Chapter 5:

Sunnydale, California: 2001-

"Willow? Honey, what's wrong?

Willow looked up from the spellbook as Tara entered the living room. Taking a seat beside the red-head, she reached over and closed the book. "You haven't slept in days. Come to bed."

"I can't, Tara. Not when Xander and even Spike are trapped in the past somewhere."

Tara wrapped an arm around her girlfriend, holding her close. "It's not your fault; the demon was the one that pushed them into the portal." Willow said nothing. Tara sighed. Time for Plan B, she thought. "You want some hot chocolate?"

Willow nodded vigorously into the other woman's shoulder.

The blonde Wiccan rose and walked into the kitchen. As she prepared the hot chocolate, she wondered why Willow would blame herself for the spell going wrong. Tara let her mind drift back to that night, trying to recall every detail...

She could feel the vast amounts of energy flowing through her and Willow's linked fingers. These moments with her lover were what she lived for.

As if from a distance, she heard the vampire's roar of pain. Tightening her grip on Willow's hand, she mentally scanned the situation, trying to time the command that would hold the Mortui in time just right. Through their bond, she could feel her lover doing the same.

There. Two of the demons were down and in the binding circle.

"Detinere," she whispered, capturing the demons in the circle. Buffy held the final one, shepherding it toward its companions as Anya made rude comments about their mothers.

Then things abruptly changed. A flash of pain burst through her mind and she felt Willow preparing for the final command. Stopping her chanting, she tried to stop the fiery-haired witch from completing the spell.

She was too late.

"Detinere!" Willow shouted, eyes turning black as blinding white light flashed through the cemetery. When it cleared, all three Mortui, Spike, and Xander were gone...

"Tara?"

A gentle touch on her shoulder brought Tara out of her reverie. She turned to find Willow standing behind her looking slightly concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I'm fine."

Willow frowned. "Are you sure? 'Cause, that's not hot chocolate mix," she said, pointing to the mug that the blonde was about to put in the microwave. "It's Jell-O mix."

"It is?" Tara blinked and looked down into the green powder-filled mug. "Oh."

She washed out the mug and took out the correct mix. "You knew Spike and Xander were in the circle when you finished the spell," she said, carefully not meeting Willow's eyes.

There was silence as Tara filled the mug with water and put it in the microwave. Willow sighed and toyed with the chocolate mix. "Yeah, I did," she said quietly. "Some part of me did, at least. The rest of me was too caught up in the spell to stop myself from completing it." She hung her head sadly, tears forming in her soft green eyes. "It's my fault that my best friend is trapped in the past."

Tara felt her heart twist at the sight of her lover so upset. Gathering her close, the blonde Wiccan held Willow as she cried.

The steaming mug of hot chocolate lay forgotten on the counter.

tbc...

Author's Note: To everyone who reviewed, thank you so much! You guys are great! Once again, I'm sorry about the delay. My muse decided to abandon me for this chapter and pushed me into a Pirates of the Caribbean spoof. ::shakes head sadly:: Go see the movie though, it's great. Thanks once again for reviewing!