After dinner, which Prue did not wake up for, the Scoobies went back to their hotel, leaving the four Halliwells alone in their house. Phoebe was kind enough to lend Tara some of her clothes so that she didn't have to go around San Francisco in a toga. She found the loosest clothes she had, but still Tara felt strange. They'd have to go shopping soon. When they reached the hotel, Buffy suggested that Willow take a shower, because she wanted to talk to Tara alone. Willow thankfully took the hint, and Buffy and Tara went to Buffy's and Dawn's room. Dawn also took the hint and went to Willow and Xander's room.

"Finally, I was beginning to worry about...Tara?" Spike was waiting in Buffy's room but his eyes bugged out when he saw the blonde witch. "Bloody hell!"

"Spike! God, I'm sorry, we forgot you were waiting here. We took out the vamps, but um, it's a long story."

"I can see that, since Willow's bird is here, when she is supposed to be all dead and buried."

Buffy winced at Spike's bluntness. "Spike, I need to talk to Tara."

"Okay, I can see when a bloke's not wanted. I'll go find a bar to get a drink, I'm starving. Hey Tara...glad you're back. Always liked you." He turned on his heel and left.

Tara stared at the door for a minute before sitting gingerly on one of the beds. She was feeling more weird now, around everyone. She had barely spoken since she and Willow had come downstairs after their nap, having trouble being around people that weren't Willow. She stared at Buffy, still in shock that she was back.

"Tara…so how are you feeling?" Buffy asked tentatively.

"It's…it's weird. I mean you know, r-right?"

"Yeah, I do. I remember how weird it was. How different it was…how much I hated it here. And I was…gone a lot less time than you. Tara, it's okay to feel weird. It's okay to hate it. It's okay to be mad. But just know, I don't know why it happened, but Willow didn't mean to bring you back. When we found out about the spell, Piper wanted to bring Prue back, but I told her it wasn't fair to someone who'd been dead for three years. Willow agreed with me. I could see her wishing that she could bring you back, but knowing that it wouldn't be fair to you. Then they did the spell, and somehow you two came back anyway. I'm sure she's really torn right now. I mean, she's wanted this for almost two years.."

Tara just sat listening, until Buffy trailed off.

"I'm not mad." She said softly.

"Oh. Okay. Well good, I guess. What are you feeling?" she asked.

Tara thought for a long time.

"I think…I think I'm h-happy that it happened. It wasn't…the same for me. As what you said it was for you, I mean. It was soft, and happy, but there was …something missing. Something was wrong." She paused. Buffy could tell she wasn't finished so she waited.

"Do you…believe in s-soulmates, Buffy?" Tara finally asked, so softly that Buffy might not have heard it if she wasn't a slayer. The question surprised her.

"I don't know. You mean like one person you are supposed to be with?"

Tara nodded.

"I don't know." Buffy repeated. "Do you?"

"I didn't, really. Before. But…I think that was what I was missing. Willow. She was supposed to be there with me, and she wasn't. Even Heaven wasn't, well, heaven without her. Does that make any sense?" she asked the slayer.

Buffy thought hard before answering. "Have you told her this?" she finally said.

Tara shook her head. "Not exactly. I know that she had another g-girlfriend. She told me. I don't want to freak her out or anything. Maybe she doesn't feel the s-same." She hugged her knees and hung her head, letting her hair fall into her face.

"Yes, she had another girlfriend. But honestly Tara, it was weird. It wasn't like with you. And I'm not just saying that, okay? I mean, even when she was with Kennedy she was still always thinking about you. And Kennedy was about as opposite of you as could be. Willow broke up with her about a month ago. She just knew she wasn't the one for her. Kennedy had a complex about you, she was always afraid that Willow wanted you instead. I'm sure she still thinks that's why she broke up with her. And she really might not have been that far off. I mean Will was trying to come to terms with the fact that you were gone and that you'd want her to be happy, but it was really hard."

Tara thought about that.

"Buffy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Tara, you don't even have to ask that."

"W-what did she do when I d-died? I know it was bad, but I want to know."

Buffy was shocked. "Are you sure? I mean right now?"

"I'm sure."

"Please though, she's changed, okay, so keep that in mind. And think about what she was going through, not that it excuses it at all."

Tara nodded.

Buffy took a deep breath. "Well, the first thing she did was try to bring you back. To make a god bring you back or something, but she wouldn't. So then she freaked out and went to the Magic Box and drained all of the black magic books. I mean drained. The words were gone, Tara. Her eyes and her hair were totally black. It was really scary. Then she came to the hospital where I was and pulled the bullet out of my chest. Warren shot me too. Well it was me he was shooting at. I'm so sorry that he hit you too…." She trailed off.

"So it was Warren?" Tara asked quietly.

"Oh. Yes, I forgot you wouldn't know that either. Yes. So then she tracked down Warren. We tried to stop her, but she…killed him. She tried to kill Andrew and Jonathon too, but we managed to stop her. We fought. She would have won, but Giles came from England with massive good magic from some coven to try and save her, but for some reason she decided to end the world. I still don't know how he did it, but Xander got through to her. He told her some story about when they were kids. Somehow that broke through the black magic and she collapsed back to regular Willow. She spent the summer in England trying to learn how to control her magic, and last year was rough. She was convinced if she did a spell of any power the black magic would come through."

"She told me about the slayer spell." Tara added.

"Did she? It was incredible. You would have been so proud of her. She was terrified, but she really came through. It's nice not to be the only Chosen one anymore."

"Is anything else really different?" Tara asked.

Buffy thought. "Well, Faith is good now. Oh and so is Spike. No I mean it, he got his soul back, and no we aren't sleeping together anymore even with that." She said, seeing the look on Tara's face when she mentioned the blonde vampire who to be fair had seemed about the same as always just a few minutes ago. She decided not to go into Spike's brief ghostliness. "Oh, and…Anya died. In the fight against the First when Will did the spell. And Sunnydale was blown up. I mean completely. We live in LA for now, with Angel and the gang. And Giles is back in England trying to re-make the council only good." Buffy said, stopping when she realized she was freaking her friend out.

"Wow. I um…I think I need to sleep again." Tara said, overwhelmed with the changes in the past year in her friends' lives. She had actually felt like she had known that Anya was dead, though now she could not remember how or why she knew it.

"Okay. Willow and Xander's room is next door, do you want to sleep there?"

Tara nodded.

Willow opened the door to Tara and immediately hugged her.

Tara hugged her back, enjoying the feel of Willow's body against hers.

"Oh hey Tara, um we can go to Buffy's if you two want…" Xander offered.

"No, no, you're fine guys." Willow reassured him, pulling back from the embrace but keeping one hand on Tara's waist, as if to reassure herself that she was real. "Are you tired, do you want to take a shower, or we could watch TV, or do you want me to leave you alone?" Willow asked as Tara started to look overwhelmed at her suggestions.

"Um, maybe … a shower sounds nice." She said tentatively.

"Okay!" Willow said, just a little too enthusiastically.

"Well I'm gonna go back to my room anyway." Said Dawn somewhat shyly. "Hey Tara…." The blonde woman who had been close to a mother figure turned her head to look at her, and Dawn's eyes started misting. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you." She said simply.

Tara walked the few steps to the younger girl and gently hugged her. "I know, Dawnie." She said, the words sounding odd to her ears but the motion feeling right.

Dawn hugged her back before leaving the room without another word.

Xander sat pensively on his bed, watching Dawn leave. "We all missed you Tara. Oh not the same as Will, I know, but as hard as this is for you we're all glad to have you back." He stood up and strode out of the room, clearly trying to get out before he started crying.

Tara stood somewhat in shock in the middle of the floor.

"You never did realize how much a part of the gang you were. I know it was really hard on Dawn when…well you know when. You were – are – like a mom to her." Willow said quietly, trying not to cry herself.

"Oh goddess, and after her real mom and then Buffy had already died so soon before…that must have been so awful for her. Poor Dawnie!" Tara realized, sitting down on the bed in shock.

Willow moved closer, sitting next to Tara and wrapping her slender arm around Tara's shoulders. "See, that's exactly why everyone loves you so much. Even now you still think about others first." She lifted her hand to gently caress Tara's hair. Tara turned her head and their eyes met. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment and then both leaned slightly forward until their lips met. It was a brief but electrifying kiss.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Willow started to protest, but Tara put her finger over the redhead's lips.

"Don't. I wanted that just as much as you. Maybe more." She hesitated. "I know that a lot of time has passed, and we've both ch-changed. And I think whatever we do we should go slowly. But Willow…I still love you. I can't see myself ever not loving you." She admitted.

Willow blushed slightly but held Tara's gaze. "I still love you too. I tried to move on, I really did. I knew you'd want me to, and that you'd want me to be happy…but I just couldn't." she started to cry despite her best efforts. Tara stroked her soft red hair as Willow laid her head on her shoulder. They sat like that, comforting each other, for some time. Finally Willow picked her head up, kissed Tara lightly on the lips, and stood, helping Tara to her feet as well.

"It's getting late. Why don't you take a shower, everything's in there, and I'll go tell Xander he can come back. If that's okay with you?"

Tara nodded. "As long as I get to sleep with you I'm happy."

"Of course you get to sleep with me!" Willow grinned. Sleeping with her Tara again. Finally.

"Oh, um, let me find you something to sleep in, tomorrow we can go get you some clothes okay?" Willow rummaged around in her suitcase and pulled out a pair of boxers and a tshirt. "Er…do you want to borrow underwear?" she blushed.

Tara blushed too but nodded slowly. "I didn't want to ask Ph-Phoebe for that."

Willow pulled a pair out, ensuring that they weren't too embarrassing before handing them to her girlfriend.

"Aw, ducks. Cute." Tara commented, taking all of the clothing from Willow. "I'll be out soon." She disappeared into the bathroom.

Willow watched her leave and waited until she heard the shower before going next door to find Xander.

Sorry that took so long! The ends of stories are always the hardest to write, and I'm pretty busy at work right now, so updates might take awhile.