Chapter 2

"H-hello?" a groggy sounding young woman's voice answered.

Oh, sleepy voice! How cute! Tara thought, feeling reassured already. "Willow, I'm sorry for calling so late," she said quickly. "You sound-" completely adorable! "-tired. Were you asleep?"

"Mmm." A muffled thump was heard in the background. "Whoops. Mostly. Tara? What's going on?"

Tara ran a hand through her hair. "I, um, actually, I'm not sure. I was coming home from work, and it - it felt like something was following me."

Willow quickly sat up in her bed. "Was it a vamp? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, a little shaken, but nothing … I didn't see anything." Geez, way to make with the credible reason for a late night phone call. "I did hear something, though, a couple times. And you know that feeling, like there's someone watching you? Plenty of that."

"You had the wiggins. That's what Buffy calls it, anyway," Willow said. "Well, if it was a vampire, then you know it can't get you now that you're home."

Tara bit her lower lip anxiously. "But if it wasn't a vampire?"

"…Oh. Good point. See, that's not so good." A slight pause and rustling noises. "Not to say that you're in danger! I mean, you probably aren't, but you might be. Argh. I'm probably not helping much."

"No, no, you are. It helps to talk to you," the fair-haired witch admitted. "The apartment is just a little lonely when I get home at night."

Tara could practically see the Willow-smile. "I'm glad I help." Then comes the practical advice. "So just um, I'd say to keep your doors and windows locked and your shades drawn. I'm sure you'd do that anyway, but it kinda makes me feel better to make sure you do it."

Tara chuckled over the line. "Then I'm glad I can make you feel better, too. I'll make sure I do that for you."

"Okay. I'm not sure you should call Buffy, she might still be out patrolling. But we'll have a Scooby thing in the library tomorrow before homeroom, I'll make sure they both know." Willow yawned quietly. "Mmm. Oh, and you might want to…"

"Want to what?" the blonde asked after Willow's voice trailed off.

"Oh, um, just … nothing."

"No, Willow, what is it?" she inquired gently. "If there's something else you think I should do, you can tell me."

"It's just that, I'm not sure if it's something you … can do," Willow stated hesitantly.

Tara's face showed slight confusion. "What is it?" she repeated.

"A warding spell. If you can do that, I mean, it would be a good thing to, to help repel anything that might want to get in," the flame-haired witch said uncertainly. "But like I said, I'm not sure you can do one."

A smile of understanding spread across the Wiccan's face. "Oh, that's what that was about. I haven't been able to find a good time to tell you, so I'm kinda glad you brought it up." She walked around the small apartment with the cordless phone, checking the locks as she went, until she ended up in her bedroom, where she sat cross-legged on the bed. "Yeah, I can put up a ward around the apartment easy."

"So you are! I thought you were um, a, a witch. I got these vibes from you. Plus, you hang around with Amy and Michael a lot. And the magic shop, you said you were there one time," Willow presented her evidence gleefully before getting back on topic. "So yeah, um, I'd also to the spell."

Tara laughed again. "I will, Willow. Now I should let you get back to sleep. And I'll take care of the warding and get to sleep myself."

Willow yawned again in spite of her excitement. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea, sleeping. I'll see you tomorrow at the library, okay?"

"Okay," Tara smiled. "Thanks again. And sweet dreams!"

"You too," the other witch answered. "Night, Tara."

"Night, Willow, bye."

"Bye!"

Both women hung their lines up at the same time, and Tara couldn't keep a smile off of her face for the rest of the night. In fact, when she woke up the next morning, she was still smiling. And for some reason, she couldn't stop humming to herself. She tried to quit doing it, but by the time she arrived in the Sunnydale High library, she was whistling a melody that she made up as she went along.

"Tara, good morning," Mr. Giles said from behind the counter. "Buffy and Willow should be right along, and Xander is bringing donuts. Just, ah," he gestured to the central table with his glasses, which he then began to polish, "just have a seat there."

Within moments of taking her seat, Xander strolled in through the wooden double doors of the library with Willow following him. A plain white box was set in the middle of the table, and the boy opened it with a flourish. "May I present, breakfast." He grabbed a glazed chocolate one and plopped into a chair, leaning back to eat.

Willow and Tara both leaned over the box, looking over the sweet-scented pastries together. "Ooh, maple bar!" Tara exclaimed, reaching in for it. "My favorite."

"Save a jelly for me," the librarian piped up, still organizing the return cart of books that had been dropped off.

Willow looked over her shoulder and grinned at Giles. "Don't we always?" Turning back to the donuts, she selected a creme-filled, chocolate frosted one and seated herself between Xander and Tara. The students ate their donuts, waiting quietly for the Slayer. "So Buffy's on her way?" Willow finally asked.

"Buffy's here," the tiny blonde announced as one of the doors swung open and she passed through it. "Snyder delay-age. Ooh, and donuts. Buffy wants donuts!"

"Buffy needs to stop speaking in the third person," Xander observed as the Slayer chose her donut from the box.

Giles stood up behind the counter. "Oh, do save the-"

Buffy turned, a powdered jelly donut with a bite out of it in one hand. "Save the what?" she asked after swallowing the bite.

"…Jelly," he finished, disappointed that he'd lost his favorite donut.

Xander raised the box to show Giles the contents. "Not to worry, G-man, I got two of them."

The man brightened and stepped out from behind the counter to take the donut. "All right, then, let's get started. Patrol went well last night?"

"Staked three vamps," Buffy reported cheerily. "Then on the way home I got jumped by this slimy, spiny thing. It was a world of ick." She wrinkled up her nose.

"And I take it you, you eliminated it?" the Watcher inquired.

"Yup. Beheaded, showered, went to bed."

Giles nodded, still holding the powdered donut sort of defensively, and looked toward the other students. "And the rest of you? Willow tell me you had an, an encounter of sorts, Tara?"

Tara nodded. "It wasn't, I didn't actually see anything. But I'm pretty sure I was followed from work to my building. I heard footsteps behind me, but every time I looked, there wasn't anything I could see."

Giles took this in. "It may have been something invisible," he speculated, "or perhaps something with natural camouflaging. Or it may be that it was merely, merely hiding. Buffy," he directed, "please walk home with Tara tonight, keep an eye and ear out for anything suspicious. We shall meet back up tomorrow morning for a report." He glanced at his pocketwatch. "And I'm afraid it's nearly time for the first bell. I'm sure you'll stop in again later in the day. And Xander?"

"Yeah?" the young man responded quizzically.

Giles smiled. "Thanks for your anticipation with the jellies."