear, "Next time you decide to do magic only possessed by the most powerful of werewolves, let me know."
She leaned back farther and looked into his eyes. "Are you unhappy about it?"
"No, I'd just like a little warning. It wouldn't hurt to let Giles research these things first." He grinned at her and quirked one eyebrow up.
She nodded and made a pouty face. "I just went with my instincts. I have to protect them."
"We all have to protect them."
"Our family," she grinned. "Two vampires, two watchers, an ex demon, two witches, two humans, a seer, two slayers, and a werewolf."
He shrugged. "My pack is very unique. There's no place like home."
She grinned up at him. "Call me Kansas."
"Okay, Kansas." He smiled at her and dropped a sweet peck on her lips. "Seems like years ago."
"Fated to mated in less than a week." She tossed his words back at him.
"I couldn't be happier." He ran a finger along her cheek.
Giles cleared his throat and drew their attention. "There are matters at hand, Buffy."
The pounding on the door shocked everyone. Spike strolled over to it, and opened it to reveal a tear stained and wild eyed Willow.
"Well, Red, what brings you here?" The vampire relaxed a bit, seeming less threatening.
"I need help, and I don't know how long I'll be in my right mind to ask for it." Willow looked into the room at her family and felt the darkness flicker to life. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.
Buffy stood and walked toward the door, signaling to Spike to help the red headed witch into the room. "Giles, what can we do?"
"Restrain her. If the darkness is powerful enough we won't be safe from her unless we do. I know you bound her to you, and it's helping, but the link is strained and we don't know enough about this magic to trust it."
"A soliloquy, just to say tie her up?" Buffy raised a brow at her watcher and grinned.
"I'll do it." Tara said quietly. "She doesn't want to hurt me, even when she's all crazy she just wants to control me."
Oz walked over to the weapons locker and pulled out the rope and the duct tape. He held them up silently waiting for Tara to choose one and to accept the burden of binding her lover.
Tara stood and grabbed both. "Tell me how to do this without hurting her." She spoke to the room at large.
"The kitchen chairs there would be best." Giles nodded toward the breakfast bar.
Willow popped her eyes open and walked to the chairs. "I'm here of my own free will," she snarled. "I'm not the only one here with a dark side."
Spike stepped back and held his arms in the air. Angel smirked. Giles coughed and grinned. The laughter that broke from the group soothed Willow's hurt feelings. They weren't treating her badly.
"You only almost accidentally killed someone. Doesn't even rank in the evil act pantheon of our family." Xander spoke up. "I think getting Spike and Buffy engaged was worse than this thing with Oz."
Willow looked at Xander sharply. "What thing with Oz?"
Xander gulped at her sudden intensity. "Well, uhm. I'll let them explain."
Willow turned her head toward Buffy and watched in horror as her best friend fell to the ground and started to seize while Wesley screamed and passed out clutching his chest. "I didn't do this." Willow cried.
Everyone started to swarm around the insensate watcher and the seizing slayer. Oz wanted to growl and fling them from his mate, but he felt the mark that rode his skin over his heart. "Everybody," he used his deepest and growliest voice letting the wolf flash in his eyes. "Back away from them. Giles is it safe to touch them or to move them?"
"I don't know. They seem to be suffering from some sort of attack but their reactions are different. Buffy could break anyone of us if we touch her in the throws of a seizure."
"What about Wes? Can we help him?" Cordelia looked pale and Angel walked over to them.
Oz watched Giles dither. He turned to Angel. "Make the futon a bed, get him comfortable. Someone is with him all the time. Understood?"
"Understood." Angel looked perplexed but jumped to do as commanded. Shooing the others back and pulling the futon out to its bed like from. He picked up Wes and laid him carefully upon the mattress. "Cordelia," He nodded to the place by Wesley's head. "You sit with him for now."
Oz looked around. They needed to be busy. "Joyce could you help Tara with Willow? Keep her calm. The bond thing should help, but we don't know how to pull the darkness out of her yet." He turned to Spike. "You're in charge of patrol. Take Angel, Xander, and whatever weapons you need. Watch each other's backs out there. The Initiative is back."
Oz watched as Giles and Anya stood still and Buffy was no longer shaking. "Buffy has a huge collection of werewolf books in the bedroom. One is going to touch on this magic tattoo thing. I heard about it when I was traveling, but never met any packs with that much power." He walked over and scooped up his mate and carried her toward their room letting the others fall into step behind him.
He nudged the door open with his foot while staring at her beautiful face. He had wanted to carry her over the threshold and into this room, but he had wanted her aware of it. He looked up and into his room for the first time and gasped. There were candles everywhere and the bed was freshly made with clean sheets. He swallowed down the tears that tried to break free. "Looks like I wasn't the only one looking forward to tonight." He whispered to her. "I promise we will get this right soon."
Giles went to the books and pulled several handing them to Anya. He took more. "We'll start the research." He nodded to Oz as he pushed Anya out through the door.
Oz laid Buffy down upon the bed carefully centering her head on the pillow. He removed her shoes and socks and then his own. He lay down next to her and pulled her body along his. He knew that the others would need him soon, but for a few minutes he held her and let the tears come.