Diclaimers - I don't own the characters cept any new ones but I don't think there are any. The characters and some other stuff belong to joss and WB etc. The whole concept of Warm Vamps is mine, feel free to use it, just gimmie some credit

Authors note at the end of the story are the words from the song mentioned that are ment to reflect the mood. Um I know this story isn't that good.
SORRY SORRY SORRY to anyone I've offened and for the real stupid stuff I've done in this story
FEEDBACK PLEASE if want to say it was bad, some constuctive critisim please!








Chapter 6: Xanders Soul

Faith walked into Willows apartment 'geez that girl should get better locks' Faith thought to herself as she walked towards the bedroom. She opened the door and walked in.
"I thought you'd be here" Faith whispered
"I'm to predictable" Tara replied as she continued to watch Willow sleep
"I'm sorry about what I said before, it just hurts for me"
"The pain of an unrequided love" Tara said softly as she stood up
"Where you going?" Faith asked as she followed Tara out of the room
"I think I should go pay Buffy a visit"
"You sure about that, she's pretty pissed"
"Yea" Tara reached into a pocket and pulled out a box "Here, I want you to give this to Willow at your next little meeting, I'll see you later" Tara then left Faith staring down at the box.

"Hey Buffy" Tara said as she walked into the apartment Buffy now owned
"Tara" Buffy replied staring daggers at her
Tara looked at Buffy's jaw "Let me heal it" She said reaching out
"No" Buffy said pulling away "I don't need your charity"
"Buffy I'm sorry, but there are things you don't understand"
"You hurt her" Buffy spat out her words "you hurt her, and now you won't try and make it better for her, she loved you Tara, still does"
"And I love her, that's why I can't be with her"
"Yea that makes a lot of sense," Buffy said rolling her eyes
"I still have to learn to control the demon part of me, and I don't want to put Willow in danger of me again"
"She still loves you Tara let her know you're here please"
"Maybe, But it's hard for me Buffy, I don't know"
"Maybe I should just tell her"
"NO!" Tara yelled "You can't" She continued softly "She'll know soon, there are things I have to do before time runs out, just let me do this myself Buffy"

Willow walked out of bedroom rubbing sleep out of her eyes, she stopped suddenly as she noticed Faith standing in the middle of her living room.
"Faith?" She asked, not sure if she was awake or still dreaming
"Hey Willow" Faith said, "Here she gave Willow the box she'd gotten from Tara "Got sumthin for you" Willow took the box and opened it. When she looked inside her jaw fell open
"Wow" She said softly She looked up at Faith "Tell Tara thanks" She said with a sly smile Faith looked at her shocked
"How"
"I don't see how you'd be coming across one of these Faith, so naturally she must have gotten it for us, thank her for me when you heat from her again" Faith realised Willow didn't know Tara was in Sunnydale she mentally sighed
"I will," She said softly

Xander looked at Willow "So, I have a soul?"
"Yep" Willow replied cheerfully
"So now I have to work to keep it"
"Yep"
"What if I don't care, I liked the boodlust" Xander watched Willows face fall and he felt emotions run through him, ones he hadn't felt in ages "Hey it's ok, I'll be good" Willow smiled at him then wrapped her arms around him "Glad to have you back"

Faith walked into Willows apartment later that day and smiled when she saw Xander lounging on the couch.
"So I take it we have our friend Xander back," She said with a smile
"Yea" Willow replied
"Nice work Willow"
"Faith?"
"What?"
"Why don't you call me Red, or Buffy B any more"
Faith looked at her "I guess its just not me any more, I've changed Willow, I've grown a lot"
"Lucky"
"You've grown to Willow"
Willow smiled then an angry looking Buffy walked in, she eyed up Xander then drew a stake "What's going on?" She asked
"Xander has his soul back, Faith dropped off a little something this morning from Tara" Willow said excitedly Buffy turned and glared at her
"And you accepted it, you don't need anything from that bitch Willow"
Willow looked hurt "Buffy, what's wrong"
"She hurt you Willow" Buffy said "I don't want her to do it again"
"Glad you think so highly of me" Tara said as she walked in
"Tara!" Willows whole face lighted up when she saw her
"I have something important to do, I'm sure Faith has shared the story of out friend Nikki, the warm vamp"
"Warm Vamp?" Xander asked as Buffy and Willow nodded
"Due to a certain protection spell a human once turned basically keeps their human body, has a heart and soul, same vampire weaknesses, need to eat and sleep to keep human body running but less than humans need and small amount of blood to keep vampire side happy. Think that covers the basics, so Buffy and Willow, the alliance likes to protect its friends. So if you'd both agree I'll put the protection on you" Tara looked at Buffy "Then I'll be out of your way"
Willow opened her mouth to protest Tara leaving again but Buffy spoke first "Well lets get this over with"

Tara, Faith, Willow and Buffy stood in Willows apartment having just finished the spell.
"I don't feel different," Buffy said
"What did you expect?" Faith laughed
"Dunno, but you've changed" Buffy said stiffly
"Buffy, what's with you"
"Don't call me Buffy, you call me B Faith, and what's up with me, what's up with you?" Buffy started to yell
"I grew up Buffy" Faith said "I learned to deal, I've grown and become better, I've worked past my pain and mistakes"
"Buffy what's wrong, you've been really mean to Faith lately" Willow said softly
Buffy glared at Tara then "I'll go" Tara said as she headed towards the door
"No!" Willow shouted she then looked down ashamed it had come out so loud "I need you" She said softly Tara looked at Willow then at Buffy then at Faith "Stay" Faith said, "Maybe you can work your charms of Buffy." Tara nodded Buffy sent an evil glare at the occupants of the room then stormed out.

"So then Buffy just stormed out?" Anya asked still eyeing Xander
"He is safe Anya" Faith said
"Yea but last time I saw him he tried to bite me" Anya complained
"He has a soul now"
"And I don't plan on biting anyone any more"
Tara looked around the group and smiled "I'm glad I'm back here, you guys are great"
"So what's the deal with Buffy?" Xander asked
"I think she misses the past, she want helpless Xander and Willow to protect, not the powerful assertive adults they've become"
"She misses Giles" Willow said softly
"We all miss Giles" Faith stated
"She's just not dealing very well," Tara said
"So what did you do to Faith?" Xander asked Tara "She's all nice and, what's the opposite of trashy?"
"Not trashy?" Anya supplied Xander nodded
"I helped her work through all the pain, deal with everything that's happened to her, and when Buffy's ready to accept it I'm help her"
"The Alliance" Faith said suddenly
"What?" Willow asked
"You guys, the scoobs are pretty much what the alliance wants, different people with different abilities working together to help the slayers"
"There a point?" Anya asked
"And what's the Alliance?" Xander asked
"Of course we must remember Xanders been out of the loop awhile, with his undeadness and all" Willow said
"The Alliance was formed by myself and Angel after some thought, the watchers council, they are all for the slaying, the Alliance wants to focus more on the slayer"
"Employee friendly" Anya said
"You guys, as long as you want are all welcome to join" Faith said as Tara nodded in agreement
"Is that worth asking, of course we want in, you guys are fighting a good battle"
"Well I think Willow speaks for all of us present, but those not present might hate the Idea"

Willow curled up close to Tara on the couch (sofa whateva you call it) listening to the radio. The soft tunes of Powderfinger's My happiness played and Willow smiled "Isn't it funny how sometime a song perfectly reflects your mood"
"Willow, I think we should think about this"
"Is it because of Buffy? Buffy doesn't have anything to do with us and what I feel Tara"
"It not her, I don't want to hurt you again, I'm also a bit worried your just attaching yourself to however is available"
"Tara I loved you, and I missed you, well first I hated you then I missed you, then I started going out with Matthew, which was great, at first. Then after we got engaged"
"Wait no-one told me you two where engaged"
"No-one knew" Willow confessed "Buffy was getting over Riley then and, well I just didn't tell her, well after we got engaged and where living together he started to beat me up, then Buffy found out what he was doing and help me work up the courage to dump him. I gave him back the ring one night, he got pissed got a knife and gutted me, Buffy turned up cause I'd asked to come get me she took me to the hospital and kicked Matthew out of town. The well I hated him for awhile, missed you a bit, hated myself then hated everyone then went in my whole, world ain't gonna use me I'm gonna se them phase, then Giles died. I sort reverted to normal. Then I missed you again. Faith showed up told stories of the big apple and I missed you more"
"Willow"
"I know it doesn't make very much sense, but really all I've done is miss you. You made me feel safe and I need that back in my life"
Tara smiled at Willow had pulled her into a hug "I'll stick by you from now on" She said softly

-- My happiness, slowly creeping back, now you're at home --