The Rainbow Writers Season Seven Episode 5: Familiar Territory

by rainbowwriters

Officially the fifth story in our Season Seven Series of Buffy. Catching up on re-posting old stories.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Giles, Dawn, Spike and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fanfiction site.

LOVE/ GRAPHIC SEX DISCLAIMER: This story depicts a love relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story. (Please note this may not apply until much further parts but it will be an integral part of the storyline.)

TIMEFRAME: Season Seven done Rainbow Writers Style… we are taking all that has aired up until Grave as gospel and working with what the bad evil Josh has given us… the difference WE LOVE WILLOW AND TARA… so we're going to fic all the horribleness… the theme is still "Back to the Beginning" as hinted at… but with a total focus on fixing what was done to our gorgeous lovely couple.

PAIRING: Willow and Tara… obviously!

BIG GIANT HUGE ANGST/UNHAPPINESS DISCLAIMER: So if you've seen season six… you know… ME sucks… they took us all down a road we never wanted to go… but now we have to get back… so the ride will be bumpy… but we promise this time the light… its daylight and NOT a train!

WORK OF THE RAINBOW WRITERS WARNING! … If you know our stuff you know we can OWN pain and suffering when we want too… stock up: tissues, chocolate, have loved ones near… we're going to get to a happy place but we're not going to gloss over the damage ME has done

YELLOW CRAYON XANDER WARNING: In the vein of trying to be nice… we've decided its time for Xander to clean up some of his act and take on some responsibility… no he's not turning into super Xander, but maybe a more respectable guy.

Episode RW 7. 5

Familiar Territory

By: The Rainbow Writers

Buffy got up from her place and crossed to the window. Reaching out with her fingertips she smeared through the light cover of dust over the leaf of a potted plant stood by the blinds. The office felt so different this time, with Willow's green eyes focusing on every move the Slayer made, as well as taking everything in around her. Though nothing had changed about the office itself it all seemed almost alien to the Slayer right now. To be honest she was glad that the doctor had slipped out for a moment as it gave her a chance to let her mind play catch up.

"I like the paperweight, very Warhol." Willow nervously picked up the large chunk of glass and studied it.

"Do you remember that you tried to take it home on one of your first visits?" Buffy replied without thinking.

"Did I?" Willow's face screwed up a bit. "I don't remember."

"No worries." Buffy crossed back over and sat down. "I wonder how long she's going to be." She crossed her legs tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair.

"She said she was waiting for the blood work results." Willow reached up to the small bandage on her arm. "Did you tell them we were the Scooby gang? That she has Scooby Doo bandages is very cute."

"Does it hurt?" Buffy pointed to Willow's arm wanting to avoid the answer that they had got them especially for the redhead in an attempt to make the blood work sessions easier.

"A little, sorta ouch bruise type. The nurse was really nice though, she was chatting away like we were old friends." Willow sat back tapping her feet. "Are you okay?" She questioned looking up at the Slayer.

"Yeah I'm okay, just a little, you know." Buffy waved her hand in the air.

"I wish Tara could have come." Willow added her own nervousness growing. "She could have explained better."

"She wanted to, I'm really not sure how Mads and Giles persuaded her otherwise." Buffy admitted.

"Is that my file?" Willow looked to the thick large volume on the doctor's desk.

"Uh huh." Buffy glanced over though she didn't really need to. The thick file always sat on the desk during each of their appointments.

"I wish I remembered more." She put her hands up to her head.

"About that last three months?" Buffy asked checking they were talking about the same thing.

"About being sick." Willow's voice was smaller. "About what I was like."

"You were you, just sick." Buffy replied giving her friend a gentle smile.

"Sick and on enough medication to put a horse in a coma?" Willow looked up frowning more. "I mean if you wanted to be that mean to a horse, I don't like them but I wouldn't want to drug one into a coma."

"More like a small pony." Buffy frowned as she made the correction. "I'm sorry about the drugs Will." The Slayer added her voice ashamed voice.

"It's not your fault." Willow shook her head and lowered it so that her hair fell slightly forward.

"Are you okay?" Buffy jumped on he move quickly worried it was something more.

"I just... I don't understand what happened. I don't understand why I feel like this." She shook her head and tapped her foot more.

"Feel like what?" Buffy pushed her worry deepening with every word.

"Out of control." Willow looked up her eyes sad but clear and attentive to Buffy's face.

"I thought you felt better?" Buffy frowned feeling her internal panic rise a notch with each passing second.

"I don't like it here, it smells like antiseptic and she reminds me of Professor Walsh." Willow looked to the doctor's chair. "I want to go home."

"It won't be long." Buffy assured her though she couldn't get over how different this felt. "For the record she's not like Professor Walsh, not really, she's actually kinda nice." She tired to lighten the air.

"Sorry, that took longer than I expected." Dr. Clabet came in with a handful of papers and went straight to her desk.

"It's ok." Buffy shook her head.

"I was just telling Buffy how I liked your paperweight." Willow fidgeted nervously with the cord on her sweater.

"You've always found it quite fascinating." Dr. Clabet nodded as she went over the paperwork. Buffy watched both her best friend and the doctor carefully. "So Willow how are you feeling?" She looked up appraising the redhead.

Buffy felt herself breathe in waiting for Willow's answer.

"A little overwhelmed." Willow's voice was soft.

'Keep to the truth sweetie. There are probably a lot of things she can help you with.' Tara's gentle prompting came through her brain.

"I feel like I've done all these things while I was sick that I should be making up for but I can't really remember what I did or what I was like." Willow made the admissions quietly.

"Buffy, did you alter her medications?" Dr. Clabet let silence sit in the room for a moment before she asked the serious question of the Slayer.

"No, we decided last time not to until this time." Buffy replied quickly. "Didn't we?" She added doubting herself.

"Yes." Dr. Clabet nodded. "It's just that is the most articulate and coherent answer Willow has ever given me to that question."

"Oh." Willow bit her lip and tapped her foot. "I'm usually really articulate, I can articulate with the best of them. I actually read the dictionary in study hall when I was bored sometimes to find new words I could add to my vocabulary."

Buffy couldn't help but smile at the typical Willow like answer.

"She's gained over three pounds." Dr. Clabet looked back to her notes seeming a bit perplexed.

"Yeah Tar..." Buffy began but stopped herself. "Tar-gets." She changed her word quickly knowing she couldn't say the risen blonde's name. "Targets help I think."

"Targets?" The doctor looked at the Slayer a bit confused.

"Targets." Willow jumped in seeing things were going badly. "Buffy and I had a serious conversation about targets and that if I got to certain ones then it would be better cause I would feel better and be better."

"And you gave me a weight target last time." Buffy pointed out to the doctor fighting the urge to hug Willow on the spot for helping her out. "We met it and had a go at beating it."

"And then I got..." Willow saw that she'd done a good thing. "More books."

"Books?" The doctor looked between the two of them.

"Books." Buffy nodded. "Her favourite reward."

"How many episodes has she had in the last week?" Dr. Clabet took out her notepad.

"Excuse me what are episodes?" Willow broke in before Buffy could answer but she looked at the Slayer for any answer as well.

"They're..." Buffy began but she had no idea how to answer so she looked over to the doctor.

"They are what we have commonly come to refer to as any period where you have experienced a drastic diminished capacity to function." The doctor looked at Willow solidly. "Do you feel that you can answer my question yourself?"

"No." Willow swallowed hard and looked down. "I don't remember any episodes."

"There have been six, maybe seven, though mainly small." Buffy replied quietly wishing the redhead didn't have to hear this.

"Seven?" Willow's voice squeaked unable to believe what she was hearing.

"None for the last forty eight hours." Buffy stressed trying both to make the doctor believe the change she was seeing and to make Willow feel better.

"Willow perhaps you could step out into the hall for a moment and I can speak with Buffy." Dr. Clabet smiled softly at the redhead.

Buffy turned to give Willow her usual nod of approval to leave but she was met but something completely unusual.

"No." Willow shook her head firmly.

"But Will..." Buffy frowned softly looking into alert green eyes.

"I have every right to hear everything that is going on." Willow countered her voice even. "We are talking about me here and I am perfectly capable of deciding what is best for me."

"But we don't want to upset you." Buffy pointed out knowing that the Doctor's silence meant she was watching them carefully.

"I know but I want to know what's going on." Willow argued softly with her. "How can I feel better if I don't know what's going on?"

"I know that Will but if the doctor feels it's best you to wait for me outside for a second." Buffy turned to the doctor for support.

"Willow, I can go over everything that Buffy and I discuss with you afterwards if you like." The doctor offered seeing the redhead's growing distress. "I just have a few questions for her directly."

"Please Willow." Buffy pleaded lightly.

"Okay." Willow relented and moved outside the door closing it gently behind her.

"I think you can anticipate what my question is Buffy." Dr. Clabet put down her papers and stared at the blonde hard when the door closed.

"How did we manage to make her eat?" Buffy knew it wasn't the question but she wasn't ready for the real one.

"I am concerned that possibly you have attempted to use some sort of experimental or dangerous medications to help her." She shook her head to Buffy's attempt.

"I haven't I swear to you." Buffy shook he head, "We've not changed her meds, not altered them, not even her supplement's. She's just getting better."

"Then exactly how would you explain her sudden 45% recovery?" Dr. Clabet questioned with a look of disbelief.

"45%?" Buffy whispered the figure impressed. "Our lives have changed a bit." She tried to find some reasonable explanation.

"How?" Dr. Clabet pushed for more.

"New friends arriving, old friends coming back." Buffy gave an outline. "Mr. Giles has come back to Sunnydale."

"And how has Willow reacted to that?" She went further for information.

"Very positively and Xander he's moved into the house." Buffy continued with the streamlined facts. "She really likes having him around."

"So you're telling me she's coping with vast amounts of change to her daily schedule by having a positive recovery trend?" The doctor eyed Buffy suspiciously.

"Yes." Buffy looked down nervously. "Really Doctor I promise you we've not messed around with her meds at all. I know how dangerous that would be, you told me that the first time I took her home."

"I think perhaps it's time for a re-evaluation then." The Doctor conceded seeing that she wasn't going to get any direct explanation. "Perhaps you should call Willow back in so we can include her."

Willow hadn't said a word as they got out of the taxi at the front of the house. She didn't bother waiting for Buffy who was busy paying the driver, instead her small frame strutted angrily up the front path through the front door and up the stairs. Her bedroom door closed loudly behind her as she threw it closed behind her.

"Is everything ok?" Dawn asked from her place at the dining room table when Buffy finally came inside. She had almost jumped and went to Willow but the scowl on the redhead's face made her hesitate.

"Mmmm not so much." Buffy moved to hang her coat and the one Willow had left behind on the seat up on a hook by the door.

"What did the doctor say?" Dawn could feel a familiar well-worn panic grow inside her.

"She thought I must have done something to mess with Will's meds, accused me of putting her on some experimental program or something." Buffy frowned as she relieved the scary moments. "She couldn't believe how much better she is."

"But better is good isn't it?" Dawn frowned too.

"For a doctor who has no idea that Tara has come back from the dead or done a wish to make all the magic be balanced again in Will's head…" Buffy came into the dining room and sat down opposite her sister. "Not so much."

"What did she say she's going to do?" Dawn asked for the outcome with trepidation.

"She's doing blood tests to make sure nothing foreign is in Willow's bloodstream. She wants to give it another week, track anymore changes and then do another barrage of assessments." Buffy shrugged defeated. "Pretty standard."

"But has she dropped the meds? At least a little?" Dawn looked both sad and concerned knowing this had been Willow's main desire from the trip. Buffy could only shake her head sadly in answer. "But she's better"!" Dawn objected immediately.

"It's not that simple to Dr. Clabet, these things take time." Buffy tried to make her sister see the reality. "Coming off the medications all suddenly could be just as bad for her apparently."

"But it's not fair." Dawn pouted as she closed the homework she was working on.

"I know, I know." Buffy grumbled feeling her sister's disappointment.

"Did you say that to her?" Dawn challenged.

"Dawn, there was no way to change her mind." Buffy shook her head. "She won't drop them for at least two weeks and that's only if Willow stays stable and she finds nothing odd."

"TWO WEEKS!" The teenager screeched in disbelief.

"Dawn, there's nothing we can do." Buffy attempted reason as the Dawn's voice got louder.

"How has she taken it?" Dawn gave up her opposition knowing from Buffy's face that her sister had done all she could at the appointment to change the outcome. She glanced at the stairs feeling a deep ache for Willow.

"Not so great." Buffy slumped down more in her chair.

"Should I make tea?" Dawn fretted not knowing what to do now.

"Where's Tara?" Buffy checked worried for her best friend.

"In the shower." Dawn replied quickly.

Tara wrapped the soft white towel around her body and tucked it in tightly letting her wet hair fall over her shoulders as she checked her face briefly in the bathroom mirror after first wiping the steam off it. Things always felt better after a long hot shower and that was certainly true for her right now.

Madalene's workout had been taxing, not in the amount of things she had had to do but more because of the still tired muscles it used. Smiling slightly to herself despite the ache in her body, Tara padded into the bedroom not at all expecting to find Willow in there.

By the window the redhead was curled up rather uncomfortably in the small chair there. She looked out through the glass with a scowl across her features.

"Willow, I didn't think you'd be back." Tara crossed directly to the redhead dropping to her knees on the carpet beside her.

"If that barbarian had her way I'd be in a white box." Willow grumbled tapping her foot against the chair.

"Dr. Clabet?" Tara checked with a frown.

"She wouldn't even talk to me, she asked me to leave while she talked with Buffy. As if I was stupid or insane or God knows what." Willow looked at her frowning too.

"Did she talk to you at all?" Tara asked quietly.

"Like I was a child." Willow huffed.

"Sshhh sweetie it's okay." Tara reached up and rubbed Willow's arm lightly.

"And it gets worse." Willow bit her lip.

"Worse how?" Tara began to worry.

"She refused to change my medications." Willow whispered looking away.

"Oh." Tara made the small noise hoping to hide her own disappointment.

"Something about my improvement being temporary so she shouldn't modify the medication too quickly, she said it could be two weeks." The redhead groaned.

"Two weeks." Again Tara whispered the words as for a moment she lost a little composure but then forced her brave side forward.

"She thinks I'm crazy." Willow protested tapping her foot faster against the material of the chair.

"No one thinks you're crazy." Tara put her hand on Willow's knee and slid it down her leg to lightly hold her foot still.

"I gained three pounds." The redhead offered hoping to make her girlfriend smile.

"Did you? Oh baby." Tara pulled up and hugged Willow tightly. "Well done."

"I'm sorry I let you down." Willow hugged her back.

"How did you let me down?" Tara pulled back a little shaking her head.

"I didn't convince her to stop the meds." She lowered her eyes.

"Ok now…" Tara took a breath. "Lets think about this using that mighty Willow brain and Tara enhanced logic. You've been on strong medication for three months so was there ever any chance you'd go today and she'd shake your hand and say ok no more meds for you Miss. Rosenberg?"

"But-But I'm doing so much better, everyone said so." Willow screwed up her nose. "Okay... no chance." She admitted the truth and Tara rewarded Willow's honest appraisal with a smile. "But she could have at least lowered them." The redhead added still upset.

"She could have but she didn't, its a little glitch sweetie." Tara made a little space between her finger and thumb to illustrate. "We can take little glitches."

"She has this huge file on her desk and it's all about me." Willow tried to explain some of her discomfort. "No one has ever had a thick file about me."

"You've been through a lot." Tara soothed gently.

"I missed you." Willow tried to think of something other than the doctor's.

"I missed you too." Tara confirmed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's okay, you couldn't be I know that." Willow shook her head. "Did you have a good work out?"

"I ache." Tara assessed not passing judgement on if this was a good or a bad thing.

"You should lie down then, have a rest." Willow fluttered worried now about the blonde.

"I'm taking care of you first, most important thing so what can I do to make you feel better?" Tara turned the concern around.

"Maybe resting would be good for both of us." Willow conceded with a half smile. "Snuggles make me feel better."

"Then snuggles shall be arranged." Tara gave in easily. "Let me just find something to slip on." She kissed Willow's cheek.

"No, stay in your comfy towel." Willow smiled under the kiss.

"Are you sure? Its a little damp." Tara frowned concerned though the look faded when Willow nodded silently and uncurled herself to help Tara up. They moved together over to the bed and Tara eased down carefully a soft smile on her face.

"Comfy?" Willow checked as they curled up face to face.

"Very, you?" Tara nodded.

"Very." Willow massaged her hand into the fluffy material around Tara's side.

"Don't let this morning get you down." Tara encouraged gently.

"I know… I just wanted to do really good so that you'd be proud of me." Willow admitted still disappointed.

"I'm proud of you." Tara promised.

"I'm proud of you too." Willow leaned in the short distance and kissed her lightly.

"Proud of me?" Tara questioned looking into green eyes.

"I know how hard you're working to make yourself stronger." Willow smiled softly at her.

"Are the aches and pains that obvious?" Tara questioned feeling the topic of conversation ease with the soft kisses.

"Only to me. I know a brave Tara when I see one." Willow rubbed over Tara's side again. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Snuggles are nice." Tara admitted feeling her body relax.

"My second favourite thing to do." Willow whispered snuggling closer.

"Second favourite?" Tara couldn't help but query slipping her arm around Willow's back.

"You're too tired for my favourite." The redhead smiled though her eyes were closed.

"Oh, OH!" Tara squeaked feeling her cheek blush red.

"You always go that colour." Willow giggled looking up to trace her finger over the coloured area on Tara's cheek.

"Do I?" Tara checked honestly unsure how she felt inside.

"Either that or you get a big smirk." Willow tucked her head under Tara's.

"And what do you do?" Tara enquired letting Willow settle.

"I don't know I'm too busy watching you." Willow admitted causing the blonde to chuckle.

"I love you Willow." She kissed the top of red hair.

"I love you Tara." Willow whispered back.

Anya looked up at the clock on the wall of the Magic Box. She was just about ready to lock the doors to the shop for the evening and call it a night. Sales for the day had been healthy and that pleased her but the last hour had been slow so she didn't see a point keeping it open. She'd already counted and ordered the money for the bank deposit so she slipped the key out of the cash register to lock it and began walking towards the front door.

"Good evening lovely lady." A bright voice called from the door as the bell sounded its opening.

"Hello." Anya looked up to see a young well-dressed man in the doorway of her shop.

"I hope I am not disturbing you." He dipped a little smiling continuously, his accent was distinctly British.

"No, I was about to close up but I'm more than happy to help you if you want to purchase something." Anya brightened at the prospect of a sale.

"Well actually, its more something I could sell you." He kept his bright demeanour.

"Sell me?" Anya stepped back letting him enter.

"Forgive me." He nodded again. "My name is Edward Sotier." He extended his hand towards Anya.

"Anya." She reached out and shook it briefly. "So what is it you think you can sell me?"

"Well please give me the time to explain…" He began.

"Okay give me the pitch." Anya went back to lean against the counter eyeing him.

"On my recent visits though this town, I couldn't help but notice your fabulous establishment but until yesterday I had never managed to actually come in." The salesman began. "And thank the gods of retail I did. I am so heartily impressed by the collection of goods you stock. The diversity and variety is truly inspirational."

"Thank you." Anya grinned happily as he complimented her.

"It made me think hard about the goods I was bringing to you neighbouring stores and I realised that in my current selection I had nothing that could add a dimension to your store, quite honestly Miss. Anya, you made me feel a little inadequate." He summed up.

"I have the ability to do that." She grinned and slipped up to sit on a stool.

"And so I went straight to my hotel room to look through my catalogue, determined to find something that would enhance your wide range of merchandise Miss. Anya." Edward picked up his neat bag and balanced it carefully. "I am happy to tell you that I managed to find something, though I must stress it was a hard task." Flicking open the clasp on the case he pulled apart the leather and put the bag down by his feet before reaching into the bag.

"I'm intrigued." Anya watched him open it.

"Miss. Anya I present to you… Itziar and Halsten." Slowly the salesman pulled out from the bag a hand sized statue of a dragon and reaching in with his other hand he pulled out a second statue, this one more like a gargoyle. Both were made out of a strange coloured stone.

She looked at him and then down to each of the statues a bit confused by the introduction.

"Here take Itziar." The brown haired man held out the dragon statue watching for Anya's reaction when she took the small ornament and felt its unusually smoothness and yet warmth

"Cute." Anya took it and studied its slight snarling look, its large gemmed eyes taking away all hint of menace from the creature.

"They are of a marvellous quality." He injected.

"What is their history?" Anya questioned turning the small dragon over to see that it had its name engraved on its foot.

"I am so glad you asked that." Edward's smile was so bright his face strained. "These two are modelled as replicas of the two mythical pets of an ancient god."

"Models?" Anya turned it over again looking at it a bit relieved at the word.

"Well of course models, one in a shop such as yours would understand the danger of have anything other than simple representations." He replied quickly. "But they are of very high quality."

"Oh I can see that." She smiled at him looking over the little statue. "Do you have many of them or just the two?"

"Oh I have many dear lady." Edward wiggled his eyebrows knowing he was getting her attention.

"Have you sold them to anyone else in Sunnydale?" She began to form an idea. Some of her best day-to-day sales were the non-magical but yet occult like objects and these little statues could really fit that niche.

"Believe me Miss. Anya, no one in the whole of Sunnydale is worthy to stock these particular statues." He reached up straightening his cuff links.

"How much?" She cut to the bottom line.

"Now there's the beauty. I can let you have these two on trial and I have four more in my bag. I can come back in a weeks time and if you have sold them we can talk facts and figures." He gave her the outline.

"But what is the manufacturing cost?" Anya rolled the little dragon over again.

"$15.50." Edward replied knowing it was a more than workable price.

"That's very reasonable." Anya's face lit up happily. "It'll take them, all six."

"Oh Miss. Anya, you won't regret it." Edward began reaching into his bag to bring out the other statues.

Buffy cast a sideways glance at her patrol partner. She wasn't exactly sure why Xander had been so keen on coming out with her as so far he'd barely said five words and they'd already patrolled one cemetery. Usually the carpenter was a constant ream of chatter but since Tara's wish and Willow's subsequent recovery from at least the magical problems in her life he'd become more withdrawn.

"How did the doctors go?" Xander said eventually.

"Willow was pissed." Buffy sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. "But it was almost nice to see her upset in an old Willow way you know?"

"So not good news I'm thinking," Xander didn't comment on the new vs. the old Willow.

"No, the Doc wants to keep her on the meds for at least another two weeks. Something about relapse." Buffy gave her the synopsis.

"Hey whets two weeks, when we've lived through three months." Xander shrugged defeated.

"To Willow its two weeks to long." Buffy sighed again. "Where are the vamps when you need to beat something up?" She made the quirk hoping to break their bad mood.

"It's a full moon, too bright for them." Xander chuckled though there was barely a trace of his usual humour.

"Okay spill." Buffy stopped and stared at him. "I got enough people moping around my house and I especially don't like my happy guy being one of them."

"I was wondering when you wanted me to move out." Xander said glumly taking the comment totally the wrong way as he kept walking forcing the Slayer to follow him.

"Why the hell would I want that?" Buffy challenged him instantly upset by the idea.

"Well you know, full house, over flowing house actually." Xander pointed out. "And you have money." He sighed.

"You want to leave?" The Slayer bit her cheek trying to stop herself from saying anything else. After all maybe he wanted to get away from her, he'd only moved in to take care of Willow after all.

"No." Xander flatly underlined.

"Then why are we even having this conversation?" Buffy questioned nervously. "I don't want you to go, Willow doesn't want you to, not even Tara or Dawn for sure."

"Haven't you noticed the kinda space problem?" The carpenter asked seriously.

"Space is overrated." Buffy shrugged not wanting to think about it.

"But I think Dawn might like her bedroom back." Xander put forward with a small look.

"Well Dawn could move back into her room. Maybe we could do a little redecorating and make the basement into two rooms. One for you and one for well guests." Buffy put forward.

"And where's Mads gonna sleep?" Xander questioned.

"Guest room." Buffy wondered why he was being so difficult. "She's a guest. Would you mind sharing the basement with her?"

"I guess I could put a false wall up in the basement for you, its not much work." Xander gave in slightly. "Do you really want someone like me hanging around though Buffy?" He dropped his gaze.

"Someone like you? Have you got into some weird stuff that I don't know about?" Buffy was about to finish the question when he broke her train of though. "Not more wishes for magic dancing demons?"

"I mean Anya." Xander dig his hands into her pockets.

"Xander, what went on... how can I judge you on that?" She admitted honestly. "Hell I was the one sleeping with Spike, I'm not much of a relationship guru."

"The problem is…" Xander pushed his foot into the soil. "I love her."

"And?" Buffy looked at him expecting more. After all that he was in love with her wasn't a point that had ever been in question, just that he was uncertain about their future.

"I think..." Xander took a breath. "I think I want her back Buffy." He admitted. "When she was standing up to you over the wish I thought 'that's the woman I love' and I realised I want her back."

"Are you afraid of the future anymore?" Buffy questioned feeling her heart break for his pain. She had nothing in her life like this.

"More than ever." He admitted. "After all she's a demon again."

"She is." Buffy nodded crossing her arms over her body. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know what to do." Xander shrugged, this had been the very question that had been sitting heavy in his mind for days now.

"Have you talked to her?" Buffy felt like twenty questions was evolving here. "You should talk to her, ask her out for dinner. Start slow see what happens."

"Buffy she turned back into a vengeance demon because of me, it doesn't sound like the best spring board into a relationship does it?" He frowned not seeing how there was any hope in this.

"Xander, she still loves you." Buffy reached up and patted his shoulder.

"How can she?" His words came back immediately.

"Demon or not a demon, she has big feelings for you but she's hurt and you're the only one who can make that better." She kept her hand in place.

"And how can I make it better?"

"I don't know you're going to have to figure that out." Buffy softly encouraged him. "But you can do it."

"You think?" Xander looked up for the first time.

"You have to try or you'll spend the rest of your life thinking what if I had."

She summed up for him.

"Or I could leave." Xander whispered the hard option. Buffy stared at him startled again by his apparent desire to desert them all.

"Don't you dare." She snapped at him. "You left her at the altar, you don't get to just run away. You came back so you have to fix this."

"We've grown up haven't we Buffy?" Xander said straightening his back and breathing deeply. Her sharp accusation having been just what he needed.

"We haven't had much choice." She smiled at him sadly.

"No…" Xander began but was silenced as they both emerged around a blind corner into a flurry of revolving blue and white lights.

"Mind your back sir." The warning came from a paramedic Xander discovered as he turned his head and was nearly knocked over by a stretcher being wheeled through the crowd nearby. He hadn't really realised what they had walked into but as he did all of their previous conversation melted away.

"What's going on?" Buffy looked around realising as they'd wandered they'd come to a back alley by the bakery.

"Something bad." Xander assessed from the ambulance and two police cars that had responded to the scene.

"We better find out if its demon bad." Buffy pressed closer through the crowd.

"Oh God its horrible." A woman clung to her husband's hand as they moved away from the scene. "What kind of animal would to that to his throat?"

"Bingo." Buffy glanced at Xander as she heard the description and pushed forward to the yellow police tape. Xander pushed with her using his height to make the way easier.

"Eww." Buffy took a brief look before looking away. A young man, probably in his late twenties was sprawled out in the side gutter his head sitting off centre from his body due to the fact most of his throat was tore away.

"Not pretty." Xander to glanced, going a little green instantly he turned quickly away too.

"I vote demon, what do you vote?" Buffy whispered to him.

"I vote werewolf." He nodded up to the sliver of sky visible through the buildings.

"Damn." Buffy looked up at the bright shiny moon. "Means we don't have much time to track and capture or we've got a whole month of down time."

"Do we need to check we didn't miss anything last month?" The young man suggested. "You know the last three months we might not have been as thorough"

"Definitely." Buffy conceded knowing she couldn't deny what he was saying. As she thought about contingency plans she felt a little bit brighter. "Maybe Willow is up for some research, you know get her mind back to working on some big problem."

"Maybe, though there is that little 'Oz' problem with werewolves." Xander reminded.

"We better get back and talk to Giles." Buffy nodded her mood dampened again.

Madalene did up the buttons on her coat and walked back to the kitchen where she found Tara putting the finishing touches on the small dinner she was making for her and Willow.

"Are you sure you don't want us to bring you anything back?" She questioned smiling.

"Well if they have anything that looks nice in their candy selection." Tara looked up from her work.

"Gummy or sour?" Madalene checked flipping open her purse to check she had all the necessities.

"Mmmm could I push for chocolate?" Tara wrinkled her nose slightly.

"I'm sure Dawn can help me find your favourite." The Spellcaster acknowledged.

"Thank you so much for doing this." Tara carefully tossed the small salad she had made.

"I'm actually looking forward to it. I can't remember the last time I went to the movies." She waved off Tara's words. "And I'm sure Dawn will pick something intelligent and artistic."

"Well…" Tara didn't seem so convinced. "I am sure you'll have fun."

"She's going to make me see that talking mouse movie isn't she?" Madalene looked scared for a moment.

"I have no reason to say this with the memory thing but…" Tara paused. "For some reason I think yes."

"Cousin you owe me." Mads laughed and shook her head lightly.

Tara's smile suddenly beamed and she stepped over to catch Madalene up in a hug. The Spellcaster held her back for a moment smiling.

"I'm never going to be able to repay you for everything." Tara whispered as she eased back.

"You don't owe me anything." Madalene shook her head.

"I'm ready!" Dawn suddenly announced as she bounced in.

"Coincidence so am I." Madalene grinned at the teenager's enthusiasm.

"Great, now are you sure you and Willow are going to be ok?" Dawn turned to Tara. "Buffy and Xander should be back soon." She pointed out and Tara couldn't help but smile as the teenager hovered protectively.

"We'll be fine." She assured her.

"Come on Dawn I'm sure they'll be find on their own." Mads moved back towards the hall.

"I love you." Dawn gave Tara a brief hug before running after the Spellcaster.

"Have a good time!" Tara called turning her attention back to the meal. She took a moment to enjoy the quietness in the house now that it was virtually empty. Though she knew she didn't remember these walls and this structure, it held comfort for her. It held the shadows of memories in which she was safe and cared for. Even as she moved around the kitchen she found herself reaching into cupboards and drawers without thinking to find the things she needed.

"Did I just hear see Dawn and Madalene leave?" Willow came into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"Yes?" Tara confirmed turning to smile at the redhead. "The mouse movie is calling."

"Mouse movie?" Willow perched by the island questioning.

"There's a talking mouse movie playing, I think Dawn might want to see it." Tara explained her wording.

"Oh Stuart Little Two, she loved the first one." Willow smiled catching up. "Though I didn't think Madalene would be a talking mouse movie sorta girl."

"Did she?" Tara moved to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice.

"Do you need help?" The redhead checked.

"No, I'm fine, nearly done." She brought the cartoon over and poured out two glasses.

"So we have the house to ourselves?" Willow checked as she watched Tara's finishing touches.

"We do." Tara looked up through her eyelashes and nodded. "Until Xander and Buffy get back from patrol at least."

"Do you want to eat in the living room or the dining room?" Willow questioned.

"The dining room, you'll see why." Tara smiled to herself when she thought of the dining room she'd set up with candles and place settings. "You could take the juices through sweetie."

The redhead nodded smiling as up picked up the glasses and moved back down the hall. Willow wasn't expecting anything special when she turned into the dining room but the soft light of the flickering tapered candles and soft floral fabric place mats were a very happy surprise.

Tara walked slowly in behind the redhead carrying the two plates for their meals. Willow turned still smiling when she felt the blonde come up beside her.

"It's lovely." She whispered lovingly.

"I wanted to underline how proud I am of you, no matter what some doctor in some office says." Tara whispered back.

"What are we having?" Willow's smiled grew even wider.

"We have…" Tara put the plates down on the settings. "Salmon, baby potatoes, and broccoli with a light garden salad. I made ice cream for desert."

"Wow." Willow moved over impressed, catching up with herself she held out Tara's seat.

"You do like salmon?" Tara checked suddenly unsure about her choices.

"I love your salmon." The redhead confirmed helping the blonde tuck up to the table before she moved over to her seat.

"I hope I still can cook." Tara smiled as she watched Willow sit down. The redhead carefully took her napkin and draped it into her lap.

"I'm sure it's yummy." Willow picked up her fork.

"Did we used to do this much?" Tara asked lifting her own fork. There was again something familiar about this and she wanted confirmation that her instincts could be trusted.

"As often as we could, life around here can be very hectic." Willow conceded taking a mouthful of salmon and grinning. "That is so yummy."

"Can I still cook?" Tara grinned back.

"You..." Willow chewed greedily. "Are the best." Tara watched the red head as she took another mouthful.

"Did I used to just sit and watch you a lot?" Tara made the vague query as she slowly started to eat. Willow nodded as she tried the potatoes.

"You used to say it was your favourite thing." She added softly.

"I think it is." Tara agreed with herself. "Are you feeling better?" She asked as she too tried the salmon and was quite pleased with how it had turned out.

"I'm sorry if I was a grumpy earlier." Willow took some of her juice.

"It's ok." Tara shook her head. "Grumpy is fine."

"I feel a lot better since I get to spend the night with my lovely girl." Willow grinned twirling her fork into the salmon.

"What do you want to do with our night in?" Tara asked as she took a sip of orange.

"Anything." Willow suggested happily.

"No preferences on your anything?" Tara laughed lightly, she could tell just by the sparkle in green eyes that she could have said clean the bathroom and Willow would have been excited as it was going to be done together.

"We could go star watching." Willow offered looking up at Tara.

"Oh now that sounds like fun." Tara enthused. "If we see a falling on I've already got my wish because I'm spending the time with you."

"Charmer." Willow blushed lightly.

"I don't remember being one." Tara smirked at her own words.

"Doesn't matter if you remember you are." The redhead blushed more.

"Willow." Tara began gentling tipping her head slightly on her side. Willow caught blue eyes and waited for her to continue. "How are you feeling?" She asked hoping that the redhead would realise that she wasn't talking about her earlier mood but was rather being more generic.

"I feel odd." Willow admitted feeling like Tara was the one person she could talk with honestly.

"Does odd have details?" Tara absently ate small mouthfuls of the meal.

"There is so much whirling around in my head that wants attention, I guess because I've been not paying attention to it for so long." Willow put down her fork trying to explain.

"Like?" Tara encouraged her to explain.

"And I see how everyone has moved on, but to me it's like time hasn't moved." Willow looked up into blue eyes.

"Hasn't moved on from when?" Tara looked back into green.

"From me trying to blow up the world." Her words were a whisper.

"You remember that?" Tara's words were no louder than Willow, who nodded softly that she did. "I'm sorry I went left you alone to face the world." She whispered her heartfelt apology.

"No sweetie, it wasn't your fault." Willow reached out putting her hand over Tara's. "I'm sorry..." She hesitated swallowing as she pulled her hand back. "I didn't keep you safe."

"You did." Tara shook her head and reached out as Willow withdrew her hand to catch it before it could move away too far. "What happened to me, you didn't cause it."

"I didn't stop it either, I should have been able to keep you safe." Willow didn't pull her hand back as Tara's rested over it.

"I wish I could remember how things were before it happened, so I could assure you that you were the best girlfriend in the world." Tara shook her head.

"I wasn't." Willow looked down.

"I didn't say you were perfect, I'm sure I wasn't either." Tara smiled though she was worried that her girlfriend had looked down.

"I was addicted to magic, I was the worse girlfriend in the world." Willow's voice went softer in her own shame.

"I know you weren't that." Tara refused to believe it.

"You don't remember." Willow stated and finally tried to ease her hand away.

"I don't need to remember to know I love you." Tara stressed she didn't stop Willow from moving her hand if she wanted to.

"I love you too." Willow's hand stopped its retreat.

"So tell me about star watching." Tara squeezed Willow's hand and tried to move to a softer topic.

It took a moment for the redhead's mind to switch streams but slowly she looked back up and picked up her fork again.

"We lie out and I tell you the real names and then you tell me the ones that you made up." Willow offered in a whisper.

"And are we allowed to sleep out there or do we have to come in?" Tara giggled softly.

"Too dangerous to sleep out there." Willow shook her head sadly. "We could sleep with the window open though."

"If its not too cold." Tara nodded that she liked the idea. "Can't have you getting a chill."

"This is really good." Willow smiled around another mouthful of salmon.

"I was hoping you'd like it." Tara admitted feeling a solid sense of pride.

"I love it." Willow took another mouthful. "Just like I love you."

Dinner had gone on with a lot of conversation, some of the topics managed to slide into the area that made Willow retreat a little into herself but Tara had always managed to draw her girlfriend back out. By the end they had both finished all of their dinner and had a large helping of dessert.

Following up their plans they had moved almost immediately into the back yard to enjoy the skies.

"That one definitely looks like a bath tub, that has something in it." Tara pointed upwards as she lay beside Willow on the thick chequered blanket.

"Moose taking a bath." Willow giggled as she followed Tara's hand.

"That's its real name?" Tara was shocked.

"That's the name you gave it." Willow turned sideways to look at her.

"Oh." Tara giggled again. "I was thinking for a minute you had forgotten to tell me I was an astronomer or something."

"You're gorgeous." Willow admired the blonde in the starlight.

"Gorgeous?" Tara queried. "I'm not sure about that" She watched a thin stream of cloud move slowly across the bright full moon.

"You've never believed me but you've always been." Willow whispered.

"Well if I am then you are gorgeous and beautiful." Tara grinned looking away from the moon and at her girlfriend.

"Then you must be gorgeous and beautiful and stunning." Willow grinned as she gave her counter proposal.

"Making you gorgeous, beautiful, stunning and so attractive." Tara chuckled.

"Making you gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, so attractive and irresistible." Willow reached up and dotted her fingertip onto Tara's nose.

"This isn't going to stop till we run out of adjectives is it?" Tara laughed lightly.

"I know a lot of adjectives." Willow giggled.

"More than me I bet." Tara admitted.

"I don't know you're very smart." Willow turned her body a little putting her arm up under her head as she studied Tara's face.

"Am I?" Tara turned too

"You are extremity smart and well read." Willow nodded.

"Are we starting the adjective list again?" Tara giggled more.

"I love you." Willow decided to reach the simple answer.

"Every time you say that I feel all warm inside." Tara admitted as indeed a warm feeling settled into her body.

"Me too, they are the best three words in the English language." Willow whispered reaching down to find Tara's hand.

"Mmmm well I think there's one better." Tara mused entwining their fingers.

"What's that?" Willow rubbed her thumb over the back of Tara's hand.

"Willow." Tara smiled.

"Then I would have to disagree." The redhead shook her head lightly. "Tara comes first."

"You're biased." Tara smirked.

"Happily so." Willow's smile reached up to her eyes.

"You have beautiful eyes. Especially when you smile." Tara whispered lovingly.

"Again I say charmer." Willow whispered her smile remaining firmly in place.

"I think I'm just telling the truth." Tara reasoned.

"The world seems so far away when it's just you and me." Willow's voice stayed low and soft.

"Doesn't it." Tara agreed easily. "Like we're the world, just you and I, spinning together."

"Revolving in orbit around each other forever." Willow offered expanding the image.

"Exactly." Tara nodded feeling herself warm further with the beautiful words. "You're the sun and I'm a little happy planet."

"Or the sun is our love and you and I are both little happy planets." Willow corrected uncurling her arm to reach up above and play with a wisp of blonde hair.

"Mmmm which planet are you?" Tara asked leaning into her lover's hand.

"Mars." Willow giggled thinking of her red hair.

"Which should I be?" Tara giggled too.

"Venus of course." Willow twirled blonde around the blonde's ear.

"Now who's the charmer?" Tara blushed slightly.

"All truth." Willow squeezed the hand in her own. For just a second Tara shivered as a slightly cool breeze blew over them.

"Sweetie did you bring the other blanket out?" She questioned not wanting the weather to spoil their time outdoors.

"Right here." Willow leaned over pulling the heavier tartan blanket over them.

"Mmmm that's great." Tara snuggled below it feeling the chilly breeze instantly turned away.

"Are you warm enough?" Willow checked snuggling down with her.

"I am now." Tara felt the added heat of their bodies warming up the pocket under the blanket.

"Well Venus has to be warm and happy." Willow reached under the blanket for Tara's hand again.

"I am. Is Mars?" Tara interlocked their fingers again

"Mars is happy." Willow squeezed her hand.

"I'm surprised Buffy and Xander aren't back yet." Tara didn't want to break their mood in anyway but she felt she should mention the lack of the Slayer at the house despite the late hour.

"Probably went to research or help Giles paint his study." Willow guessed, though her mind was too focused on Tara to think much about the rest of the world.

"Tonight has been great." Tara squeezed Willow's hand.

"It has been, thank you again for the wonderful dinner."

"Thank you for eating it." Tara was most thankful for that fact.

"How could I not?" Willow shook her head. "Yummy food needs to go in tummies."

"Definitely in this tummy." Tara moved their joined hands to rub lightly over Willow's stomach. She pressed out her fingers to cover as much as the flat jean covered area as she could, intrigued and mesmerised by the little sparks of pleasure that the simple moved caused through her body.

"That feels nice." Willow's eyes closed a little as she breathed out.

"It does doesn't it?" Tara's voice was soft as she rubbed in a light circle. Willow nodded letting her hand trail up over Tara's arm. "Tiny Willow belly." Tara smiled rubbing around and around.

"Bigger I gained weight." Willow winded her hand around to rub Tara's back. Tara shivered again when Willow touched her back but this time it wasn't with the chill breeze. "Still cold baby?" Willow's eyes opened softly as she ran her hand up and down.

"No," Tara shook her head her blue eyes finding green ones, her circling moving in time with Willow's hand.

"This is nice." Willow admitted as her fingers trailed over her girlfriend's sweater.

"It is." Tara agreed her voice gentle. "Is this usually part of star watching."

"Quite often." Willow gave a small nod.

"I've always liked Willow belly then?" Tara smiled at her own phrase thinking of how adorably cute it was.

"You have." Willow smiled back. "You used to drive me crazy doing that when we first started going out."

"Did I?" Tara smiled hoping she was about to get details.

"We used to be studying together and you would always have one hand over rubbing my tummy. I swear I almost got B's." Willow smirked.

"I bet you didn't though." The blonde underlined knowing that this intelligent woman had probably never got a B in her life.

"I couldn't because then you might have stopped doing it." Willow cupped her hand into the dip of Tara's lower back.

"And did you often distract me like that?" Tara asked feeling the warmth underneath her skin heating up more.

"Of course." The redhead started rubbing her back again.

"I bet I probably got a B didn't I?" Tara smirked not sure how well she had actually done in school. There had been mention that she'd been at college but she had no idea what she'd been taking.

"Straight A's." Willow shook her head.

"Must be the way you do that, stimulates my brain." Tara laid her hand flat on Willow's stomach.

"I think so." Willow drew circles upward towards Tara's shoulder.

"It does feel very nice." Tara admitted closing her eyes briefly.

"Very nice." Willow smiled as she felt her body shift a bit closer. Tara shifted towards the smaller body at the same time, feeling her breath coming a little faster.

"Seems not so cold out here anymore." Willow admitted rubbing her hand down, her fingertips coming into contacts with the strip of Tara skin visible above the edge of her skirt.

"I was just thinking that." Tara confirmed her eyes closing again as Willow's fingertips touched her.

"What else were you thinking?" Willow traced small designs onto the soft skin.

"I was thinking that this is nice. Very nice." She continued though her eyes didn't open.

"Me too and…" Willow licked her lips. "I was thinking about kissing you."

"You can you know." Tara smiled blinking green eyes open to look into the face close to her now.

"Are you sure?" The redhead checked again in a tiny voice.

"Yes. I want you to." Tara confirmed pressing just that little bit closer.

Willow felt Tara's breath spread over her face and with a relaxing breath of her own she slowly brought their lips together. Tara similarly breathed out as their lips met, her hand pressing fingertips against jeans lightly as they kissed.

A light mummer came out of Willow's throat, as she pressed closer. A similar sound came from Tara as her hand slipped from Willow's stomach to her side. Willow felt all of her doubts and worries fade away as their kiss lengthened out, she could feel Tara's drawing her closer and it made her feel so safe.

Tara spread her fingers lightly over as much of Willow's side as they could reach gently pulling the redhead closer as she kissed soft lips over and over.

Willow felt their bodies and mouths melting closer together, the connection bringing a hot flush to her whole body.

Tara moaned again a little louder this time as she felt what should have been a familiar heat flow through her, but it wasn't familiar at all and that caused the blonde to pull back. Willow tried to catch up as the blonde pushed back from her slightly but she was left with empty lips and confusion.

Tara had to steady herself, bringing her hand off Willow's body and resting it on the floor as she fought with her breathing.

"Are you okay?" Willow questioned instantly worried.

"I... Yes." Tara looked at her girlfriend. "Yes." She said again a little stronger.

"Are you sure?" Willow questioned her voice tiny as she straightened out her shirt.

"I…" Tara began again. "Sorry." She whispered hating herself now for pulling back.

"No, I'm sorry. Me with the grabby hands and the kissy lips and the..." Willow shook her head. "Sorry."

"Stop." Tara said tenderly reaching back for the redhead.

"No, I understand." Willow objected. "Three days ago I was insane girl and I'm sure that wasn't very romantic and now I'm not really un-insane so you know still not much with the romance. I'll sit over here."

"Willow stop it." Tara frowned hard. "This is not about just you and you are not insane, you never have been." Tara's voice grew slightly stern. "Nothing about this feels wrong its just that it all feels so… new." She pointed out her viewpoint.

"Oh." Willow stopped as she realized what Tara was trying to say. "I didn't think, here's me with all the memories and you without any."

"I'm sorry Willow." It was Tara's turn to whisper and look down slightly ashamed.

"Baby, no." Willow shook her head and gently reached out to guide the blonde's face back up. "I totally understand, I mean I just wasn't thinking. It's like first date and I'm thinking tenth date stuff. All me."

"I just want when we take the next step, we make sure the time is right for both of us." Tara verbalised exactly why she had pulled back.

"It has to be extra flamey." Willow whispered nodding.

"And hey…" Tara smiled as one happy thought struck her. "How many people get lucky enough to have their 'first time' twice?"

"No one other than us." Willow smiled back gently.

"I love you Willow so much." Tara reached out again for Willow's hand.

"I love you Tara." Willow slipped their hands together again.

"Could I push for another little kiss?" Tara smirked her body still far too excited to stop completely. Beyond that, she loved kissing the redhead.

"Mmmm we could re-enact the kissing rule." Willow smiled and moved a bit closer.

"Kissing rule?" Tara questioned not sure what was being offered.

"We made a rule the first time we were trying to decide when was the right time." Willow explained softly. "We agreed that only kissing was allowed."

"Only kissing?" Tara asked for a clearer definition.

"Well..." The redhead smirked. "You just have to be careful with your hands."

"Is it best if we're holding hands when we kiss then?" Tara glanced down at their joined hands. Willow nodded that it was the best choice. "Sounds perfect." Tara beamed.

"Are you sure?" Willow squeezed the hand her own. "We don't have to do anything, I'm just happy to be with you."

"Willow I said it felt new, not it felt bad." Tara blushed. "No matter how new it feels Willow, I love you, my body wants you, I want you, it just have to be the right time."

"I want you too." Willow nodded moving so that their lips were only a few inches apart. "But I want it to be the right time."

"I think we'll know when, don't you?" Tara looked into green eyes as she held their lips only millimetres apart.

"We'll know because our hearts will tell us." Willow nodded slightly not yet bringing their lips together.

"I'm rather looking forward to dating." Tara giggled still not sealing the kiss.

"I want to make lots of new memories, that we both have." Willow admitted in a shy whispered.

"And hey I might get the old ones back." Tara said positively.

"There are so many things I can tell you about..." Willow thought of a thousand happy moments before the dark ones began to cloud her.

"Willow?" Tara gentle interrupted as she saw a slight tension in her lover's eyes. "Shush." She concluded the worry softly by closing the short distance between their lips.

Madalene pushed out with the crowd and made sure Dawn was with her as they made their way out into the night with the rest of the moviegoers.

"Well I have to admit, much more amusing then I expected." Madalene smiled as they crowd thinned out and they made their way down the street towards home.

"Buffy thinks talking animals are creepy." Dawn replied as she munched on some left over popcorn.

"They aren't particularly natural but who could resist Stuart." The Spellcaster reached over to grab a handful.

"I know wasn't he cute?" Dawn agreed happily.

"Though you know this means next time I get to pick the movie." Mads laughed lightly.

"You'll come with me again?" Dawn beamed at the idea, usually it was like punishment to have to take her anywhere, well at least prior to all out Willow watch it had been.

"Sure, if you don't mind seeing something in the horror genre." Madalene adjusted the strap over her shoulder making sure she could easily get to the stake Buffy had given her.

"I'm not old enough to go and see the really scary ones." Dawn sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "I'm just a kid." She munched sadly on the popcorn.

"You're telling me your sister is the slayer but you're not old enough to see a horror movie?" Madalene gave her a puzzled look. "That's crazy, we can sneak you in."

"Could we?" Dark perked up again. "I mean I'm not scared of anything."

"Nothing?" Madalene checked a bit surprised. "Everyone's scared of something."

"Well yeah, but nothing like blood, vampires or anything like that." Dawn admitted the things that didn't scare her.

"Do you know what totally makes me get all jumpy?" The Spellcaster stopped and hit the crosswalk button at the red light they'd hit.

"What?" Dawn asked enthralled.

"Have you ever watched those late night infomercial and there's always some bleach blonde woman smiling like she's a plastic doll?' The Spellcaster checked that Dawn knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah." Dawn nodded that she did. "Not that I'm supposed to watch late night TV you know, Buffy's in that over protective phase." She added for information's sake.

"It totally freaks me out that they never blink, it's not natural and it's completely scary." Madalene shivered and laughed. "And your sister worries, she means well."

"I know but like hello I'm sixteen." The brunette huffed.

"Definitely old enough to watch scary infomercials." Madalene checked as they began walking across the street.

"And I'm kinda mature for my age wouldn't you say?" Dawn pushed slightly.

"Definitely." Madalene nodded. "You did really great at the Magic Box, I meant to tell you and then things were all crazy."

"Thanks." Dawn looked down blushing just a little. "Someone had to do it thought, she doesn't mean to but Buffy can be a bit… you know."

"I think you're sister's just used to being very intense." She agreed easily. "It's hard for her to mediate it sometimes."

"You mean she's a bit of a spaz sometimes." Dawn grinned and Madalene put her hand over her mouth as she started laughing.

"Though I'm worried." She got her chuckling under control slowly. "If you think your sister is a spaz, I must be a total weirdo."

"Nah, you're kinda cool." Dawn shook her head definitely offering more popcorn.

"Why thank you, you're kinda cool too." Madalene grinned and took another handful.

"I think it's so cool that you and Tara are related." Dawn explained more.

"You're glad to have her back aren't you?" Madalene asked the slightly obvious question.

"Tara?" Dawn clarified that they were talking about the same thing. "Mmmm I think glad is one of those silly words you know, like nice, it means nothing."

"Very astute." Madalene agreed. "So how would you describe it?"

"When Tara died…" Dawn's body language changed a little her shoulders tensed and her face became visible sadder. "It was like the world went from colour to black and white, you know, I mean I lost my mom and sister the year before. Then I lost Tara, well Willow and Tara literally gave me the strength to stand again, then I lost her, well actually, I lost them both."

"I don't know if a lot of people have told you this but you are one of the bravest people I've ever met." Madalene loosely linked her arm into Dawn's as they walked. "And even if a lot of people have told you, I really mean it."

"No, I'm not." Dawn shook her head but she didn't pull away. "I was scared, I still get scared."

"Dawn being scared doesn't mean you're not brave." Madalene's voice was soft. "Being scared just means that you are even braver, because anyone can do something when they are confident. It takes someone really special to take action when they are afraid."

"Then you're super brave." Dawn smiled rather weakly.

"Me?" Madalene made a slightly dismissive noise. "That would be you."

"No, because you came here, you didn't know anyone, you know anything about any of us but you came and you stayed." Dawn explained her reasoning.

"I had too." Madalene reasoned simply.

"You didn't." Dawn shook her head.

"I'm not going to win this argument am I?" The Spellcaster relented.

"No, because I'm right." Dawn said smugly.

"Smarty pants." Madalene laughed as they turned down another street.

-x-

"I think blue would be a good colour for my line, don't you think, not that there's much of a line." Tara giggled brightly as she lay out on the living room carpet fawning over the squares of paper they had taped together in order to spread out a giant tree of their family line on the carpet.

"Your line is huge." Madalene countered pointing out the points going far back. "What colour should I have? It has to compliment yours cause we meet here." She pointed to a branch point.

"Mmmm, what colour are you eyes?" Tara peered at the Spellcaster.

"Sorta rain puddle green." Madalene blinked with a laugh.

"Rain puddle green." Tara giggled again she rummaged a little in the pencil case that dawn had given her producing a brown green colour. "Like this?" She held it up.

"Looks about right." The brunette nodded. Tara shrugged across the large square of white paper on the floor between the two women and passed the Spellcaster the colour. "So what do we make the colour once our lines cross?" Mads queried drawing in her lines carefully. "I mean it's only two hundred years ago." She laughed loudly.

"Now I'm beginning to think I should have given you red, because then the cross would be naturally purple." Tara mused with a laugh.

"We could switch to purple." Madalene agreed easily. "Would makes sense since it leads back through the royal line." She pointed to the area in question. "Then we sorta go into limbo."

"Mmmm." Tara frowned a little at the void.

"Maybe we can use Mr. Giles connections to see if we can fill in some of the blanks." Madalene sat back reaching for her lemonade.

"The council will probably have information, even if they don't know it now, you know." Tara hoped she was making sense.

"Secret organization, very odd." She nodded that she did. "Though Mr. Giles seems very intelligent, we've had some interesting conversations about history and such."

"Oh he is." Tara nodded. "That is, I think he is." She gave a slightly odd smile.

"I think you are right." Madalene laughed. "Though I think I scare him."

"I doubt it." Tara chuckled. "He's probably the oldest Scooby. I don't think anything scares him."

*He hates the telepathy.* Madalene tested the blonde gently to see how her strength was doing. They'd been switching back and forth all day to open up Tara's abilities.

*That's because he's no good at it.* Tara replied with a grin.

*I keep telling him it takes practice.* Madalene twirled the pencil crayon around a finger. *Well and a few thousand years of heritage. *

*I guess we cheat.* Tara's smile stayed firmly in place.

*Not so much cheating as...* Madalene mused laughing lightly. *More like gifted. *

"So what do we do about the void?" Tara turned her attention once more to their masterpiece.

"Research." Madalene sighed gently. "Maybe a short trip to Northern Ireland or Greece to follow up leads."

"I don't think I'll be travelling anywhere for a while." Tara glanced towards the kitchen to where Willow had been talking with Dawn. "Not till Willow is a little better."

"I believe the house motto is 'we have all the time in the world'." Madalene reached across and squeezed Tara's hand.

"It is." Tara looked up and smiled.

*She's doing so much better.* The spellcaster sent the gentle message.

*Is she? I think she is then I think I am biased.*

*No, you're not. How is she doing one on one? * The Spellcaster questioned gently.

*She's amazing, so brave and so strong. We nearly had a problem last night, but it worked itself out. * Tara replied her smile never breaking.

*What problem? * Madalene asked concerned hoping she wasn't being too pushy. Tara blushed without replying. *Oh.* Madalene's eyes widened. "Sorry." She apologized immediately.

"No like I say, it was sorted." Tara nodded firmly.

"It must be hard but I bet you two will figure it all out." The brunette tried to be supportive.

"We will." Tara confirmed.

"You are so lucky." Madalene twirled the pencil crayon again.

"I am." Tara nodded her blue eyes misted slightly.

"Hey Dawn is making Kool-Aid do you two want any?" Willow came in around the corner asking the quiet question.

"Hi baby." Tara turned reaching out her hands to her girlfriend.

"Hi sweetie." Willow came over and filled them with her own crouching down. "You making a picture."

"A tree." Tara leaned and kissed Willow briefly on the lips. "And ancestral tree."

"Mmmm." Willow smiled her eyes closed for a moment before she looked back at the drawing. "Oh did you know there was a computer program that we can plug all this into and you can track all the changes?" She held onto Tara's hands.

"That Willow would require me being talented with a computer." Madalene smiled and then bit her lip. "Which is exactly why I have the lovely drawn hand version you see here."

"And I'm not even sure how to turn your lap top on sweetie." Tara admitted rubbing her thumb over the back of Willow's hand.

"It's easy." Willow grinned at them both looking over the fragile drawing.

"I can even send out web crawlers that comb archived areas for links and connections." She looked to the big blank space. "As long as we have names and basic data we can find anyone if they have a record."

"And she wonders why I love her." Tara leaned in and kissed Willow again. "Why don't I go and get the drinks, while you set up the computer."

"I can do that." Willow nodded and stole another kiss.

"You just want to put my years of painstaking research to shame don't you wonder hacker." Madalene teased leaning back to smile at them.

"Kool-Aid couz?" Tara grinned at the spellcaster

"Please." She nodded moving the paperwork over out of the way.

"You know I can't believe I just called you that." The blonde shook her head as she released Willow's hand and moved to the kitchen. "I'll be right back."

"She's cute like that, she makes little nicknames." Willow smiled as Tara moved away and she started setting up her laptop.

"One day you're going to have to give me a crash course on that thing." Madalene moved over watching Willow fly through windows and screens completely impressed.

Tara was true to her word and within a brief moment the taller Wicca reappeared at the doorway, carefully balancing three glasses of brightly coloured drink. The middle one held by the other two and Tara's little fingers in a rather risky looking triangle.

"There are cookies too which I will go get in a minute." She informed them softly.

"You could have asked for some help." Madalene pushed up to come take one or more of the glasses.

"No, no it's o..." Tara's voice wavered just as her body did. The Wicca pitched a little to the left and tried desperately to compensate to the right the third carefully balanced glass of Kool-Aid slipped free plummeting to the carpet. The two remaining glasses followed it soon after as the tension keeping them in place fell away.

"Whoa." Madalene shot forward trying to catch the blonde and keep her upright as the glasses fell to the carpet.

"Baby?" Willow watched the whole endeavor with worry as Tara toppled.

"I-I-I'm sorry." Tara managed to right herself with Madalene's assistance and she immediately looked down at the mess.

"No worries." Madalene helped her get firmly on her feet and quickly handed over 'Tara' duties to Willow who had scrambled up. "Why don't I get a cloth?" She smiled as Willow led Tara to the couch.

"I spoiled the tree." Tara looked unhappily at the now soggy paper and then at her girlfriend.

"We can replace it." Willow ran a worried hand over Tara's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I think so, I just came over slightly dizzy." The blonde raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed it slightly.

"Mmmmm I think someone needs to rest more." Willow offered reaching up to smooth blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Mmmm maybe." Tara vaguely agreed and then looked at Willow with concern. "Oh Willow are you ok?" She said raising her own hand to the redhead's cheek.

"I'm fine, just worried about my dizzy girl." Willow smiled and leaned to kiss her gently. "I think you need more rest and less rehabilitation."

"I'm only doing what I need to do." Tara objected.

"I know you want to push love but you have to remember you've been through a lot. You and Mads can talk silently all you want for the rest of our lives, you don't have to do it all in one week." Willow countered with a gentle sternness.

"I want to be strong for you." Tara whispered the reason she had been forcing herself to do any of this at all.

"What did you tell me this morning?" Willow questioned softly. "I need to rest and take it slow, the same applies to you love."

"But I..." Tara began to object.

"But I..." Willow shook her head and kissed her lightly again. "The only answer I'm taking is 'yes Willow I'm going to take it easy'."

"Yes Willow, I'm going to take it slightly easier." Tara looked deep into green eyes.

"Slightly?" Willow raised an eyebrow.

"Slightly more than slightly?" Tara reasoned only to have Willow shake her head with a mock pout. "Rather a lot?" Tara's smile turned into a rather soppy smirk.

"Exactly." Willow rewarded her with another soft kiss.

"My head feels funny." The blonde admitted burrowing her head into Willow's shoulder.

"I prescribe rest and cuddles for the rest of the day." Willow wound her arms around Tara's body and cradled her.

"Are you sure that's alright with you?" The blonde checked though she didn't move.

"Mmmmm my favourite." Willow admitted smiling brightly.

"Do I get to keep my Willow pillow?" Tara nuzzled closer.

"Definitely." The redhead kissed the crown of blonde hair. "I can give Madalene directions on how to get to the website if you want."

"If it's easier I can leave you to it." Tara remembered their plan and now felt guilty about disrupting it.

"I think it would be funny to see her try." Willow giggled lightly and hugged Tara closer. "Sorta like Buffy trying to check her email."

"She can't do it!" Dawn's voice chimed in as the teenager appeared along with Madalene. The Spellcaster had a cloth while the teenager carried a tray with fresh drinks and a plate of cookies.

"Dawnie can help Mads with the tech, while we cuddle." Willow smiled at the teenager.

"Sure!" Dawn beamed at the idea.

"Let me get this cleaned up first then you can introduce me to the world wide universe." Madalene bent down sopping up the spilt liquid.

"Now what on earth could Buffy be doing that would be better than this." Dawn grinned stealing a cookie and picking the laptop up off the seat next to Willow.

The Slayer wasn't sure exactly what this was supposed to be doing but she'd reluctantly agreed as she hung upside down from the overhanging pipe and continues to rain punches on the block pad that Giles was holding.

"Tell me again how this is helping?" Buffy looked at him as she slapped out another combination.

"Is helping you to overcome disorientation." The Watcher replied succinctly.

"I don't feel disoriented more that I'm distracted as I think wow how British have you become because you're shoes match your belt." Buffy laughed lightly and swung her arms down.

"Alright enough." Giles blushed slightly and moved to put the wood block on the side.

"That was easy." Buffy twirled and dropped down landing surely on her feet.

"Anything else new you got up your sleeve?"

"I've been working a new rotation for you." Giles admitted. "It's not complete yet."

"Are you including those weird meditations Mads suggested?" Buffy queried putting her leg up on the horse to stretch her calf.

"Weird meditations?" Giles raised an eyebrow.

"The ones with the ice and stuff, oh come on I heard you two talking." Buffy looked at him seriously.

"There will be meditations yes." Giles looked back. "They are good for you."

"Mmmmm if you start suggesting tattoos I'm going to think you have and her are into voodoo." Buffy teased as she stretched up to the bar and pulled out the muscles in her arms.

"Very amusing Buffy," Giles strolled over and picked up a selection of short throwing knives bringing them back to the Slayer.

"Any headway on our werewolf?" Buffy took them and lined up across the room from the target.

"Well it would seem we are a month behind." The Watcher admitted moving off to a safe area at the side.

"Great." Buffy twirled and sent three blades into the board with deadly accuracy. "Guess I've got work to do."

"Yes, though strangely enough," Giles nodded at Buffy's display of skill. "All the victims were killed outright. No chance of passing on the lycanthropy."

"Wait, it's the whole point to pass it on?" Buffy stopped short of throwing another blade.

"Well no, its one of the points, the main being pure animal hunger." Giles shook his head.

"I don't like it." Buffy turned and threw another blade. "Something doesn't seem right. We haven't had a werewolf... well since Oz." She looked back at Giles. "Willow can't hear about this at all." She underlined.

"Is that wise?" Giles asked rubbing his nose slightly.

"Giles, how smart is it to tell her there's a werewolf in town when she's just getting back in her own head?" Buffy countered honestly.

"How smart is it to leave her out of the loop?" Giles countered.

"I know secrets don't help much but I can't see the benefit of telling her right now." Buffy looked at him. "Maybe we should ask Tara, see how ready she thinks Will is to handle it."

"Maybe." Giles seemed a little reticent.

"What you want to tell Willow but not tell Tara?" Buffy looked at him confused.

"I'm not sure what I want or what I think is best." Giles floundered a little. "Though…." Buffy waited for him to continue. "As soon as you mentioned this werewolf, I instantly thought about Willow, and the repercussions of this on her and of course the Oz issue." The Watcher explained. "Though needless to say I think the chances of this being Oz are more than minimal."

"If this was Oz then we'd know already, he's not a psycho wolf killer." Buffy shook her head. "This is someone else entirely."

"I didn't mean to suggest Oz was anything less than the responsible young man we all know." Giles' tone was apologetic.

"No, I know that." Buffy dropped her voice. "I just meant this isn't like that, it's not the vibe I get from it... its werewolf but it's weird. I mean how often have we missed a werewolf massacre?"

"I don't recall us ever missing such a thing." Giles confirmed her suspicion.

"Exactly." Buffy nodded.

"But Buffy you have been distracted." Giles tactfully reminded.

"I know." Buffy closed her eyes and threw backwards at the target. "But I'm back on the job full time." She smiled at him as it sank in to settle between two other blades. "So it's time to end this puppy's playtime."

Madalene was sitting reading in the front living room when the door opened and Giles filed in following the Slayer. She looked up from her novel smiling at the pair but easily saw that they had some worry or another collectively hanging over them.

"Do we need tea for the explanation?" She gently broached the subject.

"Quite possibly." Giles eased the book he carried onto the low coffee table, "But I'll go make it." He didn't ease his coat off and just moved towards the kitchen.

"Serious." She looked at the Slayer as he moved away. "He didn't even take off his blazer."

"Are Will and Tara around?" Buffy chose not to comment on the Spellcaster's observations. "Dawn, you don't have to slink off." She added to the teenager who was edging towards the door.

"Upstairs, Tara was really tired so Willow pulled her up for a nap." Madalene filled in.

"Tired?" Buffy frowned slightly as she glanced at the clock.

"We did exercises and some meditations this morning." Madalene tried to explain. "Then we started on the family tree."

"I think it was more Willow pushing for sleep, Tara would have stayed up." Dawn came back in and sat down on the couch.

"But she's tired." Buffy checked carefully looking between her sister and the Spellcaster to see them both nodding back. "And how's Willow?" She checked as she crossed to the couch and sat down slowly.

"She's been really good today." Dawn broke in immediately. "She even helped me show Madalene how to use the computer to search for stuff."

"That's good." Buffy nodded but it was obvious that the Tara news had disturbed her or at the least troubled her

"I think she just needs to take it easy, she's been trying so hard to do it all." Madalene reassured the Slayer.

"The water should boil soon." Giles walked back into the room slowly.

"Change of plan Giles." Buffy glanced up and then down with a heavy sigh.

"Oh?" The Watcher looked around slightly confused.

"Tara's sick." Buffy said quickly.

"Sick?" His face was a mask of worry.

"Tired." Dawn cut in quickly. "Not sick, just tired... in need of a nap. Just a nap." Giles glanced at the Spellcaster and then at Dawn as she explained.

"Tired is not the same as ill Buffy." He looked at the Slayer.

"The plan's still changed." Buffy shook her head quickly.

"What plan?" Madalene questioned wanting to know what was going on.

"We've got a little trouble." Buffy explained. "We were going to have a group meeting about it to sort everything out." she pushed up off the couch and walked over to the weapons chest. "But instead I'll just sort this out."

"Trouble of what sort?" The Spellcaster watched her move.

"Buffy!" Dawn squeaked seeing the familiar seek and destroy look in her sister's eyes.

"It's ok with a bit of luck this will be all over by the end of the evening." Buffy glanced quickly at her sister before turning back to the chest looking through the contents carefully.

"Buffy, perhaps a little mini group meeting would help shed some light on possible solutions that don't involve large weapons." Madalene turned in her chair and peered over at the blonde.

For a second Buffy look at Giles as if contemplating the choice but then she shook her head and went back to rummaging in the chest. The Spellcaster slowly got up and came over to crouch beside her.

"Is it really something this drastic?" She questioned not being condescending but concerned about what would have Buffy so reactionary.

"It's a wolf." Buffy replied finally finding what she was looking for she pulled the small compact silver crossbow from the chest.

"A wolf?" Mads voice held her confusion till she saw the silver bow. "Oh lycanthropy." She nodded seeing the seriousness.

"When's Xander due home?" She asked the Spellcaster mapping out all her contingencies.

"He's working some overtime and then apparently Anya needed him at the shop to do some heavy lifting." Madalene offered the information.

"Then Giles you get to watch the two ladies." Buffy pushed up and dropped the bow onto the chair. "I should get changed." She glanced to the stairs.

"I'm going with you." Madalene stood up. "We can swing by the shop and get a few things."

"Mmmm…" Buffy paused and looked at Madalene. "No." She said quickly.

"Mmmm yes." The Spellcaster shook her head to the dismissal.

"No offence meant here Mads but the last time you came out with me in a less potentially lethal situation you nearly killed an innocent bird bystander. I'm not going to be taking you into a lethal situation to get you really hurt." Buffy stayed firm in her position.

"I'm dealt with lycanthropy before." Madalene couldn't argue with her lacking weapons skills but she had others the Slayer was obviously ignoring.

"Me too." Buffy countered.

"You're talking about a werewolf aren't you?" Dawn's small voice came from the chair.

"It's okay Dawn, its completely controllable in the right circumstances." Mads gave her a comforting smile. "We'll just have to rent you some movies to keep you busy tonight."

"It's not." Dawn's eyes flickered to Buffy and then to Giles.

"We've got no evidence of anything like that Dawn, Oz was never aggressive." Giles spoke softly.

"Oz?" It was Madalene's time to be confused.

"But… but last time, Veruca." Dawn's eyes grew slightly wider as she looked at Buffy. "And he nearly hurt Tara." She squeaked.

"Which is why whoever this wolf is I'm going to stop him." Buffy spoke calmly, not deliberately ignoring the Spellcaster's question just not answering it either.

"Yes but to effectively stop one you need to contain them and I can do that." Madalene wouldn't relent as Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her place and glanced at the bow on the chair.

"You can't kill Oz." Dawn frowned harder obviously getting more worked up.

"We have the tranq gun in the car." Buffy explained before turning to Madalene. "We need you somewhere safe." She said pointedly.

"I'll be with you, where else is safer?" Madalene replied concisely as she picked up her bag.

"Here." Buffy stood firmly in place. "Giles explain." She turned her stare to the Watcher.

"Mr. Giles explain to Buffy how effective a blindness spell would be in giving her a tactical advantage." Madalene turned to him as well. "Not to mention the possibility of casting a reversal spell to momentarily turn them back so we can human ID them."

"Ladies please." Giles put up his hand. "I think it would be best if we just sat down and talked about this as we had planned."

"The plan went wrong when we walked through the door." Buffy pointed out.

"What about research? Everyone could stay home and research." Dawn threw in knowing in her heart her comment wouldn't go very far.

"Dawn's right." Giles supported the teenager giving her a soft smile. "We don't know for certain that we are dealing with a wolf here Buffy, we needed Willow to find her way into the hospital files see if we can get any of those photographs she is so useful for getting." He found a tactful way of saying we wanted Willow to hack into a system to get evidence. "We really need to study the wound on the last victims."

"We don't have the time Giles, if this is a wolf I have two nights at best to get it." Buffy argued tensely.

"And if the person is migratory we have to make sure we catch them now."

Madalene backed her up. "This person obviously didn't originate in Sunnydale."

"Maybe not, but they have been here for at least a month." Giles argued softly. "There's nothing to suggest they will move on."

"They will, climate change." Mads shook her head.

"Not if its Oz." Dawn whispered her voice trembling slightly.

"Who is Oz?" The Spellcaster tried again.

"Oz?" Willow's voice whispered from the stairs.

"Will?" Buffy's head shot up to see the Hacker stood on the stairs her fingers wrapped around the rail, the knuckles white from the tension of her hands.

"You're up." Dawn squeaked. "Do you need something?"

"Tara was thirsty." Willow replied still frozen to the spot.

Buffy glanced quickly at Dawn, silently telling her sister to go and get a glass of whatever Tara was likely to want.

"How's she doing Will?" Buffy tried to ease the tension.

"She's sleepy." Willow's voice wasn't at all normal it was high pitched as if her throat was dry and scratchy.

"Will, I'm not sure what you might have heard..." Buffy began a slow steady walk towards the stairs.

"I heard Oz." The redhead admitted.

"There's a wolf in Sunnydale." Buffy said knowing instantly she had to be honest with her friend. "It's not Oz." She added assured.

"How do you know?" She questioned trying to get her mind around what she was being told.

"Oz wouldn't do the things that this wolf has." Buffy stated carefully. "It's just a wolf Will." She restated calmly reaching up a hand and putting it over one of Willow's on the rail.

For a second the entire room seemed to hang in limbo as everyone waited for the meltdown they thought was inevitable.

"W-What do we need to do?" Willow questioned in a tiny voice.

"You need to get right back up those stairs to Tara." Buffy encouraged with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"I have to get her a drink first." Willow clued back into the reason she'd come downstairs in the first place.

Dawn appeared almost on cue with a glass of milk and a glass of fruit juice.

"I didn't know which she'd want." The teenager held up the two glasses.

"I'll deal with this Will, this is Sunnydale, it's a Hellmouth and it's just a wolf Will." Buffy smiled at her best friend amazed at her composure, though she had this creepy feeling that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

"We'll take care of it." Madalene nodded as she added the soft words.

"Oh okay." Willow stepped back a little her lips falling down into a frown as she pulled her hand back. "I'll go upstairs out of the way."

"Willow no, its not..." Buffy caught the hacker's tone. "Will, its just that Tara, she needs you, she's worth your attention, this, this isn't."

"No, I understand." Willow took the glasses from Dawn who had moved around to the bottom of the stairs and began to trudge back up.

Buffy opened her mouth to say something but didn't know what to say. Dawn looked at her sister immediately her eyes widening.

"What?" Buffy looked back at Dawn. "What else could I say?" She asked as the hacker moved out of hearing range.

"Nothing Buffy, don't say anything and let her think you think she's useless."

Dawn snapped and moved up the stairs to follow the redhead.

"I..." Buffy opened her mouth to object. "Oh shit I can't even get this right." She snapped angrily and strode quickly out of the house via the front door.

"I'm going too..." Madalene looked at Giles and pointed at the open door.

"I'll make the tea." The Watcher sighed.

Madalene had figured out quickly how hard it was to chase after an upset Slayer as she had to push hard just to keep up with the blonde let alone get close enough to stop her.

"Buffy." She called out when she got close enough.

"Leave me alone." Buffy snapped.

"No." Madalene snapped back putting on a burst of speed to get in front of the blonde. "You are not ready to face anything right now, you need to take some breaths."

"I thought things were supposed to be getting better." The Slayer suddenly stopped and shouted at the Spellcaster.

"They are... its just going to take time." Madalene took the lashing without any anger.

"Did that look better to you?" Buffy's anger was by no means gone. "Me treating my best friend as if she was an imbecile."

"No, that looked like adaptation. A week ago Buffy I'm assuming the mention of this Oz would have had us putting padding around the staircase." She pointed out.

"A week ago Willow probably wouldn't have remembered or consciously known who Oz was, but then yeah when she did the Hellmouth opening would have been a walk in the park compared." Buffy's tone was slightly different.

"No one expects you to be perfect and if they do I'll be the first one to correct them." The Spellcaster offered softly. "Her place is with Tara, you were right to point that out."

"But I made her sound useless." Buffy countered.

"Buffy, we had just spend ten minutes arguing that I was supposed to stay in the house as well. It wasn't a Willow specific label." The brunette reminded her.

"Oh great so I insulted everyone." Buffy began stalking off again.

"Buffy, would you calm down." Madalene snapped at her. "You are trying to protect us, yes in a 'one against the world' sorta way but protection none the less."

"I'm just trying to get my job done. You know find a way back to something more familiar." Buffy admitted.

"I understand that." She nodded. "But you don't have to always think that everything is your responsibility. Willow is bound to have a lot of insecurities Buffy, her misunderstanding what you've said is bound to be the norm not the exception." She offered softly. "Your responsibility is to try and help her see what you are really saying."

"Oz is Willow's ex." Buffy suddenly released the information that they had held from the Spellcaster.

"And he's a werewolf?" She questioned and at least got a nod this time to confirm. "But a 'good' one I take it?" She smiled.

"Yeah." Buffy sighed.

"It's not that rare." The Spellcaster offered the gentle comfort. "Some people can very confidently control the aggression."

"But he left her, and then came back. The last time he was here things were, tense." Buffy explained knowing the history was long and involved.

"She did really well." She offered.

"Yeah." Buffy conceded "I guess I don't know, I guess I just want things to be ok."

"I know you do, but it's going to take a bit of time. Not the greatest thing to have to accept but it's true." Madalene stepped closer breaching the Slayer's space.

"I hate time." Buffy admitted backing away slightly.

"Do you think she's a liability now more than a help?" Madalene asked the question in the softest most unthreatening voice.

"Willow?" Buffy checked and the Spellcaster nodded. "I..." Buffy stopped and breathed in deeply. "I look at her and see my Will, at least glimpses of her, but she's not. I wanted Tara to wave the magic wand and I'd have Willow back, but there is no magic, there's just something else that is gonna take time."

"Buffy, when you first came back how did Willow act?" Madalene asked the question carefully.

"Back as in back from the dead?" Buffy asked not quite understanding yet.

"From the dead." She nodded.

"She was all wowed and all big chief witch girl." Buffy replied remembering the time with numbness.

"Towards you." She clarified.

"That's hard to say, I was kinda different." Buffy shrugged not really sure she wanted to think about this right now.

"You weren't 'her Buffy'?" Madalene tried to steer her to a certain place.

"I wasn't anyone's Buffy." Buffy admitted and this comment made the spellcaster smile broadly.

"Buffy, do you really think that to your friends you're not in a way theirs?" She questioned surprised again at how isolated Buffy could make herself.

"I think right now they are all pretty much disowning me." Buffy replied looking up into the sky for a moment.

"I think you'd be surprised." Mads shook her head to the idea.

"I didn't mean to suggest I thought you'd be useless on my wolf hunt." Buffy looked down to apologize.

"You didn't suggest that, you suggested that I was safer at home." Madalene contradicted softly.

"You will be." Buffy underlined that the truth hadn't changed.

"Not that I like to dwell on this much but I'm not like Dawn or Willow. I'm hard to break Buffy." Madalene reminded her.

"No you're hard to smash. You break easily, its just you mend." Buffy challenged the point.

"Yes, but that still makes me a better bet than most." Madalene winked at her.

"I think I prefer my Spellcaster's whole." Buffy smiled knowing she couldn't really win.

"So do I." She laughed. "I've done pieces, it's not fun."

"So just stay home." Buffy reasoned her voice soft.

"How about I get you the stuff that can help you and then I go home nice and safe? Would that make you happy?" She tried to find a compromise.

"Better." Buffy agreed.

"Hey I'm reasonable, sometimes." Madalene grinned stepping around to slip her arm through Buffy's and urge her towards the Magic Box.

"One better than me then." Buffy grinned back.

"Willow." By the time the teenager had run up the stairs the redhead had made it back to the bedroom and the door had swung semi closed, quickly Dawn moved to it and tapped lightly on it.

After moving to put the juice and milk down on the side table Willow's face reappeared in the doorway.

"I didn't mean to disturb." Dawn tried to not make it look too obviously that she was trying to peer in to see if Tara was asleep or not.

"She's asleep." Willow confirmed.

"I just wanted to check you were ok." Dawn stood awkwardly in the doorway.

"I'm okay." She nodded slightly though the hard frown was still firmly placed on her features.

"You don't have to be okay, I mean Buffy just had a classic Buffy moment back there." Dawn pointed over her shoulder to the stairs.

"She's right, she doesn't need me around messing things up." Willow looked down.

"That's so not what she meant." Dawn shook her head adamantly.

"I... I know how much she must resent me Dawn, how dangerous I made it for everyone." Willow didn't look up.

"You didn't!" Dawn replied but she knew in herself that her voice was too tense, too high pitched to sound even remotely normally.

"Dawnie its okay." Willow finally looked up shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

"No, there's no need for sorry." Dawn backtracked wildly. "This is about how Buffy should be here saying sorry to you, not about how you should be saying sorry to anyone."

"But I want to say I'm sorry." The redhead whispered biting her lip.

"Why?" Dawn blinked stupidly.

"Because I almost killed everyone... because I was horrible to you... because having to take care of me while I was insane must have been hard." Her voice got softer and softer.

"But..." Dawn felt her eyes tear up. "None of that matters, I love you."

"I love you too Dawn." Willow stepped forward pulling the door open a bit more.

"Do you remember the bad bits?" Dawn asked in slight trepidation as she looked at the redhead.

"Not about being sick... just the bad bits before that." She admitted running her hand down her other arm.

"The magic?" Dawn dared to ask a slightly nod came in return. "I think if what happened to you happened to me, I'd have gone crazy too." She tried in her childlike way to make it better.

"Do you want to come in?" Willow realized how silly it was to be standing in the doorway. Dawn nodded that she did. The redhead pulled back and opened the door to invite her in. Dawn slipped in glancing to the bed to where Tara slept peacefully. Willow shuffled over to the chairs by the window and sat down.

"Has she been asleep long." Dawn asked in a whisper as she moved over to them and sat down with her.

"An hour or so." Willow looked to the bed and smiled softly.

"I'm so happy, you know." Dawn beamed.

"I know you missed her." Willow nodded as she looked back at the teenager.

"I missed you both. I missed the whole 'you' thing." She gushed more.

"She hates not being able to remember." Willow glanced briefly at Tara again. "I've told her lots of stuff about what we've done, good times we've had. Our three musketeer days."

"Do you think she will remember?" Dawn asked glancing between Willow and Tara softly.

"I don't know, I don't understand any of this heritage stuff." Willow shook her head. "I guess since Madalene remembers nothing we're lucky."

"Yeah and I guess there's some stuff..." Dawn stopped realizing her mouth had worked before her brain had.

"I can't hide anything from her Dawn, it's not right." Willow looked down into her hands that she had gathered in her lap. "I can't do anything like that again."

"You're not going to tell her about it." Dawn stared at Willow quickly.

"I have too." Willow looked up slowly. "I can't lie to her ever again."

"But Willow." Dawn screeched quietly. "She LEFT you because of that." The teenager frowned hard.

"But she came back to me." Willow whispered shying a little with Dawn's obvious emotion.

"That's how all this started. But what if she doesn't this time?" Dawn argued.

"I can't lie to her Dawn, I can't start all of this out on lies." Willow shook her head.

"But…" Dawn's voice was still high and rather loud. "You can't let her go again."

"Can't let who do what?" The words followed by a stiff yawn came from the bed as Tara stretched out her arms and blinked open sleepy blue eyes.

"Tara." Willow sorta launched herself up to stand. "I have your juice." She moved over to where she'd put it down. "Dawnie and I were just talking about the past."

"Oh what did I miss?" Tara wiggled a bit to get herself into a more upright position. Dawn glanced sheepishly at Willow obviously trying not to say something.

"We were talking bout the magic." The redhead's voice was softer as she sat down and offered Tara the glass of apple juice.

"Magic or The Magic." Tara asked for the definition her eyes flicking from Willow to Dawn and staying on the teenager.

"Just magic." Dawn blurted out quickly. "About how I used to laugh when you and Willow made my stuffed animals dance." She bluffed feeling her cheeks burn hot with anxiety.

"And about the magic." Willow added feeling a bit anxious herself but having to stick by her own belief, she couldn't lie to Tara ever.

"Don't." Dawn hissed under her breath causing the blonde in the bed to look over to her.

"What's wrong Dawnie?" Tara frowned. "Willow?" She asked looking back at her beloved.

"I..." Willow looked up into Dawn's horrified expression and looked down to the bedclothes. "Do you want toast or something?"

"I…" Tara was about to challenge, but there was something about the haunted look in the teenager's face that made her need to understand fade slightly. "Toast would be lovely."

"I'll be right back." Willow nodded with a slight smile as she pushed off the bed.

"Don't you need kiss power?" Tara asked of Willow before the hacker left the room completely.

"Oh yes please." Willow stepped back over and leaned down. Tara gave the redhead several light kisses before settling back on the pillow.

"There you go, no better go quick before Dawn dies of embarrassment." Tara smiled kindly at the teenager. Willow grinned and went down to make toast leaving them alone.

"I don't get embarrassed by that, I think it's cool." Dawn corrected her softly when Willow was gone. "Being in love like that is cool."

"So why am I looking at freaked out Dawn face?" Tara asked so gently as she patted the bed beside her.

"I'm not freaked out." Dawn dismissed the idea as she pulled her long legs out of the position she'd scrunched them up onto the chair in and walked over to sit on the bed. "I just... I don't want anything to mess you and Willow up this time."

"So you want me to promise to not stand near windows?" Tara asked slightly confused.

"I just think we should just not talk about all the magic stuff from before. I mean Willow's better now and she can't do magic as long as you have that key so there's nothing to worry about." Dawn's words were fast and confident.

"Dawn, I know I wasn't here when Willow was at her worst and I realize that she may have hurt you in ways I can never know about. But I promise you, Willow wont hurt you again, she didn't mean to do it when she did, it was just a part of her way of dealing with the pain." Tara smoothed her hand down over Dawn's hair completely misinterpreting the teenagers worry.

"I don't want you to leave again." Dawn looked down her voice barely a whisper.

"I didn't have a choice Dawnie, I wouldn't ever choose to leave you." Tara shook her head but as the words left her mouth she felt an odd sensation somewhere inside of herself. "I…" The feeling made her stop her sentence.

"No, you never would I know that." Dawn's eyes flashed open in horror. "So we don't have to worry about that, no worries all happiness here now."

"No, no worrying." Tara quickly fought down the feeling, whatever it was, and reached forward literally pulling Dawn into her arms. "There's nothing to worry about at all." Dawn hugged her back tightly.

"See, see." Xander pointed to the door as it swung closed and Madalene and Buffy walked passed the window on their way home. "How much more do I have to say before you accept the fact that there is a werewolf running around and I think you should take extra care. Like not staying in the shop late to walk home after dark, at least until after the full moon's over." The carpenter turned and stared at Anya.

"Xander what would a werewolf want with me?" Anya scoffed at him. "I'm not even human."

"You look human." Xander pointed out.

"But to a werewolf I smell about as human as you look like a Calvin Klein model." She shook her head as she dusted the herb jars. "Besides Buffy and the super witch will catch him soon I'm sure."

Xander paused for a moment inside questioning whether or not Anya had just complimented him, then as he realized she hadn't in any way he went back to pointing his finger at the vengeance demon and scowling.

"But, bit if it's extra hungry." He pointed out. "It could just think, oh young victim and wham."

"Xander would you stop working up your blood pressure. I'm fine." Anya turned and grinned. "In fact I'm more than fine. I have found the most fantastic merchandise and it's just flying off the shelves."

"Well I'm pleased that your financial empire is on the up and up, but An I'm worried about you." Xander pointed out.

"I think it's a little late for that isn't it?" She flicked at him with the duster as she rounded the counter towards the books.

"Please, this isn't a discussion about that, well…" He paused for a moment. "No, no it isn't, it's just a friendly sharing of concern."

"You're talking as if Mr. or Mrs. Werewolf is going to burst through my recently replaced front door and try to eat me." Anya laughed as she stopped on the steps and laughed lightly. "Now what are the chances of that happening?"

Xander opened his mouth to answer but truly had no clue about what to say. Just as his mouth seemed to close in sheepish disbelief the door to the Magic Box sounded with an urgent jingle and a large hard panting could be heard.

"Oh look another..." Anya turned to come face to face with the werewolf.

She paled instantly as the menacing seven foot beast narrowed its eyes at her.

"WOLF!" Xander screamed rather uselessly before grabbing the nearest long and possibly threatening thing he could find, which happened to be broomstick. Running forward he prodded the beast with the wooden pole. "Behind me Anya!" He put his arm out in defense.

The werewolf was seemingly distracted by Xander's attempt at bravery and watched them scurry for a moment without reacting but as Anya was about to move behind him the beast raised an oversized paw to bat the carpenter across the Magic Box. The carpenter came to a stop sliding across the polished floor near the table.

"XANDER!" Anya squeaked running towards him her heels tapping across the floor.

"Ow." Xander opened his eyes groggily but was scrabbling to his feet as he saw the beast lumbering after them. "Back off." He announced bravely his hand searching blindly for the broom.

"Xander don't be silly you can't fight it." Anya grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the back of the shop.

"So the best thing to do therefore is run, yes?" He looked to her for agreement.

"More running less talking." Anya teetered into the back room and helped him close the door just as the werewolf barged against it. "Where is Buffy when you need her?"

"An, An, where's the key?" Xander ran to the far door that led out into the back alley behind the Magic Box. He looked down at the triple security bolt lock and glanced back at the demon who was still pulling things to prop against small wooden door that was protecting them from the beast outside.

"In the cash register." Anya rolled her eyes. "Why would I keep the key in here? That's not very security conscious is it."

"The key to our escape is locked in the room with the slobbering rip your throat out beast." Xander threw his hands up in the air. "Great."

"You're acting like this is my fault." Anya stopped and put her hands on her hips. "How is this my fault?"

"I'm not saying its your fault." Xander tried to reign in his reaction. "I'm just saying its just my luck for the key to be locked in the same room as the thing that wants to disembowel us."

"No ones getting disemboweled." Anya shook her head. "I can orb outside and find Buffy so she can come back and kill it. I'm sure her and Madalene couldn't have gotten that far."

"No, it might follow you do something to you." Xander flatly refused.

"Then what are we going to do?" She questioned him hearing the door rattle behind her.

"How about this." Xander went back to the locked back door. He began hammering on it. "HELP! HELP!"

"Xander stop being a wimp." Anya snapped at him. "What is that going to help?"

"Someone might hear us." Xander defended.

"And what come in to be wolf bait?" She stamped over to him.

"Well we have to do something." Xander snapped.

"I have a plan." Anya rolled her eyes. "You stay here and cower for a minute." She waved her hand and began to orb out of existence.

Anya wasn't fazed as she emerged slightly down the street away from the shop. She looked both ways and then headed the way back to Buffy's house assuming that would be where the Slayer would be going.

"Buffy!" She yelled seeing the blonde up ahead.

It was as she drew attention to herself that a low unearthly growl suddenly filled the air behind her

"Hello, how did you get here?" Anya turned and was face to face with the werewolf who was coming down the street at her. "BUFFY!" She screamed louder as she began running.

The vengeance demon had the Slayer's sensitive hearing to thank for the last second chance to dive out of the way as the beast descended on her. Buffy had turned and ran full pelt towards the pair, leaping and hitting the beast mid chest and knocking it back slightly to send it tumbling onto the road. Buffy hit the tarmac and rolled into the middle of the street close to it.

"Anya are you okay?" Madalene raced back to the demon that had been pushed sideways by the scuffle into the grass. She was barely able to get the words out before the creature started bearing down on them again.

"Be you blind before me." The Spellcaster reached into her bag and threw her hand up at the beast covering its fur with a dark powder.

"Ok you, the flying hit in the stomach didn't put you off, maybe a cuff by a truck will help." Buffy launched back at the animal to dig her hands into matter fur, using the leverage she pull and rolled down, finally pushing hard to send the dark beast tumbling into the path of a small delivery truck.

There was a dull hard thud and the trucks breaks screeched as the air filled with the smell of hot burning rubber. The beast was clawing at its eyes when it was sent spiraling into the path and then was throw helplessly a distance down the road in a motionless heap.

"I don't understand. It was at the shop trying to eat Xander just a second ago." Anya let Madalene help her up.

"Either way we have to do something with it." Madalene fumbled through her bag looking for something.

"Everyone okay?" Buffy jogged back to the pair of them oblivious of a large gash in the knee of her pants, the edges of the torn material tinged with dark red.

"Well this grass stain might never come out." Anya looked down to the green smear on her white skirt.

"You're hurt." Madalene bent down immediately to look at the wound on the Slayer's leg.

"It's nothing." Buffy waved it off.

"If it did that you're going to be a werewolf." Anya pointed out dryly, she looked down the road to the seemingly unconscious werewolf.

"Thank you for that." Buffy glanced at the demon with a scowl.

"It's from the fall. It's an abrasion not a laceration." Madalene eased the worry as she pulled out a scarf and tied it around Buffy's leg trying to ease the oozing blood. "What are we going to do with it?"

"So much more inconvenient than Vampires at least they have the decency to..." Buffy and the girls had looked away form the creature for a moment as they concentrated on her leg and it was only as Buffy turned back to look at the werewolf that her voice drifted off. "Gone." She blinked.

"Gone?" Madalene looked around Buffy's leg to the empty patch of road.

"Large fanged hairy thing not there anymore." Buffy nodded.

"It can't be gone." Anya stamped her foot. "You didn't kill it yet."

"Add to that the fact I made it temporary blind." Madalene pushed up to stand.

"Well all those things aside, the thing is still gone." Buffy summed up.

"We should go back and rescue Xander. He's cowering in the back room." Anya assessed picking at her skirt.

Shaking her head in disgust Buffy began leading the three of them back towards the magic shop.

-x-

Willow turned the page and the smile that had been plastered on her face since they'd decided to sit down and go through the album didn't fade one little bit.

"Does this one seem familiar?" She questioned looking over Tara's shoulder in their cuddled position on the couch. They had curled up here watching television for a bit before they had decided to go through the album again together.

"Hmmm, not really." Tara admitted. "Tell me." She pressed into her girlfriend slightly.

"This was when we were moving in second year." Willow pointed out the boxes and disarray in her room. "We were running around panicked because Xander had misplaced our private box." She giggled lightly.

"I'm guessing our private box is very er… private." Tara grinned at the idea of them having something so personal.

"Very." Willow nodded and blushed. "It got put in your room so it was okay but we were in such a panic."

"Why didn't we share a room?" Tara asked the obvious question.

"We had a very serious conversation and decided that though we knew we were in love and everything that maybe it would be a bit fast to move in together so soon." Willow explained their reasoning. "It turned out to be silly as we never slept apart but you know, we thought we were being all adult."

"It sounds like we were very sensible." Tara noted looking at the small details in the picture. Some of the trinkets and personal belongings that she'd unpacked from her boxes were in these pictures and confirmed to her that the things were indeed hers.

"We are." Willow hugged her tight for a second.

"Were we always sensible?" Tara asked softly turning another page.

"We had our silly times." The redhead admitted.

"Tell me about something crazy we did." Tara smiled as she snuggled back into the redhead's body just enjoying the contact.

"Crazy?" Willow bit her lip trying to think.

"It's okay Willow you don't have to rack your brain so hard." Tara smiled softly.

"You mean like sneak into the library at night to read the books snuggled up together?" Willow smiled back when Tara looked around at her.

"What did we read?" Tara asked thinking the idea sounded perfectly romantic.

"Poetry... old novels... short stories." Willow explained further. "All the aged leather books that they had in the reading room."

"Did I have a favorite?" Tara asked genuinely interested.

"You like romantic stories about knights and damsels in distress." The redhead mused with a soft happy sigh. "You used to substitute my name and yours in for the main characters."

"Were you the night or the damsel?" Tara chuckled at the wonderful idea.

"Depended on your mood." Willow giggled more.

"I love you." Tara said the words with assurance.

"I love you too." Willow smiled softly.

"I'm sorry about earlier." She apologized softly thinking back to the morning.

"Earlier?" Willow questioned not understanding.

"The drinks." Tara explained seeing that it hadn't been a bit deal to the redhead though it had been for her.

"Sweetie it was just drinks." Willow shook her head.

"It wasn't there was the drinks and the worry. Mainly the worry." Tara pointed out.

"You just have to take it easy, more rest less push." Willow reached up running her fingers through blonde hair.

"Well if it means long afternoons in bed with you." Tara smiled and then blushed. "Resting." She added quickly.

"I'll take it." Willow smiled back. "I just want you to be healthy and happy." She assured her kissing Tara's cheek lightly.

"Earlier…" Tara began softly. "I was talking to Dawn and she seemed…" She thought for a moment. "Worried."

"She is." Willow admitted in a small voice.

"It must have been so hard for her, losing everyone." Tara said quietly.

"When Buffy died we moved in here to take care of her. It was just the three of us for that whole summer." Willow relieved the happy and sad time.

"And then we got Buffy back and she lost you and I." Tara filled in but here eyes were watching Willow's reaction.

"Things started to go wrong because of the magic." Willow nodded ever so slightly.

"Is there anyway we can make her worry less do you think?" Tara asked wanting to do anything she could to make life more stable for Dawn.

"She's lost so many people, lost so much... I don't think she'll ever really feel safe." Willow felt so sad as she made the admission.

"We've all got such a long way to go haven't we?" The blonde rested her head against Willow's shoulder.

"We do." Willow nodded and took a deep breath. "Tara... there is some stuff I want to talk to you about." She swallowed the lump in her throat, her voice sounding tight.

"Supper." Dawn's voice squeaked as the teenager's sneakers screeched on the floor as the young woman arrived in a bit of a blur of motion.

"Supper?" Tara blinked and jumped slightly, the photograph album slipping forward off her knee.

"Oh." Willow blinked as she looked up at the teenager her train of thought completely broken.

"Don't you guys think its supper time?" Dawn asked her dark eyes flicking worriedly between the two of them. The teenager had heard some of the discussion hence her hasty entrance from the hallway.

"I probably need to eat to have my pills." Willow gave into the unwelcome fact.

"I can fix something." Tara moved the photo album more carefully to the side.

"We could make it together. All three of us." Dawn jumped in immediately. "That way when Buffy and Mads get home we'll have supper for them. That'll be cool right?"

"It will." Tara agreed reaching out her hand to the teenager for help.

"Great." Dawn helped pull her up.

Madalene led the group of slightly battered Scoobies into the house her mind going a mile a minute.

"Xander why don't you and Anya go see where everyone is while I go clean up Buffy's leg?" She turned to the carpenter wanting to at least get the Slayer looking healthy before they faced anyone, especially Dawn.

"You got it Mads." Xander nodded putting his arm loosely around Anya's shoulders.

"Come on." Madalene looped her arm into Buffy's before the Slayer could protest and started leading her upstairs.

"Hey Dawnie." Xander called as he and Anya strolled into the kitchen.

"Hey." She looked up. "We're making dinner for everyone."

"Hey great timing." The carpenter gave the teenager the thumbs up and a broad smile.

"We were worried you guys weren't coming home tonight." Willow looked up from her salad tossing.

"No, we just got you know a little caught up." Xander tried to play it cool.

"We were nearly eaten." Anya pouted and stated firmly.

"What?" Willow's eyes went wide.

"An…" Xander turned to the demon with a frown. "…ya."

"What nearly ate you?" Dawn's voice squealed. "Where is Buffy? Why isn't she with you? Oh God did it eat Madalene?" Dawn moved around the island towards the hallway. "BUFFY?" She screamed for her sister hoping the Slayer was in the house somewhere.

"Dawn?" Buffy stood at the top of the stairs trying to look casual as she leaned on the handrail at the side.

"Did the wolf almost eat you? Are you okay?" Dawn looked up taking a breath as she saw her sister. "Did you let it eat Madalene?"

"Don't I look ok?" The Slayer began the walk down the stairs.

"And I don't look chewed do I?" The Spellcaster added as she came down a few steps after the Slayer.

"But yes, we saw the wolf and yes we need to talk about it." Buffy patted her sister's arm lightly as she passed her. "But yes we're all fine Dawn. "I'm calling Giles before we start research though.

"Did I smell dinner?" Madalene looped her arm through Dawn's and urged her back towards the kitchen.

"Well, I can tell you haven't lost your touch." Giles commented softly to the Slayer as they walked down a dim Sunnydale street. "They seemed quite happy to let us take off, even after the night's attacks. So a wolf but not a wolf?" He added glancing quickly Buffy using the phrasing she had whispered to him as he'd come through the door earlier.

"Over seven feet Giles, not the right type eyes and extra tough. I mean not wolf tough, something else." Buffy nodded. "And fast, running upright." She pointed out the distinct difference.

"Upright?" The Watcher sounded most surprised.

"Upright." She underlined.

"But it was like the werewolves we've encountered before in looks and aggression?" He checked the details carefully.

"I hit it full on Giles and it shook me off. Mads blinded it and it was still coming at them." Buffy was frustrated. "I mean I hit it with a truck and that only kept it down for about fifteen seconds before it ran in the blink of an eye."

"And you say when you encountered it that it was pursuing Anya?" Giles was thinking quickly.

"It went into the Magic Box instead of just eating one of the other people out on the street, it chased her when she orbed out and went straight at her when she came to us." Buffy spelled it out. "Madalene and I were just in the way to what it wanted, which I think was obviously Anya."

"No, you see this is what is making me puzzled." Giles admitted as the pair arrived at the Magic Box. "Why go after Anya, she's not even human?" He carefully unlocked the door. Buffy let him open the door and followed inside.

"Not like it can make her a wolf or even kill her." Buffy mused as the door was closed behind them and she moved over to the table.

"Exactly, werewolves smell prey as much as see it, she might look human but to a wolf she most certainly will not smell it." Giles took long strides to the private bookshelves pulling a few tomes off the higher shelves.

"I don't like things trying to eat my friends, even Anya." Buffy moved over to the table. Giles sat down and began leafing through a book.

"You could make me a tea or work out a little." He said distracted as he began to search.

Anya looked up from her spot on the couch to the line of people looking down at her.

"I don't care what the Slayer said I'm going home." Anya scowled at them all. She'd had enough of offers to play board games or braid each other hair or whatever else. "I have compelling things to do there."

"But Anya, we agreed." Xander looked around for support.

"Anya, it's safer if we're all here so that Buffy can concentrate on catching it." Madalene added instantly.

"Hello people, I'm a demon. It can't hurt me, only well ruin my skirt." She scowled more at the wet grass stain. Tara's attempt to get the stain out hadn't been very successful. "And since this one is already ruined I think I'm safe."

"You can buy a new skirt." Dawn piped up brightly. "We could look at catalogues or on line stores, right Willow?"

"I can search you up a few thousand skirts." Willow nodded from her chair.

"Look this is really nice and homey but I'm going." Anya pushed up to stand.

"Actually Anya." It was Tara who spoke her voice softer than anyone's had been. "I'd really like you to stay. I was hoping we could have a chat."

"Oh." Anya's hard demeanor softened instantly. "You want to chat with me?" She asked almost unable to believe what Tara had said.

"We're friends aren't we?" Tara checked. "Friends chat."

"Yes... but..." Anya faltered but then her face broke into a smile. "Yes, yes they do." She waved her hand. "Okay the rest of you go do something Tara and I need to chat." She grinned.

"Go somewhere?" Dawn's eyes grew wide again. "Why can't we stay?"

"Because we have laundry to do." Madalene smiled as she put her hands on Dawn's shoulders and guided the teenager towards the stairs. "Or else you're going to school in the next few days wearing something so last season you'll be horrified."

"I guess that means you and I on washing up duty Will." Xander stood up picking up the coffee mugs.

"Better than laundry." The redhead smiled standing up and crossing to give Tara a quick kiss before she headed towards the kitchen with Xander.

"So what's on your mind?" Anya questioned once everyone had left them alone. She'd retaken her seat on the couch and crossed her legs.

"A few things actually." Tara curled up on her seat and gently pulled at the throw pillow she'd eased into her lap.

"If it's about lesbian sex I'm not really that experienced, I mean it's been a few hundred years and I'm sure things have changed." Anya offered what she assumed the conversation was going to be about. "But I can try to help you out."

"Lesbian sex?" Tara's choked feeling her cheeks burn.

"Sex... you and Willow." Anya pointed to the kitchen. "I mean you two used to have lots and lots of orgasms together. I'm sure if you just trust your instincts you'll be fine."

"Please Anya." Tara held up her hand slightly. "Thank you for your concern and your compliment, but that is not what I wanted to talk with you about." She forced herself to recover quickly.

"Oh." Anya resettled herself. "What then?"

"Well firstly, I wanted to say thank you." The Wicca said looking across at the demon. "For the wish, for helping Willow."

"I'm just glad it worked so well." Anya smiled pleased and proud of herself. "Seems me becoming a demon again had one good thing."

"Do you miss you know, being human?" Tara took the opportunity to ask the question that had been playing over in her mind.

"Sometimes." Anya admitted picking link of her skirt. "But that was when I was supposed to have a happily ever after mortal life, Xander's cowardliness ruined that."

"He loves you though." Tara said softly.

"Yes, well..." The demon was tripped up by that fact. "What else did you want to talk about?" She changed the topic quickly.

"My memory." Tara was honest though her voice was tiny. The demon's eyes flicked open more as she waited for Tara to continue. "I wondered, you being a demon and all, whether you knew any ways, for me to get them back. Possibly." She added looking down again.

"I... well..." Anya stumbled on her words for a moment. "No." She finally answered softly. "No instant ways that I know of, no spells. I mean no one knows how this all has happened. Madalene has a few sketchy legends but nothing concrete." The demon continued in a remorseful voice.

Tara sighed gently and stood up, she crossed over and picked up the photograph album that was on the side and passed it to Anya.

"Willow's been trying so hard." She explained. "I just wanted to make it easier and..." She began but looked down.

"And..." Anya took it and held it in her lap.

"I feel so dreadful saying this." Tara admitted the feeling obviously showing in her eyes. "But I cant shake the feeling that..." Again Tara stopped.

"Okay, okay stop torturing me." Anya gripped the book tighter. "There might be one way... but it's probably more conventional than anything." She took a few quick breaths.

"Anya please, anything." Tara jumped don it quickly. "I just think there's something people aren't telling me. Something big that I don't remember, that almost people are glad I can't remember."

"There is, I mean there are a few things. No one wants to be mean but they don't want you to feel that way again." Anya admitted taking another breath. "I have diaries, you're diaries and they have everything."

"I kept a diary?" Tara looked at the demon surprised by the idea.

"Do you want me to go get them?" Anya nodded and she waited impatiently as Tara sat for a moment trying to organize the conflicting thoughts in her head. "They're at my apartment I can orb over and orb back with them." She explained when the blonde hesitated. It didn't take Tara long to decide when the demon explained how simple it would be. "They'll explain everything and that way it's like you remembering because it's all in your words.

"Please." Tara nodded distracted as the idea of getting her life back from her own words made her feel tingly.

"Okay, one second." Anya smiled and in a flash of blue orbed off the couch.

"So you two were looking all cuddly in the kitchen when we came in, was that tummy holding I saw going on?" Xander nudged Willow's shoulder as he stacked plates.

"Yes." Willow smiled brightly back at him. "We were talking about second year."

"Oh, all the good stuff; Dracula, me squared and did you get to the floating dancing at her birthday thing yet?" Xander seemed just a little too excited.

"Yes, she's already amazed that we can float." Willow looked at him.

"That vein in your forehead is poking out." She reached up and poked it.

"Well you know, I'm just happy." Xander underlined then backtracked. "My head that is, my head is happy. No poking things any where else."

"Xander!" Willow squealed and dodged away from him.

"Sorry!" Xander apologized. "But really Will, I am just happy. You know the great story, my best friend gets like a second, no make that third chance to be with the girl she loves." He gave a soppy grin. "Makes me a happy carpenter."

"Hopefully I get a fourth chance too." Willow's mood flipped almost instantly and she frowned. "She still doesn't know how horrible I was to her yet."

"You lost me..." Xander began but stopped as Willow explained. "You're not gonna tell her?" He checked his voice shocked.

"I have to tell her." Willow looked down at her feet. "I used her with the magic."

"Why?" Xander gave a broad shouldered shrug. "Will, she's done what the two spells you cast on her were meant to do. Now that doesn't make what you did right, but…"

"Why don't any of you understand?" Willow looked at him shocked. "What she loves me again and then in five years one of you slip and says hey remember when Willow stole your memories while she was the evil dark magic woman? I can't let that happen Xander, I have to be honest with her."

"Willow, think about this." Xander wasn't finished, he dropped his voice low. "She's not been back long and you've not…" He paused thinking of how to best say this. "And you've not been yourself for long either. News like this it can wait."

"Wait till when?" Willow reached up and grabbed a handful of pill bottles. "Until I'm not insane anymore!" She held them up shaking them at him angrily.

"Until things have calmed a little." Xander reached out and closed his large hand over Willow's silencing the pills. "Until you're both right." He regretted his phrase the instant it left his mouth.

"I'm telling her." Willow let the bottles fall to the floor. "I can't live a lie, not this time. She needs to know the truth."

"But what if she can't take the truth?" Xander hissed his voice sad, not angry.

"I don't know." Willow stopped sagging a little. "I just can't lie to her, not when she doesn't remember anything. Not when she can't defend herself from the past."

"I don't see why she has to know when we all know that you'd never do it again." Xander shook his head.

"She has a right to know." Willow tried to sit by her guns.

"A right to know what, that you, a different you, made a bad choice or two a long while ago." Xander argued the points.

"I stole her memory Xander." Willow hissed.

"Have you talked to Buffy about this." Xander sidetracked somewhat.

"No." She shook her head. "Buffy and I aren't really..." The redhead sighed. "She thinks I'm useless."

"No, she thinks you're recovering from being ill." Xander underlined the difference.

"I don't like any of this." Willow moved over and dumped the pills on the counter.

"I know Will." Xander moved over with her. "Here let me help."

The Magic Box was quiet as the Slayer had given up pounding the heavy bag and had switched her focus to perform a silent series of martial arts poses. The serenity was broken by the Watcher's voice.

"Buffy." Giles shot up from his chair with a book in his hand as he marched through to the training room.

"What?" Buffy turned to him stopping her movement.

"Is that it?" He pointed to the illustration his face a mask of concern and worry.

"Yeah, yeah that's Mr. Ugly." Buffy nodded as she took in the similar features and stance.

"Well I have to say, this is quite a welcome back to Sunnydale." Giles slammed the book closed and stalked over to one of the weapons cabinets.

"What?" Buffy followed him. "What is it?"

"It's a direwolf." Giles growled as he rummaged through weaponry.

"Bless you, now what is it?" Buffy assumed he had sneezed.

"No, that's what it is." Giles replied. "Just like a werewolf, it spends some of its time in wolf form but the rest of the time its a demon."

"We have a demon werewolf?" Buffy threw up her arms. "What are we breeding them weird now?"

"No, actually it is an ancient twist in the macabre." Giles explained quickly as he continued rummaging. "In a time when the human prey fell short a werewolf infected a unknown demon and the result was the direwolf. They can feed from a human…" He explained, separating off two long swords. "But they cannot turn them, they can only turn demons."

"You mean this direwolf is going after Anya to make her one?" Buffy's eyes went wide as she grabbed a sword.

"Quite possibly, but…" He watched her move as his fears settled into his mind.

"How do I kill it?" Buffy held the sword in a firm grip.

"I'm also worried about the possibility of it picking up the trace of demon in Madalene and of course…" Giles looked down as he moved back through to the shop.

"HOW DO I KILL IT!" Buffy barked at him already having worked out the worse case scenario.

"We need a blessed weapon." The Watcher explained. "Everything will be fine if Anya just behaves like a human for the night and doesn't orb around."

"I'll meet you at home." Buffy took off in a blur.

"I..." Giles looked up realizing he was talking to himself. "I'll ring ahead."

Anya arrived back standing next to the couch with a stylish leather bag slung over her shoulder.

"Okay, sorry I took so long I had to find a bag." She smiled at the blonde who was still in her spot.

"It's ok, it's a lovely bag." Tara just looked up with soft blue eyes.

"Isn't it? I got it on E-Bay for a steal." Anya sat down again with the blonde Wiccan.

"Can I ask why you kept them?" Tara asked the question that she'd been trying to figure out while the demon was gone.

"Because they were yours." She answered simply.

"But..." Tara frowned softly. "Oh, did you mean to give them to Willow, when she got better?"

"No." Anya shook her head. "I was going to keep them, sorta my tribute to you."

"Thank you." Tara looked at the bag that Anya had placed beside her on the couch. She found it hard to think that there, less than two metres away lay what might be the key to the feelings she had inside sometimes but couldn't get to herself. Tara was about to ask Anya for the bag, when even though the lights were on the light in the room dimmed a little.

"Are you excited?" Anya asked not noticing the change.

"I'm… oh." She hesitated when the room flickered back a notch brighter, her blue eyes turning from the expensive bag up to the drape covered windows.

"I mean there has to be some really great stuff in here too." Anya absently looked up as the blonde did. "You and Willow had a lot of happy memories."

"Anya, I think you should." Tara suddenly leaned forward, her hand reaching for the vengeance demon's wrist.

Anya gave the Wicca a blank look for a moment as Tara's long fingers encased her wrist and she was pulled towards the blonde. She found herself being pulled down further just a fraction of a second before the entire window shattered. Broken glass and wood splinters filled the air as the drapes were literally shredded and tossed aside.

Landing heavily on the couch on overly large heavy paws, with its jaws gaping and wide wild angry eyes scanning the room quickly there stood the direwolf.

"TARA!" Willow's scream was the first to sound as the redhead heard the implosion in the front room and headed through the hall.

"Anya?" Xander voice echoed her as he headed behind Willow towards the living room.

"Oh God." Tara cursed as with Anya she scrambled around heading for the hall.

"Get away from her." Willow saw the large hairy werewolf and grabbing the poker from the fireplace batted him in the head.

"Willow no." Tara looked up through scared blue eyes as the beast swung out a paw sending the coffee table flying towards the hacker and the carpenter. Blue eyes widened further as she heard the sound of footsteps through the floorboards.

'Dawn and Madalene!' She thought suddenly.

*Tara?* The Spellcaster's mind tried to reach out to her.

*Stay there.* Tara tried to send the thought back but she knew she wasn't focusing enough. Instead the Wicca pictured in her mind the basement door focusing on the key in the lock. With a soft click, the lock snapped into place. *Safe.*

Willow felt her body pushed back as she toppled over the weapon's chest.

"Will!" Xander pulled the redhead backwards catching her mid fall.

"We have..." Willow tried to get her bearings. "To do something."

Seemingly happy that the momentary distraction was over the large beast swung around again, its broad snout sniffing the air curiously.

"Run Tara!" Willow pushed her body up possessed by some unknown force to protect her girlfriend.

Tara pushed her hands on the floor to push herself up, feeling the soft smoothness of her socks skid on the waxed wooden floorboards. Anya was already on her feet trying to pull at the Wicca's arm.

"No one hurts my girl." Willow launched herself onto beast's back.

She wailed the strongest punches she could down onto its head, at least managing to distract it.

"WILLOW!" Tara cried as she fell again to the floor.

"AN!" Xander hurled himself after Willow, colliding with a thick furred leg that felt like a tree trunk when he hit it with his best rugby like tackle.

Willow barely had a chance to squeak as they pitched sideways. Being tossed off the redhead bounced against the couch and slid down to the floor. One thought burned in her mind she need a weapon, she needed something. She began crawling towards the weapon's chest.

"Oh damn it." Anya cursed as she again tried to pull Tara to her feet and get out of there. "Why don't I just orb out of here, leave you?" She discussed with herself annoyed. Her debated ended as the beast tossed Xander over to them. Hitting her squarely in the side he sent her crashing back to the floor and landed on top of her.

On the other side of the room Willow used all her strength to flip the top off the cabinet throwing out the useless stakes she found on the top of the pile.

Xander came up dazed as the direwolf bore down on the three of them.

"No one eats my fiancée." He cursed spitting out blood as he turned and launched himself at the creature again. The beast hit him mid flight tossing him out of the broken front window.

"I said..." Willow stood at the side of the creature, a large axe pulled back against her shoulder. "Get away from my Tara." She swung catching the creature and cutting off one of its arms with the weight of the weapon.

Howling in agony the beast swung around at her, its eyes red and angry as it growled at the small redhead.

"Yeah you want more." She growled back easing the axe back onto her shoulder for another blow.

Tara managed to blink things into a better focus. It had all gone a little misty and hazy when things had started happening a mile a minute, but as she glanced over to her girlfriend she knew there was no way that Willow would stand a chance. Even if she took another shot at the beast it was ready for the redhead now. She was about to do something when Anya stood up close beside her.

"HEY! DOG BREATH! SKIRT RUINER!" The demon shouted at it trying to draw its attention away from the redhead.

The beast turned momentarily from eyeing up Willow towards Anya exactly as she had planned..

"You don't want her, what good is she to eat." Anya called at it. "Though can I say top marks for throwing the boy out of the window as long as you've not hurt him."

"Anya we don't need to upset it more." Willow hissed as she backed away a bit lining up to take another shot.

"Oh." The vengeance demon went quiet again as with wide eyes she noted that the bleeding beast was once again lumbering towards her.

It was the distraction that Willow needed as she swung downwards trying to use gravity as the axe landed in the back of the creature's tree trunk thigh. She tried for a second to take it out but as a paw came around she let go. With a howl the beast dropped to its knees groping blindly behind it for the axe shaft.

"Why won't this thing die?" Willow whined at Anya.

"I think…" Anya called over its growling and thrashing. "That it's a direwolf." The vengeance demon ducked as the creature wrenched the axe out of its thigh and tossed it away. It skittered across the hall colliding with the telephone table and wrenching the socket off the wall.

"Which means?" Willow skittered back to the weapon's chest. "Stake?" She held one up.

"No." Anya shook her head as the beast shook itself.

"What then?" Willow began looking through.

"It needs to be some bleee… TARA RUN!" Anya screeched as the beast literally threw itself in the Wiccan's direction.

Tara scrambled to her hands and knees slipping again, as her exhausted arms and legs didn't respond as quickly as she knew they should. Willow growled as she picked up a dagger and running over again caught the beast between the shoulder blades as she dug the weapon into him.

"Where'd it go?" Xander's head popped up just in time to see Willow thrown off the howling creature's back.

"Its there!" Anya took a moment to scowl at him. "We need something blessed or is it something silver." She frowned as she tried to remember. "Maybe its something silver and blessed."

"Find it then." Xander picked up a piece of a broken window frame and swung it at the wounded creature.

Tara crawled around to Willow's latest landing place petrified that the redhead who hadn't got up again was hurt.

"Oh yes well it's not quite as simple as that." Anya scowled again.

"We need simple." Xander ducked under another swing.

"Baby." Tara pushed wet red hair off Willow's forehead.

"Wow, did we go to Disneyland?" Willow looked at her with slightly unfocused eyes.

Tara chuckled softly and shook her head glancing down at the array of weapons Willow had managed to tip out of the chest. What caught her eye was a short hand axe. It had a clear silver hallmark on its small but lethal blade.

"Xander do something!" Anya whimpered as the beast began lumbering towards her again.

"I got him." Xander threw himself at the beast again using the dagger as a handhold as he caused them both to collapse through the hallway into the dining room.

"This is silver." Tara grabbed the axe and pushed herself up on her knees. Just as the blonde pushed up the beast came at her.

"Tara." Willow pushed herself at her girlfriend managing to knock Tara out of its path.

"Okay, wolf boy, wolf demon, general evil thing." A new bright voice announced another player as Buffy literally leapt in through the window landing squarely on the beast's back. "Show's over." With a wide arc she flipped her long sword around and severed its shaggy head off from matted shoulders.

For a moment the beast threatened to rise but then it felt back to the floor shaking until it died.

"I am so not cleaning this mess up." Anya pushed up from the floor shaking out her hair.

"I can't believe I missed it." Dawn sat up leaning on the back of the out of place sofa as Xander hammered the second of two large sheets of wood they had been going to use in the basement as room dividers up against the broken window frame.

"I can't believe my cousin magically locked us in the basement."

Madalene added as she helped hold the board in place for the carpenter.

From her place over near the kitchen Tara cast a 'no regrets' glance to the pair.

"You were safe in there." She pointed out softly before turning to check on Willow.

"My head hurts." Willow held the ice to her temple.

"I think I am going to make you wear a crash helmet for a while." Tara joked softly as she leaned in slightly kissed red hair.

"I had to protect you." Willow smiled after the kiss.

"I still don't quite understand how you managed to kill it." Giles admitted as he began delivering the tea that he had made for everyone.

"Ah you see that was easy." Buffy grinned. "I do listen to what you say." The Slayer looked smug for a moment. "On the way out, I swapped the sword you gave me for one of those we managed to take from the knights of Byzantium. I figured that they were likely to be blessed from the whole Glory thing. They seemed to like having a 'god' on their side."

"Hey Willow and I softened him up for you." Xander turned to show off a very large black eye, the bruise covering the left side of his face.

"No completely." Buffy turned to thank them all. "Great axe play Will." She smiled at the hacker.

"I learned from my girl." Willow smiled at Buffy and the grinned at Tara.

"It was all quite exciting really." Anya piped up.

"Yeah, I especially loved the bit where Buffy killed it." Xander laughed as he pulled bits of drapes back over the bare wood. Dawn chuckled as he tried to hold them closed but then finally let them just hang in tatters.

"I guess we've had our excitement for tonight." Willow gave a lopsided smile.

"You were amazing." Tara kissed her softly again.

"So were you brave Tara." Willow kissed her back lightly.

"Oh no you were defiantly the knight tonight." Tara wrinkled her nose and grinned and made Willow blushed a little.

"Not that I want to break up this party but Anya why don't I drive you home?" Xander offered looking over to her.

"I think I am quite capa..." The vengeance demon stopped and looked at Xander realizing all the bruises and shallow cuts on his face and body were as a direct result of his actions to save her. "Okay." She agreed "But it's just a ride home." She stressed and moved to the door but as she reached it she turned to the carpenter. "You might need to bring clean underwear and socks." She said before pulling open the front door and slipping out.

"Wh... oh okay." Xander grinned and padded off towards the basement to get the stuff she'd told him too.

The rest of the gang just watched them leave in silent amusement.

"I'm so wired, maybe there's something good on TV." Dawn grinned and bounced over towards the couch.

"And maybe there's something super exciting happening in your bedroom." Buffy countered looking at the teenager.

"You're making me go to bed?" Dawn looked at her horrified.

"Mmmm let me think." Buffy paused for a moment. "Yes." She said succinctly.

"This so sucks." Dawn grumbled but she walked over to her sister. "Good night evil one." She hugged Buffy lightly.

"Good night whiney one." Buffy hugged her back laughing.

"Night Wills." She hugged the redhead. "Night Tara." She hugged her as well. Tara kissed the teenager's cheek softly. "Night Mads." Still grumbling she made her way upstairs.

"Oh Dawn..." Madalene called after the teenager. "Why don't you take your room, I think I can steal Xander's bed for tonight." She smiled softly.

"Cool." Dawn's eyes widened but she looked to Buffy for clearance.

"Go on." Buffy smiled at her and Dawn gave everyone a brief wave before she thundered up the stairs.

"On that note, I think I'm going to banish myself back to the basement." Madalene yawned lightly. "Goodnight everyone." There came a brief chorus of goodnight for the Spellcaster.

"I too shall move homeward." Giles picked up his blazer and smiled.

"Night Giles." Willow gave him a soft wave.

"Take care of that head." He smiled tenderly at her, nodding to Tara and Buffy as he moved to the door.

"I'm going up too." Tara pushed off from her place somewhat slower as she leaned in and kissed Willow's cheek.

"Let me get more ice and then I'll come up with you." Willow smiled and slipped off her stool.

"Take you time." Tara smiled as she began walking.

The Wicca crossed the rooms to the stairs and it was just as she as about to go up them she glanced down. Anya's bag had been left neatly by the foot of the stairs and though she wanted to just walk passed it as her foot fell on he first step she knew she couldn't. Leaning down she picked up the bag, cradling it to her body she climbed the stairs.

"Are you going to bed too?" Willow asked quietly as she went over to the sink.

"Mmmm maybe, though I'm post beheading slayage, you know how it can be." Buffy slipped off her stool and followed her into the kitchen.

"You could go downstairs and check on Mads, Xander's dirty laundry might attack her." She tried to keep her comments light until she could get out of the kitchen.

"I could." Buffy acknowledged. "Or I could talk to my friend about what an ass I've been."

"You could..." Willow was about to repeat the words as she turned around but what they meant suddenly dawned on her. "You have every right not to trust me." She bowed her head down.

"And at the same time I have every right to trust you." Buffy countered.

"You don't." Willow looked up and shook her head.

"I do." Buffy re-stated softly. "You my best friend Willow."

"I tried to kill you." Willow reminded weakly.

"And I tried to stop you." Buffy said quickly.

"You had to stop me." Willow nodded. "I was going to blow up the world."

"You were hurting." Buffy pointed out.

"I'm sorry." Willow slumped a little. "When I lost her, everything just went red. It was all just raw pain."

"I can imagine." Buffy said but stopped herself. "No, actually I can't. Willow all of that it's done now, gone, over." The Slayer stressed the truth.

"But it's not." Willow reached up to her neck. "Not in my head. It's like it was only days ago but I look around and everything has changed. I meant not just Tara back, which is so precious to me but that everyone has grown, moved on."

"We only changed to cope. Inside we all the same, we all need you." Buffy reached out slightly to the redhead.

"I need you too." Willow moved closer putting her hand in Buffy's.

"I am so, so sorry." Buffy felt tears spring irrationally to her eyes.

"No Buffy no." Willow instantly pulled her into a hug. "You didn't do anything wrong." She felt herself tear up as well. "It was all me, all me."

"I did, oh God I did." Buffy held Willow tightly. "I did so much wrong."

"I'm sorry I pulled you out of heaven, I shouldn't have done that too you." Willow wept a hard sob breaking out of her chest. "I just needed you back, we all needed you back."

"Willow, you gave me a second chance and I treated you like you'd condemned me to hell. I should have been thanking you, not moping around with a chip on my shoulder." Buffy pulled back a little reaching up to wipe tears from her own cheeks.

"But-But I should have been helping you re-adapt rather than going all evil magic bitch on you and endangering everyone." Willow hugged her again.

"To be helped people have to want to get better." Buffy hugged her again reassuring her. "I was happy being miserable."

"And I got obsessed with being all powerful." Willow found an astute clarity.

"You only wanted to change the things you felt hurt people." The Slayer knew they were talking in circles but as she realized quickly, the most important thing is that they were talking.

"I had no right to use magic to do it." Willow shook her head as she pulled back looking at her best friend.

"You used what you could." Buffy shrugged knowing it wasn't something they could change now. "I'd have done the same if I could have if I'd lost all you had."

"Do you think she'll leave me when I tell her?" Willow's tears stifled to a stop her voice tiny.

"Tell her?" Buff asked as quietly.

"About what I did to her, how I took her memories." Willow swallowed hard.

"She might." Buffy said softly but honestly. "But you have to tell her." She whispered the words wanting Willow to understand her position.

"I'm so glad you understand." Willow hugged her again relieved to have found one ally in the house.

"You have to be honest with her, from the start, I understand that. I should have been honest with you all." Buffy admitted as the brief hug ended.

"If I'm not honest with her its like I'm trying to hurt her all over again." Willow nodded though she was scared of the possibilities she knew she had to be brave. "And I never, ever want to do that again."

"Does she have any memories about what happened at all?" Buffy asked gently.

"No." Willow's voice squeaked.

"Ah." Buffy made the small noise and rubbed the redhead's arm softly.

"I just have to tell her... I mean she forgave me once... maybe..."

Willow took a slow breath. "Maybe she can forgive me again."

"You need to tell her everything about it Will, not just the facts about you know, the spell, but everything going on at the same time." Buffy advised gently.

"Even about Glory?" Willow made the statement like a question.

"That's up to you Willow. I know from talking to Tara, before Warren, it was the combination of what Glory did and what you then did that made what you did seem so bad." Buffy gave the small insight she had.

"Then that's where I should start." Willow tried to firm up her resolve a bit. "I... I just want her to have all of her back. Even if that means she hates me."

"She never hated you." Buffy stated shaking her head.

"But a lot of things have changed." The redhead looked down.

"Like what?" Buffy encouraged her to explained.

"I became a murderer." Willow's voice was almost silent.

"She knows about that." Buffy whispered reminding her friend of her girlfriend's acceptance.

"Are you going to bed right away?" Willow shied away from the conversation a bit going to the fridge to get a drink.

"I don't think so." Buffy shook her head. "You want to sit for a while before you go up? I can be company or I can be silent."

"We could sit." Willow turned clutching the body of water.

"We could or you could go and see your girl. You've both had a tough day." Buffy suggested softly not wanting to get rid of Willow but wanting her to have the freedom to go up to bed or stay if she wanted.

"Maybe I should check on her, we did almost get eaten by a direwolf." Willow looked to the hallway. "And I mean that is something none of us are used to, especially her.'

"Never happened to me before." Buffy tried a smile.

"New one for the book." Willow tried to smile back. "Good night Buffy." She shuffled over to the hall.

"Night." Buffy stood still watching her move. "Oh Will?" She called after the redhead.

"Yes?" Willow stopped and turned.

"I believe in you." She smiled again.

For a second it didn't look possible to decide if Willow was going to cry or smile but after a second a broad emotional smile came across her face.

"I believe in you too." She whispered holding hazel eyes for a second before she went upstairs.

Buffy was about to collect a glass of juice and move through to the couch, when she passed the basement door. Willow's words coming back to her about Xander's deadly laundry.

For a moment she thought about it, after all the Spellcaster might need a hand moving some things around, just to find the bed.

'And if she's already settled I can just creep back out.' Buffy told herself as she eased the handle down and stepped onto the first step

The soft sounds of sheets being rustled were the only real noise coming from downstairs. Buffy paused on the steps, unsure whether the noise was Madalene settling down to sleep, or doing her best to find clean laundry.

"Mmmm better." Madalene commented to herself as she fluffed a newly covered pillow and put it at the top of the futon.

"How you doing down here?" Buffy said brightly and clearly as she moved down the stairs having heard the Spellcaster's voice.

"Oh hi." Madalene turned to look at her as she manhandled some stray clothes over closer to the washer. "Just trying to lessen the clutter so I can fall into bed and dream of direwolves."

"Well I question your dream choice, but I can see the need for a clean up." Buffy hurried over to help.

"Mmmm well to be honest I'm not sure if it'll be dreaming or nightmares about evil creatures coming to eat everyone while I'm locked in a basement." Madalene admitted coming back over and sitting on the bed.

"I can sit watch for you if you'd feel better." Buffy offered seeing the discomfort on the brunette's face.

"You could stay for a bit. If you're not tired... I'm not really tired I just didn't want to get in everyone's way." She patted the bed showing there was lots of room. "And yes that was my blatant plea for please keep me company." She added her voice soft. Smiling back Buffy eased down glancing around at the chaos.

"So you think you can cope with sharing this place with Xander full time?" She looked at the stack of wood and drywall the carpenter had bought ready for the job of redesigning the basement.

"I don't take up much room." Madalene shrugged. "Though are you sure about this. I mean it might just be easier if I find a room or something, that way you're less crowded. I don't want to overstay my welcome."

"I'm sure." Buffy said quickly. "It's a basement Madalene, not the Queen's palace or anything"

"I think it's nice." The Spellcaster smiled looking around. "It's not the walls so much as the foundation."

"I think only you could come out with something deep and meaningful about staying in a basement." Buffy commented with a soft amused laugh.

"I try." She laughed lightly. "Have to keep you on your toes." She stuck out her tongue.

"Well you being in the basement won't do that. Safest place in the house this is, when I'm not all crazy seeing asylum girl." Buffy pointed out hoping to herself that when the area was renovated it would dull the memory of trying to kill all her friends.

"When you're not?" Madalene raised an eyebrow.

"Oh it was a demon thing." Buffy shrugged pushing the memory from her mind. It wasn't something she liked to dwell on.

"You want to tell me about it?" The brunette offered pulling her legs up.

"No." Buffy replied honestly. "Because I like you and no one deserves to have to sit through that story."

"I like you too." Madalene leaned back a bit against the pillow.

"So, we had an exciting day huh." Buffy turned to look at the Spellcaster.

"We did." She nodded her agreement. "Very bravely saved by you and a blessed sword I hear."

"Well that was just a lucky guess." Buffy didn't want to take much credit.

"Do you ever just accept gratitude?" Madalene grinned at her.

"I could give it a go." Buffy grinned back.

"Okay here's how it goes." Madalene pushed herself up onto her knees looking at the Slayer. "I give you a compliment and you're going to nod and say thank you. If you don't I'm going to bat you with this pillow."

She teased the extra incentive for effect.

"Okay." Buffy watched the brunette move biting back a laugh.

"Thank you very much for saving everyone from the direwolf Buffy." Madalene leaned back a bit on her legs smiling as she spoke the gentle words.

"Thank you." Buffy answered slowly. "But you know Xander and Willow had already done heaps."

"I will thank both of them in the morning." Madalene kept smiling as she brought the pillow up and gently walloped the Slayer. "But that's for trying to sidestep me." She giggled at the blonde's shocked expression.

"Hey!" Buffy giggled back unable to believe she'd just been hit with a pillow.

"Hey what?" Madalene pulled back and walloped her again.

"I feel I should warn you, you so should not start a pillow fight with a slayer." Buffy slid her hand up and gripped the second pillow.

"Why? You going to get lucky and figure out how to best me?" Madalene pulled the pillow back ready for another blow.

"It wouldn't be a fair fight, I have slayer skills." Buff pointed out not yet going on the offensive.

"You think your ancient prophecy says anything about pillows?" Madalene laughed and walloped her again for fun.

"Vampiric ones for sure." Buffy flicked her pillow quickly at the Spellcaster. Madalene laughed as the pillow hit her arm and she reigned down another shot at Buffy's head.

"Hey that was a head shot." Buffy scowled at her jokingly. "Head shots are dangerous " While talking Buffy flicked her pillow out again.

"You know you're forgetting something very important?" Madalene dodged the attack and wiggled an eyebrow at the Slayer. "You're pillow fighting with a witch." She winked and Buffy's pillow shot up hitting the Slayer in the head again.

"HEY!" Buffy laughed loudly and fell back onto the mattress.

"You give up already?" Madalene laughed with her leaning over with a raised pillow.

"You know you shouldn't attack an unarmed person." Buffy chastised looking up at the brunette.

"I think you're more than capable." Madalene corrected dropping down beside her.

"Oh I'm capable, just not armed." Buffy grinned.

"You could probably throw me over your head with your pinkie finger, don't think you need a whole arm." The Spellcaster laughed more.

Buffy let her laughter die down slightly as she lay on the bed staring at the ceiling for a long moment.

"You okay?" Madalene asked feeling the slight seriousness creep into the room.

"Yeah, just thinking, you know." Buffy shrugged and pushed to sit up again.

"Yeah." Madalene didn't move. "You want to share?"

"Could do." Buffy shrugged again. "I was just thinking that it felt you know, good to laugh and do something silly like have a pillow fight. You know, how normal and ok it felt." She tried to explain. "But then I remember the boarded up window, the fact we're gong to need a new coffee table, the fact that all the people I care about nearly got killed, again and I remember how not normal my life is."

"I don't know how normal life will ever be with direwolves and mages and vampires running around." Madalene offered sadly feeling the profound sadness in the Slayer's words.

"They run around all the time and the rest of the world seem to manage to get by on normal." Buffy's voice was slightly bitter.

"But the rest of the world doesn't want to pay attention to them, they'd rather live ignorant." Madalene countered. "How many people have you saved and then seen in the daylight and they acted as if nothing had happened?"

"All of them, apart from Willow, Xander and a couple of others." Buffy sighed.

"It's not you Buffy." Madalene reached up and rubbed the blonde's shoulder. "The rest of the world is just helpless to understand let alone cope."

"I'm just feeling the burden of slayerdom." Buffy quoted the phrase Spike had told her that Faith had used about her.

"Then we need to unburden you with Chocolate sprinkles." The Spellcaster smiled. "Preferably on top of a very large sundae."

"Another firm believer in the healing power of ice-cream, chocolate and eating." Buffy laughed as she looked at the other woman seeing her valiant attempt to lessen her heavy depression.

"Well Dawn has been priming me that it's the best solution for everything." Madalene smiled softly.

"As always we have supplies upstairs." Buffy nodded to the door.

"You want me to go up and fix us something sinful?" Madalene offered.

"Sure. I'll continue to fumigate down here." Buffy nodded as she noticed the garbage can was overflowing.

By the time Willow reached the bedroom, the door was pulled to though not completely shut and the soft glow of the night-light filtered out from around it.

"Tara?" Willow questioned softly as she pushed it open and pushed inside.

"Right here." Tara's voice answered from the bed. The Wicca turned over and gave the redhead a soft smile.

"I thought maybe you'd fallen asleep." Willow came in and put her clothes down on the chair having changed in the bathroom.

"I'd need my Willow pillow to do that." Tara shook her head slightly and sat up against the pillows her blonde hair falling around her shoulders and over thin burgundy satin straps.

"Right here." Willow moved over to the bed smiling as she slipped under the covers.

"Did you and Buffy have a chat?" Tara slid in close to Willow, hoping that the redhead wouldn't disapprove of the night dress she had found when they had first unpacked her things, but hadn't worn until now.

"Yes." Willow nodded as Tara's body pressed against her. "You look very beautiful."

"Well as you seem to like pj's I figured this had to be mine." Tara smiled and leaned her head over Willow's shoulder.

"Mmmm they are yours." Willow reached her arm around Tara's back.

"Did talking to Buffy make you feel better?" Tara asked as she nestled closer.

"Sort of." Willow licked her lips as she tried to even out the combating ideas in her head. "Tara... I need to talk to you about some stuff." She added her voice quiet.

"That's a Willow serious tone." Tara strained her neck up to look at Willow. "What is it sweetie, are you more hurt than I thought? Goddess, I shouldn't be leaning on you." The Wicca moved to pull away.

"No, no love." Willow shook her head and hugged Tara lightly. "It's just... I think I need to tell you about some stuff. Some of the stuff that happened." She tried to keep some cadence to her words.

"And you will…" Tara assured her. "When the time is right." She continued. "Sweetie, I understand why this has happened, tonight, well, it most certainly wasn't normal, but I lay here thinking for a moment and I decided that it probably was normal, for us at least. But it was the first time, since coming back that either of us has been put into a position of danger like that. I think it made us both feel a little, you know, wobbly." She took a breath. "I know right now you're probably wanting to tell me about the world, about everything, all the great things and the not so great, but what we need to do is rest." Tara nuzzled back into place.

"Are you sure?" Willow questioned feeling her lover's words relax away all her worry and anxiety.

"I'm sure." Tara underlined, closing her eyes.

"I love you." Willow whispered kissing blonde hair lightly and hugging her tighter.

"I love you too Willow. Sir Knight Willow, my Willow." She smiled but her smiled dimmed slightly as she opened her eyes in the dim light.

In the gloom, soft blue eyes focused on the light brown leather bag and a feeling crept into Tara's heart that things were about to change forever.

Fade to black… The End… Grrr Arrg