"Earth to Buffy, come in Buffy," Dawn carolled.
Buffy looked up from her magazine, startled. "I'm sorry, Dawn," she said. "Did you just say something?"
"I said I though we should all head to the Bronze tonight," she repeated. "You know, to celebrate that I got the highest mark on the math midterm?"
Buffy did remember promising something like that earlier in the week, but recent events had driven the details from her mind. "On a school night?" she asked.
"You promised," Dawn complained. "I've been so looking forward to this."
Buffy reconsidered her position, since this would be exactly what she needed to get Dawn and Willow out of the house before Tara was supposed to arrive. She wasn't ready to explain why she wanted Spike uninvited from the house again.
"I suppose," she said, trying to sound reluctant. "But I'm not really feeling up to it today, Dawn. You and Willow could go, though."
Dawn's face fell. "We can go another day," she suggested.
"No, I don't want to spoil the celebration. I've been feeling out of sorts lately - I think I may be getting a cold," Buffy said, trying not to overplay it.
"Then you really need a good night out to take your mind off of things," Dawn insisted. "It's not like you have the excuse of being too tired from work now."
"Gee, thanks," Buffy said dryly. "I really needed to remember that I don't have a job anymore." Dawn was almost immediately contrite, but Buffy waved away her apology. She'd only been taken back on probation after the misunderstanding about the ingredients of the DoubleMeat Medley; trying to explain why she had to leave without warning to help Riley hadn't really impressed Lorraine with her reliability. Rather than trying to deal with someone she couldn't count on, Lorraine had fired her - again. Buffy was still planning to go back and plead her case one more time, but hadn't yet worked up the courage.
"You go ahead," Buffy repeated. "The two of you should have a good time, at least. That is, as long as your homework is done and you get back by eleven," she added.
"Done!" Dawn agreed, and ran for her books to prove she was ready to go.
**********
Buffy closed the door softly after waving goodbye to Dawn and Willow as they headed out for their night of fun. She was glad she hadn't had to resort to any huge deceptions to get them out of the way before Tara arrived. And it wouldn't hurt to give them some more time together to keep rebuilding their relationship, she decided.
True to her word, Tara appeared later that evening with the ingredients to perform the uninvite spell. She paused at the door when Buffy opened it. "Is Willow . . .?" she began uncertainly, not yet ready to meet her girlfriend face to face, especially when she was about to perform the very magic that Willow was trying so hard to avoid.
"No," Buffy replied. "She and Dawn are out at the Bronze tonight until at least eleven. Come on in."
Tara moved into the living room and began laying out the supplies for the spell on the table. She didn't waste any time coming to the point. "I'll need you to crumble some of these herbs at all the windows and doors," she said, indicating a small plastic container. "Do that while I recite the incantation." Tara looked up at Buffy. "If you're sure you really want to do this," she added.
"Believe me," Buffy replied. "I've never been more sure of anything." She took up the container of herbs resolutely.
**********
"Hicce verbis consensus rescissus est," Tara said for the last time, as they returned to the front door. She closed the heavy spell book and laid it on the table. "That should do it, if we didn't miss any possible entrance."
"I didn't realize there were so many windows in this house," Buffy said. "But I think we got them all." She sighed. "Now maybe I can relax for a while. Can you stay and have some tea or something?"
Tara agreed, and the two women moved into the kitchen. While Buffy prepared the tea, she told Tara about how well Willow had been doing in avoiding magic, and about how she herself had been working on improving her relationship with her sister - all light and positive topics. It was only when she sat to join Tara at the table that she let the conversation become more serious.
"Did you think about what I asked this afternoon?" she enquired. "About a spell that could keep Spike away from the Bronze and the Magic Box and other places I go?"
Tara frowned. "There are a number of spells that might work, but I think you're making a mistake, Buffy. Refusing to deal with your emotions won't make them go away. The two of you need to get together and talk."
Buffy ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back from her face. "The problem is, every time we're together talking seems to be the last thing on our minds. I want him," she admitted, looking up at her friend. "But it's only me being selfish; wanting to feel alive again. The spell is as much to keep me from hurting him as it is to help me," she ventured.
Tara greeted this new suggestion with the scepticism it deserved, raising her eyebrows and not saying a word.
Buffy felt she had no choice; she went for her most devastating argument. "I need to have this spell done, Tara. If I can't get you to help me, then I'll find someone who will. Maybe I can get Amy . . . or Willow." She let her words trail away.
Tara stood up. "You don't have to go that far," she said coolly. "I'll stop by the Magic Box in the morning for the supplies and cast the spell while I'm there. The Bronze will have to wait until the weekend, if that's all right." Without waiting for an answer, she gathered her belongings and left.
"Tara," Buffy said weakly after she heard the front door close. "I'm sorry." She was ashamed she had deeply hurt someone who cared about her, but she didn't know what else she could have done. She was sure that if she tried to stay away from Spike on her own and failed, she'd feel even worse about herself.
Dumping the cups into the sink to deal with in the morning, Buffy headed up the stairs, hoping that sleep would bring her some peace.