REVIEWS

Just Me - Now I'm gonna have to yell at you! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! LOL Yes Willow makes a move. Of course she has to, the way I set the story up, huh? I try to get the updates in fast. I work ahead but I go back and tweak the story make changes etc...

Irismoon - Glad you're enjoying the story. There are way too few Tara/Buffy stories out there. I think I've read them all. Beyond Expectation by Agent Alpo (Talula), Safe In Her Arms by Rainbow Writers (those two are my favorites - even though BE makes me sad.) I've read other ones at the Mystic Muse also, just can't remember the titles off the top of my head!

Kim - Thanks for the good word. I'm hoping I'm getting better - but if you like it now that's a plus!

Sink or Swim - Definitely liked Anya's character. Very blunt told it like it is. Personally, I'm kind of like her character. I'd prefer someone to just tell me like it is and not beat around the bush. I'm one of those personalities - either you love me or you hate me! LOL

Anyone -- If you know how to get a break to show on the upload I would appreciate it! I usually put stars in but they disappear when I upload - I've started using the letter A to separate when I catch it before I make the chapter live, but it irritates me! Any help would be appreciated.

Chapter 7

Willow's pissed. Nobody trusts her, everybody's against her. Slamming into her parents house she quickly heads upstairs to her room. Looking at the boxes that she had magically transported over she mumbles 'Dispersio' and waves her hand. Everything finds its home in her room and the boxes disappear.

Throwing her body down on top of her bed she gets angrier and angrier. 'I know Buffy is fucking Tara. She's always talking to her, being friendly with her. I've caught Tara watching her all worried when we brought her back from the dead acting like I did wrong! I'll figure out what kind of spell she did and I'll fix them both!'

Hearing her front doorbell, Willow teleports down to see Amy outside the door still slightly twitchy from being a rat all those years. Opening the door Willow sneers "What do you want?"

Swallowing hard, Amy steels herself to do what she came here to do and go home to her father, finally. "Willow can we talk?"

Rolling her eyes Willow throws the door open and heads into the living room plopping herself on the couch.

"W-Willow I don't want to upset you. First off, I really, really want to thank you for turning me back into a human." Amy stutters slightly, scared of the woman that is so different from the girl she once knew.

"Welcome. Now can you get on with it? I've got things to do." Willow sighs dramatically.

"Okay. I'll make it quick." Looking up into Willow's eyes Amy quickly states "I think you really should look into getting some help. You're starting to act like my mother before she went crazy. I like you Willow and I don't want to see you on the wrong side. And I'm leaving Sunnydale. I'm going to hook-up with my dad." Quickly standing Amy looks down at Willow who's just sitting their looking at her like she's a bug that crawled out from under a rock. "Thanks again Willow. Please think about what I said." Quickly scurrying from Willow's house, Amy leaves.

"Well, wasn't that interesting? Little Miss Rat thinks I need help." Standing up stretching slightly Willow grins evilly. "Screw her. I'm in control and I don't need anyone! I'll get what I want. I just have to figure out how." Laughing slightly hysterically Willow locks the door with a wave of her hand and literally pops herself upstairs into her room and into bed.

AAAA

Smiling and saying goodbye to Toni, a girl in her Art History class, Tara starts to head home. Her last class of the day had been cancelled and she was feeling happy and a little more relaxed. She has been moved back into the Summers' residence for three weeks and has only caught glimpses of Willow occasionally on the college campus. It seems the redhead has been laying low lately, not talking with anyone.

Frowning slightly Tara shakes her head, thinking that not even Xander had been able to get Willow to talk. He had headed over to her house four different times, trying to talk some sense in her. He couldn't believe that she was the same person. All she did was sneer at him and told him to go be friends with her ex-lover and Buffy, since they were 'living' together, and slammed the door in his face. That was the first time he went to her house, the other three she didn't even bother opening the door. Xander was positive the hacker had been home.

Thinking as she was walking, Tara didn't realize that Willow had showed up beside her until she felt a firm grip on her arm, yanking her to a stop. Quickly jerking her head up Tara pulls back away from the redhead. "W-w-w-willow. What d-do you w-w-want?" Tara stutters horribly, scared at the look in the redheads eyes.

"I want you, but Buffy has made sure I don't get you back, hasn't she?" Willow answers hatefully.

Tara tries to refute the statement but Willow just waves her hand in a dismissive gesture "Yeah, like I'm going to believe you. As soon as I moved out she moved you right in, didn't she? I know you always liked her. Is she a great lay? Does she do it better or different than me? Enjoy it while you can. As soon as I figure out this little spell you did, I'm going to make every one of you guys forget everything that happened and you and I will move into our own place, happy and fucking like rabbits! Or maybe I'll just have you doing me? How about that? No pleasure for you and you'll be happy as a clam." Eyes turning black Willow disappears in a heartbeat.

Shaking uncontrollably Tara heads quickly to a bench to sit down and collect herself. 'Goddess, I hope Giles has found something to help us. She's getting worse. I have to talk to Buffy.' Looking down at her watch she realizes the Slayer should be getting ready to have a break at the DMP in roughly fifteen minutes and if she hurries she should make it there in time.

Breathing heavily Tara takes a moment trying to catch her breathe before heading into the DMP. Walking in she sees Buffy behind the counter.

Looking up Buffy notices Tara and the haunted, scared look on her face and looks at the clock. Close enough to break time. Quickly turning to the girl next to her she states "I'm taking my lunch break." The girl nods her head.

Grabbing a couple drinks, Buffy heads over to meet Tara. "Why don't we sit outside?" Buffy quietly asks.

Nodding her head in agreement, Tara follows Buffy outside sitting down staring kind of lost out across the road. Jerking when she feels a warm hand gently touching hers she looks up quickly, realizing it's Buffy and smiles slightly before looking at the soda sitting in front of her.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Buffy asks worriedly.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep calming breath, she opens them to look in the slayer's eyes. "W-willow paid me a visit a few minutes ago at school. Buffy, I think she's getting worse." Tara whispers with a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Tell me." Buffy states calmly. As the blonde explains the brief but sickening story of what the redhead had said, Buffy feels herself getting angrier and angrier at the redhead. Seeing the worry on Tara's face Buffy makes herself calm down.

"I'll call Giles tonight when I get home to see if him or the coven has come up with something. If there's anything we can do, we have got to do it soon." Lightly running her hand down Tara's forearm Buffy stops, gently grasping the arm and shifting it to look closer. Seeing the redness of a hand print and knowing it's going to bruise. "Did she do this?"

Frowning Tara looks down, not even realizing that her arm was bruising from where Willow had grasped her. "She must have. I-I didn't even notice."

"God Tara. We need to protect you. You did the charms for protection against magic, but that isn't going to help you if she gets physical." Swallowing hard Buffy tries to think what she can do. "The rest of us should be okay. She's mad at me, but I can take care of myself. Dawn, Xander and Anya haven't done anything to her, so she shouldn't go after them. We need to get some kind of body guard for you. God I wish I didn't have to work!" Buffy runs her hand through her hair trying to figure out something.

"Buffy, I'll be okay. I'll try to make sure someone is around me, okay?" Tara states seeing how upset Buffy is getting.

Knowing that that isn't good enough Buffy agrees for the time being. "Okay. But on days that I don't work, or that I can, I'm walking you to and from school, understood?"

"Okay." Tara whispers, looking down. Hating to be a burden on Buffy. Taking a sip of her soda Tara looks back up. "Are you sure it wouldn't be easier…"

Growling slightly under her breath Buffy shakes her head no. "Tara, this conversation is NOT happening again. You are not leaving. You are staying here. End of story. Is that understood?"

Nodding her head looking down Tara quietly states "Understood."

Shaking her head at the blondes lack-luster response, Buffy gets up to quickly kneel by the blondes side. Lightly placing her hand on Tara's thigh Buffy scoots down to catch Tara's downcast eyes. "No, you don't understand, and I'm going to make you understand right now. You are family. We all love you. Dawn, Xander, Anya and myself. We all worry about you. Please put this idea out of your head once and for all that we would all be better off with you gone. Please?" Buffy begs quietly looking up into the blondes sad blue eyes, with tears in her own. Realizing that if Tara did leave, the Wicca would be taking a big chunk of her heart with her.

Seeing the honest sincerity in the slayer's eyes Tara watches as one of the tears slips down Buffy's cheek. Gently reaching up and wiping it away with her thumb Tara smiles and nods. "All of you love me, I'm family and I belong here. I understand. No more thoughts about leaving. None."

"Stay here, I'll be back in a few minutes." Buffy hops up and quickly runs inside the DMP.

Looking down at her arm, running her fingers over the bruise forming Tara frowns. How could things have gone so, so wrong.

"Tara, let me walk you home." Buffy quietly states, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I talked to my boss, telling her I needed a little longer break because a friend was in trouble. So come on, let's go."

Tara smiles in gratitude, standing up quickly. Starting to reach down to get her book bag, Buffy beats her to, it. Slinging it over a shoulder and holding out her hand for Tara's hand.

Looking up briefly, seeing the worry and caring in the slayer's eyes, she slowly puts her hand in Buffy's.

AAAAA

"Why don't you go upstairs and lay down for a little while?" Buffy smiles as Tara nods and heads up the stairs. Listening, she hears the door gently close behind her and Buffy grabs the phone, heading out the back door.

"Anya, can you talk?" Buffy swallows hard "Willow made a surprise visit to Tara on the campus today. She's completely out of control. She grabbed Tara and Tara's going to be bruised from it. Willow's threatening to wipe everyone's memories, so do you have any ideas?…No, no. You can't bring D'Hoffryn into this….We just need to figure out something ourselves to do…I would prefer to be with Tara 24/7, but I have to work…No, I know you and Xander can't do it, either…I'm going to call Giles again…No, just if you have any ideas, please let me know. Thanks Anya."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy dials another number. "Come on Giles! Pick up the goddamn phone. …GILES!…Have you come up with anything?…DAMN IT!…NO I will not calm down….Willow has gone off the deep end, she's hurt Tara…No not bad, but it's only a matter of time…Giles, Willow is threatening to wipe all our memories." Hesitating and taking a breath she decides to give him more details "She told Tara she was going to wipe her memories and make her, her personal sex slave….YES! I'm afraid she's going to physically hurt Tara, I can't watch her all the time, I have to work….Do you have any ideas? I'm completely desperate here!" Roughly wiping the tears that had escaped her eyelids, she listened to Giles. "Do it. If you're sure that she's improved and actually wants to do good, do it….GILES I would make a deal with the fucking devil right now, okay? Get it done. I have to go, bye."

'I hope to God that Faith is on our side again. She would definitely be the best protection for Tara if I can't be there.' Buffy thinks, heading back in the house. Quickly heading upstairs Buffy knocks lightly on Tara's door before easing it open. Seeing the blonde lying there on the bed curled up in a ball, holding the pillow tight to her almost broke her heart. Kneeling down beside the bed, gently running her fingers through Tara's blonde hair, Buffy watches her for a few minutes. Hearing the front door open downstairs Buffy quickly leaves the sleeping blonde and goes down to meet Dawn.

"Dawn, Tara's upstairs lying down. Please try to be quiet, she needs to rest." Slowly and haltingly Buffy tells Dawn what happened without giving her the complete details. "Please keep the phone with you, and go upstairs and stay with her, until I get back from work, okay? I talked to Giles and he's going to get Faith out of prison and have her come here to help protect Tara."

Dawn is trying not to cry. "Buffy, do you trust Faith?"

Looking at Dawn, Buffy frowns slightly. "Dawn, Giles insisted that Faith was being a model prisoner and really does want to make amends. I know she has good in her Dawn, she just got lost for a while. And honestly, I feel partly responsible." Buffy looks down for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "I believe if we had actually worked with her more, maybe had her stay with us instead of in the flea-bag hotels, if she had felt like family she wouldn't have gone to Mayor Wilkins for the approval we should have given her."

"If you're willing to trust her, I will." Dawn states quietly before heading upstairs.

"And if she does anything to harm any of us, I'll take her out permanently this time" Buffy growls too low for Dawn to hear as she heads out the door and back to work.