Dawn awoke with that fluttery feeling she always had in her belly when
people were arguing. The scene in the Magic Box around Tara's abrupt
departure hadn't been pretty, to say the least. Dawn had held back her own
tears until she'd gotten home-Willow had more than made up the basket case
quotient for the group. But Dawn had cried later, in bed. People were
hurting, and she couldn't do a single thing about it. The teen dreaded the
tension she knew she'd be facing when the group reassembled today.
Determinedly, she kicked away her covers and poked her head out of her room. Someone was blowing her hair dry in the bathroom, and Dawn thought she heard a person or so moving about downstairs. Buffy's door was closed. Dawn went to it.
"Buffy?" she called, knocking gently. There was no answer. Dawn cracked the door open. She was always concerned when Buffy went out for a patrol without her, and making sure her older sister was all right would soothe her nerves.
The person in the bed wasn't Buffy. Dawn caught a glimpse of red hair and remembered that Willow had said she might be staying in Buffy's room. The figure in the bed, though, seemed a bit too tall for Willow. Curious, Dawn entered the room.
Amanda was lying in Buffy's bed, deeply asleep and looking like someone had beaten her half to death. Her face was one big bruise. Absently, Dawn identified the scent of lavender and beeswax even as she noted the glittery dust coating Amanda's face and shoulders. Someone had done magic here.
"Huh," said the teen. Very strange, in her opinion. She decided to go downstairs and ask whoever was available about it.
As she descended the stairs, she heard voices. Buffy and Tara's voices, to be precise, talking and laughing. The sound eased Dawn's inner tension. Maybe things would be all right after all.
"Morning," Dawn said as she entered the kitchen, where Buffy and Tara were making French toast.
"Morning, kiddo," said Buffy from the stove.
"Morning, Dawnie," said Tara. She set down the milk jug and walked over to give Dawn a hug.
"You okay?" Dawn asked softly, hugging Tara tight.
Tara drew back enough to look Dawn in the face. "I'm all right. Willow and I had a really good talk last night, and everything's okay. We're okay."
She looked so much like the Tara Dawn had known, wearing a floral print peasant blouse and her hair down, that Dawn blurted, "Good. I hate it when people I love aren't getting along."
Tara smiled and drew Dawn into another hug. "You are so sweet, you know that?"
Neither of them saw the worried look that crossed Buffy's face.
Dawn sat down to breakfast, and they were soon joined by Willow.
"When are we heading over to the college?" asked the redhead.
"After breakfast," said Buffy. "I called Giles earlier, and he said time is 'of the essence'."
"Can someone fill me in?" Dawn asked.
"We're gonna go over to the university and cast a spell to find out how many people have come through the portal," Tara explained. "We need to leave soon if we're going to meet the others."
"I'll eat quick," said Willow.
"Am I going to get a chance to shower?" asked Dawn.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd stay here with Amanda," said Tara. "When she wakes up, she'll be disoriented and hungry, and I'd be happier if someone was here."
"You okay with that, Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Dawn crinkled her nose and sighed. "I guess."
As soon as Willow finished breakfast, she, Buffy, and Tara headed out. They went to the Magic Box first, and from there piled into cars to go to the university. As it was a weekend, the student population was sparse. The science building and hedges served as extra cover from inquisitive eyes.
Tara took some stones from a bag Giles had brought along and set a circle around the portal. "Willow, Jonathan, will you help me?" she asked.
Both of them acquiesced, and the three formed a triangle around the stone circle. They all sat cross-legged, hands resting, palms-upward, on their knees. The first thing to do was to set a barrier around the portal. As Tara chanted, the portal rippled and flashed restlessly as if it was looking for something to take in. Willow felt the barrier, bolstered it with her own strength. Doing magic with Tara felt wonderfully, terribly familiar, and Willow had to forcibly suppress her emotions. She could give in to them later, when the need for concentration wasn't so great.
Giles came around, pouring powder into each of their hands. Willow concentrated, and when Tara said, "Reveal!" opened her palm and blew across it, scattering the powder into the portal.
The portal grew even stormier, writhing against the barrier. Willow's concentration joined with that of Tara and Jonathan, holding it firm, forcing it to obey their will. It coalesced suddenly, visibly, and began to pulse. Nine times it surged, and then grew calm again.
The two witches and the warlock released the spells but kept the stone circle in place. Willow and Tara, after some discussion, had decided it was best to leave some sort of protection around the portal to diminish the chances of others falling through as much as possible. No one knew how successful it would be, but the attempt seemed worthwhile, at the very least.
"Nine crossings," murmured Rupert as Tara, Willow, and Jonathan stood up.
"Does that mean nine people have come through?" Xander asked.
"No," said Willow. "What it means is that the portal has been opened to let someone through nine times. That's going both ways-to and from the other world. What we need to do now is figure out what that means, as in, how many people or vampires have actually come through to our world."
"Well, we know you guys all came through on a one-way ticket," said Buffy. "That makes four crossings right there."
"And the Master as well, if he is indeed in this Sunnydale," said Rupert. "That accounts for five."
"So we're looking for four more crossings," deduced Tara.
"As the portal was created in our world, it's safe to assume two of those crossings were one vampire, possibly Adrienne, making trips there and back," said Giles.
"Which means two more people came through or went through that we don't know about," said Xander.
"Could be a problem," Buffy decided.
Jonathan raised his hand hesitantly. "Didn't someone say that Adrienne had a boyfriend?"
"Yeah," said Buffy. "The one Amanda killed and got the crap beaten out of her for."
"Well, what if they went together?" Jonathan asked. "I mean, you said they'd spent a long time together, so if she went to a different dimension, wouldn't she want him with her, just in case she couldn't get back? And that'd take care of the other two crossings, too."
"I think he's right," said Willow. "That would sure answer some questions."
Buffy played with a strand of hair. "I dunno. The Master's an entourage kinda guy."
"Well, if he had Adrienne and Paulo-and he probably knew them in that dimension, too-they'd kinda be his entourage right there," said Willow. "Jonathan's got a point about Paulo, too. I mean, didn't Angel say they were pretty much inseparable? The way Spike and Dru used to be?"
"It makes sense," mused Rupert. "Were I a vampire, I wouldn't want to go into a nest of unknown vampires alone."
"It's a good working theory," said Giles. "We'll consider all vampires accounted for, then."
"And for our next trick: figuring out how to crash the Master's party," Buffy said cheerfully.
"Actually, our next trick is strengthening the barrier around the portal," said Willow. "Hopefully, that'll keep anyone else from crossing through- from either side."
***
At the Summers house, Dawn was deep into her seventh cartoon and a large bowl of Lucky Charms sans milk when she heard a thump upstairs. Recalling what Tara had said, she started up the stairs. "Amanda?" she called.
The young Slayer appeared at the top of the stairs so suddenly it startled Dawn. Amanda was sheet-white, the only color in her face provided by fading bruises. Dawn realized absently that the other teen was wearing a set of her nightclothes.
Amanda leaned on the wall, closing her eyes. Dawn was afraid she'd collapse. Hiking quickly up the remaining stairs, Dawn took the other girl's arm and looked into her face.
"How you feeling?" she asked.
"I . . . uh . . ." Amanda said eloquently. "Hungry."
"Come on downstairs. I'll get you some breakfast." Dawn helped Amanda down to the kitchen and sat her at the bar. While Dawn was fetching a few leftover pieces of French toast for the Slayer, she heard a crunch. Dawn turned to find Amanda wolfing down an apple from the basket of fruit on the counter. "Or you can get something for yourself."
Five pieces of French toast, two apples, a banana, two glasses of milk, one glass of orange juice, and a bowl of cereal later, Amanda finally stopped eating.
"You sure you don't want something else?" Dawn asked. "I think there are a few crumbs left in the pantry somewhere."
"Sorry," Amanda said sheepishly. "Tara's healing spell does it to me. I turn into one of those birds on the nature channel that eats twice its weight in food every day. With orange hair."
"I take it you and Buff ran into trouble?"
Amanda groaned. "Trouble of the ass-kicking brunette variety. I'll get her back." The young Slayer stood, wincing multiple times as she did so. "Once I can move. Ow. Does this ever happen to Buffy?"
"Oh, yeah. She gets good and thrashed once in a while."
The young Slayer stretched, yawned hugely, and heaved a great sigh as she rolled her shoulders, working out a few kinks. "I just hope I'm gonna be of some use. I mean, I barely laid a hand on Adrienne last night."
"You'll figure out how to fight her," Dawn reassured her. "Or Buffy will. She's good at that."
"She'd have to be, to live as long as she has." Amanda hugged herself. "It's kinda weird-in my world, she lasted about three years, then died practically the second she landed on the Hellmouth. When did-I mean, what's her story here?"
"C'mon into the living room. It's a long story, so we might as well be comfortable."
Once they were comfortably ensconced in the living room, Dawn gave Amanda a short rundown on Buffy's career as the Slayer. By the time she was done, Amanda's blue eyes were wide with wonder.
"That's . . . pretty amazing," the young Slayer said hesitantly. "She's been dead twice? Two Slayers?"
"Three, including you now. If Faith was out of prison, things'd be pretty wild." Dawn grinned, then sobered. "It's been rough on her, being back, but . . . she's getting better. Tara helped her a lot-our Tara."
Amanda smiled. "Tara's pretty great."
"Yeah," agreed Dawn. "It's been nice, having her back."
Amanda's smile faded, replaced by a vaguely troubled look. "She's not really back, you know. She's our Tara, not yours."
"I know," said Dawn. "I just like having her here, and . . . I wish she could stay."
"She can't," Amanda stated flatly. "She wouldn't, anyway. She wouldn't leave us. You've got no right to ask her."
"I didn't say I would," Dawn snapped defensively. "I just said it would be nice if she did stay."
"No, it wouldn't," Amanda snapped right back. She stood and stormed up the stairs. Dawn watched her go, puzzled and a little angry herself.
"What-ever," the teen muttered, turning the cartoons back on.
***
In the Master's chamber, all was not well. Rocque and Adrienne stood before him, beaten and, in Adrienne's case, bloody. Dark blood from the gruesome wound to her neck stained the front of her white linen shirt. The gathered vampires waited, hushed, for the pronouncement of their fates. Adrienne's eyes were downcast.
"I am most displeased," said the Master.
"Our lives are forfeit for our failure," said Rocque.
The Master stood. "Were our numbers greater, yes, you would both die. But the lives of my children are precious in this world. Therefore, you shall be given another chance." Adrienne looked up, startled. The Master addressed her. "You wounded the young Slayer?"
Adrienne nodded. Her throat wound had rendered her incapable of speech.
"That, at least, is good. We must move quickly, then, while she recovers." The Master was silent for a long moment, lost in thought. At length, he said, "Tonight, I will feast and sire more children. The Slayer of this world will come and try to stop me. We must be ready for her. Tonight, there can be no failure." He walked forward until he was looking directly into Adrienne's face. "If the red-haired Slayer is present, you will kill her. If she is not, you will bring me the Slayer of this world. Do you understand?"
Adrienne inclined her head with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Tonight," growled the Master, "we become great again."
***
"Giles?" Tara called.
"Yes?" answered both Rupert and Giles.
Tara chuckled. "My Giles. Rupert. I need to talk to you for a minute."
They were just finishing up at the college campus. Tara, Willow, and Jonathan had done their best to solidify the barrier around the portal and were gathering spell ingredients to return to the Magic Box.
Rupert followed Tara until they were far enough from the others that they could talk privately. She seemed nervous and pensive to his eyes.
"I just wanted to tell you," she said, and hesitated. "I wanted to give you some warning so it won't come as a total surprise. Giles, I-I'm not going back with you. When this is all finished, I'm staying here."
Rupert was taken aback. "Tara--"
She held up a hand. "Don't try to talk me out of it. I've put in my time. Only Oz, Larry, and Jonathan have been with you longer, and if we kill the Master, you'll have the advantage anyway. I've fought long enough, hard enough, and I want a life now. I want this life."
"But it's not your life," said Rupert gently, but firmly. "You're not the Tara who lived in this dimension."
Tara waved her hand as if to brush away his objection. "We're basically the same person. It's just that she got taken away from the people who loved her by a random bullet. I can give them back what they lost. They need me."
"And what of the people who love and need you at home?" Rupert pressed. "What about Amanda? She depends on you."
"Pauline or Celeste can perform the healing spell."
"That's not what I mean. You mean more to her than that. You mean more to all of us than just spells."
Tara folded her arms and looked away. "Then I guess you've got two options: you can lose me now, like this, and know that I'm happy somewhere, or I can go back with you and you can watch me get killed. Because that's what will happen if I go back, and you know it. It's what happens to everyone there."
Rupert looked at her and sighed softly. He had known her for years, watched her go from a quiet, gentle, stuttering, brave girl to the warrior she was now. He'd watched the hardness set in, the stutter disappear, and the gentleness get buried under the burden of loss and necessity. He knew the wounds she bore as surely as he knew his own. And he truly wanted her happiness.
"Tara," he said at length, "you are a witch. You of all people know the importance of balance." Her eyes flicked up to his at that. "It may be that in order to close this portal completely, we will have to restore the balance between worlds. If that is the case and you stay here, chaos will set in and corrupt this world and ours."
"So we'll find out," Tara said. "But if I don't have to go back, I won't. You can't make me."
"I shan't." The gentle words astonished Tara, and she stared at Rupert in shock. After a moment, he continued. "I know how hard it has been for you. For all of us. If you can live the life you've found here, you've my blessing to do so. All I ask is that, until we find out if it's necessary for you to go back with us, you not speak of this to anyone. There's no sense raising their hopes only to crush them."
Tara nodded, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. "You're right. I won't. Thank you, Giles."
Rupert nodded, and they returned to the others.
Determinedly, she kicked away her covers and poked her head out of her room. Someone was blowing her hair dry in the bathroom, and Dawn thought she heard a person or so moving about downstairs. Buffy's door was closed. Dawn went to it.
"Buffy?" she called, knocking gently. There was no answer. Dawn cracked the door open. She was always concerned when Buffy went out for a patrol without her, and making sure her older sister was all right would soothe her nerves.
The person in the bed wasn't Buffy. Dawn caught a glimpse of red hair and remembered that Willow had said she might be staying in Buffy's room. The figure in the bed, though, seemed a bit too tall for Willow. Curious, Dawn entered the room.
Amanda was lying in Buffy's bed, deeply asleep and looking like someone had beaten her half to death. Her face was one big bruise. Absently, Dawn identified the scent of lavender and beeswax even as she noted the glittery dust coating Amanda's face and shoulders. Someone had done magic here.
"Huh," said the teen. Very strange, in her opinion. She decided to go downstairs and ask whoever was available about it.
As she descended the stairs, she heard voices. Buffy and Tara's voices, to be precise, talking and laughing. The sound eased Dawn's inner tension. Maybe things would be all right after all.
"Morning," Dawn said as she entered the kitchen, where Buffy and Tara were making French toast.
"Morning, kiddo," said Buffy from the stove.
"Morning, Dawnie," said Tara. She set down the milk jug and walked over to give Dawn a hug.
"You okay?" Dawn asked softly, hugging Tara tight.
Tara drew back enough to look Dawn in the face. "I'm all right. Willow and I had a really good talk last night, and everything's okay. We're okay."
She looked so much like the Tara Dawn had known, wearing a floral print peasant blouse and her hair down, that Dawn blurted, "Good. I hate it when people I love aren't getting along."
Tara smiled and drew Dawn into another hug. "You are so sweet, you know that?"
Neither of them saw the worried look that crossed Buffy's face.
Dawn sat down to breakfast, and they were soon joined by Willow.
"When are we heading over to the college?" asked the redhead.
"After breakfast," said Buffy. "I called Giles earlier, and he said time is 'of the essence'."
"Can someone fill me in?" Dawn asked.
"We're gonna go over to the university and cast a spell to find out how many people have come through the portal," Tara explained. "We need to leave soon if we're going to meet the others."
"I'll eat quick," said Willow.
"Am I going to get a chance to shower?" asked Dawn.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd stay here with Amanda," said Tara. "When she wakes up, she'll be disoriented and hungry, and I'd be happier if someone was here."
"You okay with that, Dawn?" Buffy asked.
Dawn crinkled her nose and sighed. "I guess."
As soon as Willow finished breakfast, she, Buffy, and Tara headed out. They went to the Magic Box first, and from there piled into cars to go to the university. As it was a weekend, the student population was sparse. The science building and hedges served as extra cover from inquisitive eyes.
Tara took some stones from a bag Giles had brought along and set a circle around the portal. "Willow, Jonathan, will you help me?" she asked.
Both of them acquiesced, and the three formed a triangle around the stone circle. They all sat cross-legged, hands resting, palms-upward, on their knees. The first thing to do was to set a barrier around the portal. As Tara chanted, the portal rippled and flashed restlessly as if it was looking for something to take in. Willow felt the barrier, bolstered it with her own strength. Doing magic with Tara felt wonderfully, terribly familiar, and Willow had to forcibly suppress her emotions. She could give in to them later, when the need for concentration wasn't so great.
Giles came around, pouring powder into each of their hands. Willow concentrated, and when Tara said, "Reveal!" opened her palm and blew across it, scattering the powder into the portal.
The portal grew even stormier, writhing against the barrier. Willow's concentration joined with that of Tara and Jonathan, holding it firm, forcing it to obey their will. It coalesced suddenly, visibly, and began to pulse. Nine times it surged, and then grew calm again.
The two witches and the warlock released the spells but kept the stone circle in place. Willow and Tara, after some discussion, had decided it was best to leave some sort of protection around the portal to diminish the chances of others falling through as much as possible. No one knew how successful it would be, but the attempt seemed worthwhile, at the very least.
"Nine crossings," murmured Rupert as Tara, Willow, and Jonathan stood up.
"Does that mean nine people have come through?" Xander asked.
"No," said Willow. "What it means is that the portal has been opened to let someone through nine times. That's going both ways-to and from the other world. What we need to do now is figure out what that means, as in, how many people or vampires have actually come through to our world."
"Well, we know you guys all came through on a one-way ticket," said Buffy. "That makes four crossings right there."
"And the Master as well, if he is indeed in this Sunnydale," said Rupert. "That accounts for five."
"So we're looking for four more crossings," deduced Tara.
"As the portal was created in our world, it's safe to assume two of those crossings were one vampire, possibly Adrienne, making trips there and back," said Giles.
"Which means two more people came through or went through that we don't know about," said Xander.
"Could be a problem," Buffy decided.
Jonathan raised his hand hesitantly. "Didn't someone say that Adrienne had a boyfriend?"
"Yeah," said Buffy. "The one Amanda killed and got the crap beaten out of her for."
"Well, what if they went together?" Jonathan asked. "I mean, you said they'd spent a long time together, so if she went to a different dimension, wouldn't she want him with her, just in case she couldn't get back? And that'd take care of the other two crossings, too."
"I think he's right," said Willow. "That would sure answer some questions."
Buffy played with a strand of hair. "I dunno. The Master's an entourage kinda guy."
"Well, if he had Adrienne and Paulo-and he probably knew them in that dimension, too-they'd kinda be his entourage right there," said Willow. "Jonathan's got a point about Paulo, too. I mean, didn't Angel say they were pretty much inseparable? The way Spike and Dru used to be?"
"It makes sense," mused Rupert. "Were I a vampire, I wouldn't want to go into a nest of unknown vampires alone."
"It's a good working theory," said Giles. "We'll consider all vampires accounted for, then."
"And for our next trick: figuring out how to crash the Master's party," Buffy said cheerfully.
"Actually, our next trick is strengthening the barrier around the portal," said Willow. "Hopefully, that'll keep anyone else from crossing through- from either side."
***
At the Summers house, Dawn was deep into her seventh cartoon and a large bowl of Lucky Charms sans milk when she heard a thump upstairs. Recalling what Tara had said, she started up the stairs. "Amanda?" she called.
The young Slayer appeared at the top of the stairs so suddenly it startled Dawn. Amanda was sheet-white, the only color in her face provided by fading bruises. Dawn realized absently that the other teen was wearing a set of her nightclothes.
Amanda leaned on the wall, closing her eyes. Dawn was afraid she'd collapse. Hiking quickly up the remaining stairs, Dawn took the other girl's arm and looked into her face.
"How you feeling?" she asked.
"I . . . uh . . ." Amanda said eloquently. "Hungry."
"Come on downstairs. I'll get you some breakfast." Dawn helped Amanda down to the kitchen and sat her at the bar. While Dawn was fetching a few leftover pieces of French toast for the Slayer, she heard a crunch. Dawn turned to find Amanda wolfing down an apple from the basket of fruit on the counter. "Or you can get something for yourself."
Five pieces of French toast, two apples, a banana, two glasses of milk, one glass of orange juice, and a bowl of cereal later, Amanda finally stopped eating.
"You sure you don't want something else?" Dawn asked. "I think there are a few crumbs left in the pantry somewhere."
"Sorry," Amanda said sheepishly. "Tara's healing spell does it to me. I turn into one of those birds on the nature channel that eats twice its weight in food every day. With orange hair."
"I take it you and Buff ran into trouble?"
Amanda groaned. "Trouble of the ass-kicking brunette variety. I'll get her back." The young Slayer stood, wincing multiple times as she did so. "Once I can move. Ow. Does this ever happen to Buffy?"
"Oh, yeah. She gets good and thrashed once in a while."
The young Slayer stretched, yawned hugely, and heaved a great sigh as she rolled her shoulders, working out a few kinks. "I just hope I'm gonna be of some use. I mean, I barely laid a hand on Adrienne last night."
"You'll figure out how to fight her," Dawn reassured her. "Or Buffy will. She's good at that."
"She'd have to be, to live as long as she has." Amanda hugged herself. "It's kinda weird-in my world, she lasted about three years, then died practically the second she landed on the Hellmouth. When did-I mean, what's her story here?"
"C'mon into the living room. It's a long story, so we might as well be comfortable."
Once they were comfortably ensconced in the living room, Dawn gave Amanda a short rundown on Buffy's career as the Slayer. By the time she was done, Amanda's blue eyes were wide with wonder.
"That's . . . pretty amazing," the young Slayer said hesitantly. "She's been dead twice? Two Slayers?"
"Three, including you now. If Faith was out of prison, things'd be pretty wild." Dawn grinned, then sobered. "It's been rough on her, being back, but . . . she's getting better. Tara helped her a lot-our Tara."
Amanda smiled. "Tara's pretty great."
"Yeah," agreed Dawn. "It's been nice, having her back."
Amanda's smile faded, replaced by a vaguely troubled look. "She's not really back, you know. She's our Tara, not yours."
"I know," said Dawn. "I just like having her here, and . . . I wish she could stay."
"She can't," Amanda stated flatly. "She wouldn't, anyway. She wouldn't leave us. You've got no right to ask her."
"I didn't say I would," Dawn snapped defensively. "I just said it would be nice if she did stay."
"No, it wouldn't," Amanda snapped right back. She stood and stormed up the stairs. Dawn watched her go, puzzled and a little angry herself.
"What-ever," the teen muttered, turning the cartoons back on.
***
In the Master's chamber, all was not well. Rocque and Adrienne stood before him, beaten and, in Adrienne's case, bloody. Dark blood from the gruesome wound to her neck stained the front of her white linen shirt. The gathered vampires waited, hushed, for the pronouncement of their fates. Adrienne's eyes were downcast.
"I am most displeased," said the Master.
"Our lives are forfeit for our failure," said Rocque.
The Master stood. "Were our numbers greater, yes, you would both die. But the lives of my children are precious in this world. Therefore, you shall be given another chance." Adrienne looked up, startled. The Master addressed her. "You wounded the young Slayer?"
Adrienne nodded. Her throat wound had rendered her incapable of speech.
"That, at least, is good. We must move quickly, then, while she recovers." The Master was silent for a long moment, lost in thought. At length, he said, "Tonight, I will feast and sire more children. The Slayer of this world will come and try to stop me. We must be ready for her. Tonight, there can be no failure." He walked forward until he was looking directly into Adrienne's face. "If the red-haired Slayer is present, you will kill her. If she is not, you will bring me the Slayer of this world. Do you understand?"
Adrienne inclined her head with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Tonight," growled the Master, "we become great again."
***
"Giles?" Tara called.
"Yes?" answered both Rupert and Giles.
Tara chuckled. "My Giles. Rupert. I need to talk to you for a minute."
They were just finishing up at the college campus. Tara, Willow, and Jonathan had done their best to solidify the barrier around the portal and were gathering spell ingredients to return to the Magic Box.
Rupert followed Tara until they were far enough from the others that they could talk privately. She seemed nervous and pensive to his eyes.
"I just wanted to tell you," she said, and hesitated. "I wanted to give you some warning so it won't come as a total surprise. Giles, I-I'm not going back with you. When this is all finished, I'm staying here."
Rupert was taken aback. "Tara--"
She held up a hand. "Don't try to talk me out of it. I've put in my time. Only Oz, Larry, and Jonathan have been with you longer, and if we kill the Master, you'll have the advantage anyway. I've fought long enough, hard enough, and I want a life now. I want this life."
"But it's not your life," said Rupert gently, but firmly. "You're not the Tara who lived in this dimension."
Tara waved her hand as if to brush away his objection. "We're basically the same person. It's just that she got taken away from the people who loved her by a random bullet. I can give them back what they lost. They need me."
"And what of the people who love and need you at home?" Rupert pressed. "What about Amanda? She depends on you."
"Pauline or Celeste can perform the healing spell."
"That's not what I mean. You mean more to her than that. You mean more to all of us than just spells."
Tara folded her arms and looked away. "Then I guess you've got two options: you can lose me now, like this, and know that I'm happy somewhere, or I can go back with you and you can watch me get killed. Because that's what will happen if I go back, and you know it. It's what happens to everyone there."
Rupert looked at her and sighed softly. He had known her for years, watched her go from a quiet, gentle, stuttering, brave girl to the warrior she was now. He'd watched the hardness set in, the stutter disappear, and the gentleness get buried under the burden of loss and necessity. He knew the wounds she bore as surely as he knew his own. And he truly wanted her happiness.
"Tara," he said at length, "you are a witch. You of all people know the importance of balance." Her eyes flicked up to his at that. "It may be that in order to close this portal completely, we will have to restore the balance between worlds. If that is the case and you stay here, chaos will set in and corrupt this world and ours."
"So we'll find out," Tara said. "But if I don't have to go back, I won't. You can't make me."
"I shan't." The gentle words astonished Tara, and she stared at Rupert in shock. After a moment, he continued. "I know how hard it has been for you. For all of us. If you can live the life you've found here, you've my blessing to do so. All I ask is that, until we find out if it's necessary for you to go back with us, you not speak of this to anyone. There's no sense raising their hopes only to crush them."
Tara nodded, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. "You're right. I won't. Thank you, Giles."
Rupert nodded, and they returned to the others.