The sound of someone attempting to quiet their heartbroken sobs as another sound that of a hand slapping against the side of someone's face was like a new stable of pain slicing at some very old, very deep wounds that were quick in jolting Tara back to a simi state of awareness.

A dark hiss slips from the waking vampires' lips as she sits up faster than she should, but Tara shakes the double vision from her eyes pushing herself up onto her knees when another weakened sob sounds from the girl.

"Humm looks who's finally awake?"

"Leave her alone." Tara growled forcing herself between the smug agent and the curled form of the dark-haired teenager he seemed to take great delight in tormenting. "You want to bully someone then make me your target, but the girl stays out of this." The vampire instructs folding her arms over her front as best she could given the reappearance of the silver laced handcuffs fastened around her wrist.

"You don't even know her, yet you protect her."

Another lower growl sounds as golden blue eyes glare into Riley's hazel ones as the soldier rocked back on his heels. "I said Leave. Her. Alone." Tara snarled as the burn of the silver made itself known past the covering safety of Tara's long-sleeved shirt.

"Of course, Princess." He nodes deliberately holding her gaze as he gives a deliberate yet short bow in answer.

The teenager behind Tara giggles at the title apparently thinking it was a kind of endearing title but Tara herself felt her already dead blood go even colder in her veins and given Riley's smug grin as he left the room, he knew full well what using the tile would do to the blonde.

"Why'd you do that?" the teary-eyed teen asked her heartbeat accelerating the same instance the door to their cell slammed closed.

"Did he hurt you?" Tara asked in return not wanting to frighten the girl more as she lowered herself onto her knees in front of the huddled younger woman.

"Why would you care if he did or not seeing as you're just going to eat me?" the teenager argues.

"What makes you think I'm gonna-"

"Riley said you were a vampire when he put me in here with you and I've lived in Sunnydale for as long as I can remember so I know what it means to be locked in a room with a hungry vampire."

"Who said I was hungry?" Tara questions

"Doesn't that hurt?" Tara follows the younger teen's gaze toward her still smoking wrists.

"I've had far worse than dealing with silver burns." Tara shrugs then bits back a grin as she folded herself into more of a sitting position pressing her back against the wall "and even if I was feeling thirsty, you're not my type." She acknowledges making herself a little more comfortable sitting against the wall resting her smoking wrists against her knees.

"Okay, then why didn't you just bite the cute guard guy then?"

"Riley?" Tara's gaging expression wasn't all an act at the very suggestion. "He's definitely not my type."

That at least got a low chuckle from the teen "What you have something against the military?" she teases instead.

"On the contrary, I have a very high regard for the all-active military." Tara answers "but these Initiative lackeys don't deserve to be called military recruits."

"I don't even know why I'm here. I mean yeah I admit I am a bit of a total klepto but I'm not….." the teen pauses chewing on her lower lip as she thinks over her next words with more care once she remembers about the silver burns still causing curls of smoke to waft from the blonde's wrists. "I'm nothing special but they won't let me go."

"No, you are." Tara argues taking a chance in sliding a little bit closer to the still obviously nervous teenager. "Why else keep you in a place like this. It's because you have power inside you. A strong power if they have you with me." She goes on when it was apparent the teen was going to argue with her. "Not all inner strength is evil, you know. Sometimes it's incredibly good. It's only the one wielding the power that chooses what side they want to be on."

"Okay, I'll give you that one." The dark-haired younger woman agrees with another lighter laugh.

"How'd they catch you, if you don't mind me asking?" Tara asked by way of a topic change.

"I was walking out of a pet store with a pocket of goldfish."

Tara actually falls onto her side laughing as hard as she did at the teen's lackluster downfall right into Initiative custody. "Seriously?" she asks between laughing fits holding her stomach as amused tears leak from the corners of her eyes.

The girl nods with a shy guilty smile. "It wasn't pretty." She sighs running a hand in her hair. "Poor little fishes." That only triggers another few rounds of laugher from the vampire beside her while the teen ducks her head in embarrassment. "Alright Princess McGiggle fangs how'd they get you then?" she demands but Tara can tell just by her tone the venom in her voice was all fluff.

Tara sobers up at once at the reminder of her own resent recapture. "I was- I was on a phone call with-with my girl."

"Your girl?"

Tara nodes with a soft smile when her thoughts drift back to those first few days with this new-age version of the woman who held her dead heart without even knowing it. She didn't dare try to reopen the connection not even to assure Willow she was as safe and unharmed as being captive of the Initiative allowed. The sting in her unbeating heart at delibrity keeping not only her Mother but also Willow from seeing into her mind hurt far more than even the bite of the silver once again lock around her wrists.

"I'm Tara." The vampire introduces holding out her still bound wrists her head stayed slightly tilted as she allowed her heightened hearing to pick up on the not-so-hushed tones talking close by about moving to the next stage of whatever scheme they were planing.

"Dawn." The teen answers.

"Nice to meet you, Dawn." Tara smiles "Hey-Wanna thumb wrestle?" she wonders offering over her hand once again then leans in so only the human at her side would be able to hear her. "Now listen to me very carefully because I don't have a lot of time before He comes back in."