(Warning there is a couple short paragraphs of sexual content in this chapter.)
The mayor watched with pleased amusement as Angelus put several vampires through a rigorous training schedule after being induced with steroids to increase their already powerful strength and stamina. Of course Mr. Wilkins was careful as to how he handled Angelus. He knew the vampire liked to be the leader and didn't take orders well. So he sat back and co-ran the show with the legendary vampire who pleased him thus far. "We can use their hearts against them." Angelus said angrily. He prided himself in beating his opponents but Faith proved herself very resourceful.
"Yes indeed, the two witches will always love each other, these two foolish slayers will get happy then we'll bring the witches back together in grandiose style. Then the slayer defenses will come down." The mayor added clapping but he did so hope Angelus didn't have to kill Faith, she after all was his Achilles' heel.
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The gang sat around examining the scythe not seeming to have a clue what it was. When Faith displayed it for them however, they could see it glisten with energy and the power seemed to churn round about the room.
"Wait," Anya said trying to remember a story she'd heard several hundred years ago. "It seems a legendary story went around about there being many slayers but to thee chosen one which came few and far between was delegated the scythe." She pointed to the weapon in Faith's hands for further emphasis. "It was said that the slayer who possessed this instrument had with her magical connections. Not like the thespians here but-"
"Lesbians," both Xander and Dawn corrected.
"Whatever," she cleared her throat. "Not like the lesbians here but a mystical ability to grow stronger, beat back evils such as the first, Goddesses and so on." She finished speaking with a triumphant look on her face knowing she did have one up on the watcher.
Tara looked at the ancient blade with great interest, it looked so at home sitting there in Faith's hands. She pushed back a thought hoping to be incorrect and actually assuring herself she was. She too had heard of an ancient weapon like this but there was something more to it though she couldn't remember because at that time she thought it was her grandmother telling old stories that were often stretched as time went on.
"Well B, I guess this belongs to you." Faith said handing over the scythe as Willow tried to scan her eyes to gauge what she was feeling over being placed number two again.
Buffy took it in her hands and looked it over, nothing grand happened at her touch, no energy like Faith described ran through her nor permeated from the scythe. She chalked it up to Faith stretching things again and tucked it into her weapons bag sitting at her feet. "I'm sure this will come in handy against the mayor and-" long gazes met hers.
"Pardon me for being the one to say this but I felt nothing, maybe you aren't the chosen one," Anya blurted out.
"An please I'm sure there is an explanation." Xander replied though he too wondered.
"Yeah maybe I tainted it when I found it." Faith said rising from the table and walking out.
Willow and Tara exchanged glances, something that came naturally for them as it was routine for the women to do this when they silently worried. Only this time it was worry for two others, the new people in their lives which also led them to know they needed to talk.
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Later that night Tara came up on Faith who was watching Buffy fight with a vampire. "Hey blondie," she said slightly lifting her gaze to acknowledge Tara. "B's gonna get after you for being out here."
"I just got worried about her. She seems, well never mind." Tara said noticing the vampire was doing well against her but Buffy finally got him.
"Yeah, look I'm gonna be straight here. You and Red need to figure things out just so she knows what's what." Buffy looked at Faith who seemed to her as being pushy.
"It's not all Tara Faith. Willow put her in this predicament." Buffy snapped back.
"Right and she's doing her best to get out of it yet you guys aren't giving her a break." Faith said and being the slayer of few words walked off.
"She's right Buffy. This isn't fair to Willow and honestly I don't even know what any of this is." Tara said sadly. She loved Willow dearly but was well aware something was pulling her towards Buffy and Buffy was figuring out Tara knew it.
Buffy looked up into Tara's enveloping blue eyes. "I'm going to be honest here Tara. I get brought out of heaven by my best friend, I'm all empty inside. I try to seek comfort with a vampire but you helped me, I try to seek comfort in slaying but it wasn't there either. You are the one who found my comfort zone, showed me how to live again and I can't shake that no matter how hard I try. I would like nothing more than to put my arms around you and kiss you and make you promise to never leave me. I won't do that though because what hurts me most is I've fallen for the love of my best friend's life and I know she loves you. I see it in her eyes when she looks at you and me. It hurts me to know I've gotten these feelings for you and it hurts me also that I can't do anything about them because I'd devastate my best friend who turned to someone like Faith. That one I can't figure out for the life of me but maybe it's because she sensed what I felt for you and ran."
Tara looked at the slayer who didn't really look so slayery right now. Just a vulnerable young woman who like everyone else needed to be loved. "Buffy I love Willow with everything I have but she betrayed it in the worst way. When I broke up with her I figured it'd be for a short time so we could both get on track. My time spent with you though has been really good and now I'm not so certain I want to take the risk of being hurt so badly again. I mean I wish I could but I don't know if I'm ready. I also know I feel drawn to you and have for some time now. But I couldn't hurt Willow like that either even though I know she's already slept with Faith."
"Yet another reason we all love you Tara." Buffy said trying to reassure the girl that it was all ok. "You have morals that are like up there and you think of others first always. If it's meant for us to be together I'll wait and if not you and Willow will have my blessing." She tightens her hug kissing her on the cheek. "That's all we get for now Tara."
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Willow lay on her bed remembering things in her head. They played like a mantra so vivid and strong. Her meeting with Tara, their first kiss, touch, intimate moment. The love they shared was so real and powerful. Willow could still feel that love and knew that if something would just give she could have things right with Tara again. She also could feel Tara being pulled away and knew a quick spell would tell her who was taking Tara from her grasp.
Then on the other side of her head she saw or felt something strong and powerful pushing its way in like a bulldozer cleaning up a large terrain. It moved and glided with ease till it engulfed Willow pulling her up farther and farther until the darkness couldn't reach her anymore. It wasn't Tara she knew, it was the dark slayer who was slowly pulling her away from the blond wiccan.
Willow realized she had two choices which were to let Tara go and rely on a former psycho-slayer who wasn't fully reformed to stay by her side or fight for the woman she knew was safe and loving.
The magic began to swirl and move in the pit of her stomach, her hands began to tremble as her head filled with Tara's voice. She began to sweat and shake as she tried to fight it but it was becoming painfully obvious she was losing ground fast.
She desperately tried to speak but couldn't. She pushed and struggled her mind and body to get out the word of her love hoping Tara would hear and come to help her. Only when the word finally came from her lips it wasn't Tara but Faith.
The slayer had just gotten in and was climbing the stairs to check on everyone when she heard what sounded like Willow in pain saying her name. She rushed into the room to see the disheveled wiccan on the bed looking as if she were in a struggle for life and death literally. She supposed that could easily be an exact assumption seeing how the dark magic could grip the girl who'd somehow found her way into the closed up heart of the slayer.
"Red." Faith said softly scooping Willow into her arms immediately holding her tightly. "It's ok, I'm here Red." She began to place soft kisses on her lips as she wiped the sweat and tears from her face. "You're gonna be ok Red, come on baby it's ok I'm here."
She began to gently rub her shoulders and back and felt Willow slowly relax in her arms. "Red redemption is a long path, just be glad you don't have as far to climb as me. I'll get you through this I promise." Willow began to feverishly return the kisses and wrap herself around the slayer holding to her in a death grip. For fear that if she let go the magic would suck her in to deep and she'd never get out.
"Faith please don't leave me," she said in such a small voice the slayer barely could hear. "Goddess I need you so much."
Willow's moans grew as Faith began a downward trail of kisses paying special attention to the breasts. Willow closed her eyes feeling the heat in her body rise as she began rubbing her aching center against Faith's leg until it became a desperate needy ride which was turning the slayer on big time.
Faith began to suckle the nipple more aggressively as Willow dug her hands into her shoulders pleading for Faith to touch her more.
She felt a shift in the energy and knew the slayer side was winning out as Faith began to ravish her body with kisses and firm leg thrusts against her center which Willow was certain would soon explode.
As Faith made her way down to Willow's aching wet center with her hand and mouth slipping three fingers in and pumping them in and out with a fury that sent Willow over the edge over and over again Buffy and Tara entered the yard.
Luckily the slayer hearing let her know what was going on inside. Not wanting to cause Tara any hurt she spun her the other way. Plus the fact she'd come to the realization Faith was probably the only one who could help Willow now as she too had to dig her way out of the depths of darkness. "Tara, I think you need to relax and I know just the place. Plus you need to realize something and it may take some thinking on your part." Buffy began as she could clearly hear Willow telling Faith harder, faster, deeper and how good that feels. "Tara Willow isn't strong enough to do this but the damage has been done and I think we both know Faith can save her from herself. You have to let her go Tara, she can't do it. You have to be the stronger person because her love for you is going to kill her if you don't."
A tear escaped Tara's eyes, she knew Buffy was right. Willow had slipped away from her; pulled by the dark magic and Tara was somehow unable to reach her but rather caused the magic to sprout. She knew it was no fault of hers, the magics feed off of things that the person feels are unattainable until it pushes them over the edge which is exactly how Willow was seeing Tara. She followed Buffy away from the Summers house gaining resolve that tomorrow she would do the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life next to letting her mother go. It was of small comfort though to know that Buffy would be there to see her through it and she had no doubts about it.