Chapter 10
"Sunnydale's a good sized town. For some reason Xander thinks it's small but we have a mall, an airport, and a zoo."
"You have a zoo?"
"Yeah. Bad memories. Hyena possession."
"Oh."
"Where we headed first?"
"Xander's construction site. He's gonna be mad we interrupted him but, Willow's been his best friend his whole life. He's gonna be devastated." Buffy pulled her coat closer around her. Xander had been tense lately, because they were trying to finish the project they were working on before Christmas.
"So you guys are that close?"
"The closest. They loved me so much they brought me back from the dead. It's partly because of that, which Willow was led down this path." Buffy's lips tightened and she lifted her head, steeling herself against the raw painful wounds that held her soul.
"I can't imagine." Fred said in her perky, wonder filled voice.
"Yeah. It's pretty incredible." They arrived at the construction site, which ironically was over the place where the tower had fallen. Xander was perched in a CAT and when he saw them he came down.
"Buffy, who are your friends."
"This is Gunn and Fred. They're from LA." Words passed between their eyes. Xander's smile faded.
"It's about Willow isn't it?"
"Cordy had a vision. Something's going down with her Xander. They want to help."
"What do they know about it?"
"Not much. They only want to help." Buffy felt horrible. It was tearing Xander up inside. He was so afraid for Willow. Buffy could see it in the stress fractures of his relationship with Anya.
"Look I have to finish this. It's very important. Is there anything I can do now?"
"Not really. No."
"Then we'll meet at the Magic Box later." He left then, understandably trying to get away from the problem at hand.
They continued to The Middle School where Dawn was waiting with her bag full of books. "Hey Buffy. Who are your friends?"
"Dawn this is Fred and Gunn. They come from LA. Angel came home for a visit."
"How come?"
"Well because Willow has been acting bad."
"I know something's wrong with her Buffy. You don't have to pretend."
"I know. But maybe I am pretending for my sake." They walked further, towards the UC Sunnydale campus dorms.
"Where are we going?"
"To see if Tara's at home." The girls new dorm was on the ground level. Buffy, instead of knocking on the door checked the window first. She didn't see anyone so she went to the door and fished the key out of her pocket. Willow had given it to her when she was still Willow.
The room was dark and rather dirty. Things were piled up carelessly whereas their old room used to be spotless.
"Look around for clues."
"Clues to what?"
"We sort of can't find Willow and Tara."
"We saw them last night." Buffy bit her lip. It was so hard to explain that everything was different from the night before. Their lives were all changed, maybe for the worse.
"Just look." Buffy went to the dresser and pushed away some of the herbs and clothing. She happened to look in the mirror and catch it at an angle. She spun around looking for Tara but couldn't see her. She looked more closely at the mirror.
"Oh my god." She dropped a rock that she had moved from the dresser.
"What is it?" the others looked up as Buffy stepped away.
"Oh no. What did she do to you?" Buffy reached out and touched the mirror.
"Buffy," Tara's voice rippled through sounding like it was coming from underwater. "You have to stop her."
"We will. How do we get you out?"
"Stop her first."
"You're ok?"
"Fine. Stop Willow."
"Sunnydale's a good sized town. For some reason Xander thinks it's small but we have a mall, an airport, and a zoo."
"You have a zoo?"
"Yeah. Bad memories. Hyena possession."
"Oh."
"Where we headed first?"
"Xander's construction site. He's gonna be mad we interrupted him but, Willow's been his best friend his whole life. He's gonna be devastated." Buffy pulled her coat closer around her. Xander had been tense lately, because they were trying to finish the project they were working on before Christmas.
"So you guys are that close?"
"The closest. They loved me so much they brought me back from the dead. It's partly because of that, which Willow was led down this path." Buffy's lips tightened and she lifted her head, steeling herself against the raw painful wounds that held her soul.
"I can't imagine." Fred said in her perky, wonder filled voice.
"Yeah. It's pretty incredible." They arrived at the construction site, which ironically was over the place where the tower had fallen. Xander was perched in a CAT and when he saw them he came down.
"Buffy, who are your friends."
"This is Gunn and Fred. They're from LA." Words passed between their eyes. Xander's smile faded.
"It's about Willow isn't it?"
"Cordy had a vision. Something's going down with her Xander. They want to help."
"What do they know about it?"
"Not much. They only want to help." Buffy felt horrible. It was tearing Xander up inside. He was so afraid for Willow. Buffy could see it in the stress fractures of his relationship with Anya.
"Look I have to finish this. It's very important. Is there anything I can do now?"
"Not really. No."
"Then we'll meet at the Magic Box later." He left then, understandably trying to get away from the problem at hand.
They continued to The Middle School where Dawn was waiting with her bag full of books. "Hey Buffy. Who are your friends?"
"Dawn this is Fred and Gunn. They come from LA. Angel came home for a visit."
"How come?"
"Well because Willow has been acting bad."
"I know something's wrong with her Buffy. You don't have to pretend."
"I know. But maybe I am pretending for my sake." They walked further, towards the UC Sunnydale campus dorms.
"Where are we going?"
"To see if Tara's at home." The girls new dorm was on the ground level. Buffy, instead of knocking on the door checked the window first. She didn't see anyone so she went to the door and fished the key out of her pocket. Willow had given it to her when she was still Willow.
The room was dark and rather dirty. Things were piled up carelessly whereas their old room used to be spotless.
"Look around for clues."
"Clues to what?"
"We sort of can't find Willow and Tara."
"We saw them last night." Buffy bit her lip. It was so hard to explain that everything was different from the night before. Their lives were all changed, maybe for the worse.
"Just look." Buffy went to the dresser and pushed away some of the herbs and clothing. She happened to look in the mirror and catch it at an angle. She spun around looking for Tara but couldn't see her. She looked more closely at the mirror.
"Oh my god." She dropped a rock that she had moved from the dresser.
"What is it?" the others looked up as Buffy stepped away.
"Oh no. What did she do to you?" Buffy reached out and touched the mirror.
"Buffy," Tara's voice rippled through sounding like it was coming from underwater. "You have to stop her."
"We will. How do we get you out?"
"Stop her first."
"You're ok?"
"Fine. Stop Willow."
