Part 5

Today was the day Tara decided. She had spent hours with Toad and Mystique doing all sorts of tests. She couldn't control her powers of course but they were under control. She could stay solid or concentrate and get hazy. She couldn't disappear like that girl Marcie that Willow told her about but she could fade into a solid object.

Tara was sure she was being observed. Magneto was big on cameras everywhere that you couldn't see. But if she looked like she was just practicing going through things maybe they wouldn't suspect anything.

She had no idea where she was. She hoped she wasn't that far from Sunnydale or California. She could always call Willow if it turned out she was far away.

Tara placed her hand on the wall of her room and concentrated. She always got a dip in her stomach, part fear part excitement, when her hand or any part disappeared.

She watched as her hand faded into the wall.

Just yesterday Magneto had her walk through a very thick wall. That's when she knew it was time to leave.

It had taken her four or five steps instead of the normal one or two. At first she had been scared with the wall surrounding her but when she started to calm it wasn't so bad.

With one last look around Tara disappeared into the wall.

~~~~~

Remy and Logan watched as Buffy and Willow explained what they had discussed with Giles. Xander on the other hand just kept looking over at them with a big sloppy grin on his face. Wolverine was getting pissed. "What are you lookin' at kid?"

Willow looked over at them when she heard the growl in Wolverine's voice. She wanted to make sure he wasn't going to skewer Xander.

"No offense I just can't believe that you're really the X-men. So, what's Cyclops really like?"

Remy laughed and Wolverine growled.

"What? What'd I say?"

"Nothin' mon ami. Jes Wolverine's not Cyclops' biggest fan."

Giles walked over to Remy.

"Willow will be safe at Charles Xavier's house? He has security that Magneto can't breech? Willow can take care of herself with her magic and Buffy can help but I'm not sure Willow would be any safer there with you than here with us."

Remy looked at his Tante's good friend. "If I tink that Willow's not safe there anymore I take her to Tante and the Guild."

Giles knew that Remy was serious about protecting Willow if he would voluntarily take Willow to the Guild.

"Giles, it's not that Willow will be safer with The Professor than here it's that he has more sophisticated security against mutant attacks than you have here."

Giles nodded and turned back to Buffy and Willow who were anxiously looking on. "Only a month, Buffy. The Hellmouth needs you. Xander, Spike and I can patrol while you're gone but if this Magneto person hasn't been taken care of in a month you're to come back here understand? I know you want to help Willow but this is still your duty."

Buffy hugged Giles. "I know and I promise I'll be back in a month if not sooner."

Willow's cell phone rang and she dug in her purse to get it.

"Hello?"

"Willow?"

"Hey Tara."

"Oh thank god I got you. Are you okay? Has anyone attacked you yet?"

"W-why do you ask if I've been attacked?"

Everyone in the room got silent and Remy and Buffy came to stand on either side of Willow.

"Oh W-Willow I don't know if you'd believe me. H-have you heard of Magneto?"

"Yes. How do you know Magneto?"

That got Wolverine's attention and he came to stand closer.

Tara began to softly cry.

"Tara, where are you?"

Tara looked around the hotel she was in.

"Westchester. I've been here for a week."

"A week?! B-but I saw you a few days ago at the dorm."

"Oh god that wasn't me. It must have been someone called Mystique."

"Mystique!"

Wolverine didn't wait to ask he grabbed the phone from Willow.

"Mystique!"

"N-No I'm Tara. W-who are you?"

Willow tried to grab the phone back but Wolverine growled. Willow had been around Spike and Angel a growling hairy X-man was not going to dissuade her.

Willow muttered a spell and the phone flew out of Wolverine's hand and into hers. She smiled smugly and turned her back on him.

"Sorry about that Tara. Are you okay?"

"N-no. Oh god, Willow they made me a mutant."

Willow turned pale and Buffy put a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder.

"Hang on Tara."

Willow covered the mouthpiece.

"It seems your Professor was right. Magneto has been experimenting again. He had Tara. She's in Westchester."

Wolverine halted his own cell phone conversation.

"Ask her where she is and to stay put. We'll have Ororo pick her up and take her to the Professor. Have her give a code word that only you two would know so that she'll know it's not Mystique."

Willow relayed the information to Tara.

"She's at the La Prada Inn and the word is Fantastico."

Willow continued her conversation with Tara. "I'm coming to Westchester soon. We'll figure this out, promise. Maybe the Professor will have some way of reversing what Magneto did if you want him to."

Willow felt Remy place his hand in hers and squeeze. She gave him a small smile.

"Tara, did they say why they used you?"

Willow was dreading the answer but she had to know why she was targeted and she prayed to whoever was listening that Tara wasn't taken because they couldn't get her.

"The Gentlemen."

"What?"

"Magneto said that because we were two 'ordinary girls' but we still thwarted the Gentlemen. He thinks because we have magick we're closer to mutants than others."

Willow closed her eyes.  God the one thing that set her apart that made her special and not just plain nerdy Willow was the cause of a madman wanting to experiment on her.

"W-Willow are you still there?"

"Sorry Tara. I'm still here. I'll stay on the phone with you until the Professor's people get there."

"Thanks, Willow."

Just then a strong wind blew outside.

"Wow, it got really windy all of a sudden."

Before Willow could comment there was a knock on the door, "Fantastico."

Tara smiled, "I think Ororo is here."

"Tara, look first and then describe her to me so I can see if it's her."

Tara looked through the peephole, "She has beautiful white hair and caramel color skin. Her eyes were a weird white but now they're normal."

"Tara, Charles Xavier sent me."

"Just a minute."

Willow looked at Remy. "Describe Ororo to me."

Remy smiled and described his friend, Stormy.

"Tara, it's okay. I'll see you soon in Westchester."