"Tara, is that really you?" she managed to say, her voice full of doubt.
"Yes Buffy its me," the witch replied softly.
Buffy ran forward and hugged her friend. She couldn't believe what had just happened.
"Oh god Tara, I'm so glad you're back. I've missed you, everyone has. Everything's just been so messed up, there's so much to tell you. You have no idea how glad I am to see you. I just really need to talk to you … and god, could I be more self absorbed, you just came back from the dead and I'm…" Buffy rambled, trailing off when Tara interrupted.
"Sweetie, you're not being self absorbed, honestly, you tell me everything and anything, right down to the tiniest detail, I'm here for you any time you need me. There's just one thing I want you to do, that is if you don't mind?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"I don't want the gang to know that I'm back yet. I want to wait until the time is right, you know, give myself time to readjust, is that ok?"
"Of course it is silly," Buffy replied.
But, as usual, the right time had not come yet. Everyone was still trying to settle in as the rest of the gang had only recently joined Buffy, Dawn and Andrew in Rome. Willow was still with that bitch Kennedy. They had been getting along fine for a while but Kennedy was just getting too wrapped up about being a slayer and was often out. Buffy had told Willow that she should speak to Kennedy because she doesn't have the right to blow her off all the time. But Willow said that everything was fine and that things would work out. She wanted to tell her about Tara so that she could just dump Kennedy, but Tara didn't want them to intervene as she wasn't even sure if Willow would want to get back with her.
