In the end they just accepted the fact that it was different for Buffy.
They had saved Tara from her family and she had become part of the new Scooby Gang, as did Faith.
The group dynamics, already altered by the Halloween incident, changed even further.
The love triangle that had developed between Faith, Willow, and Xander the younger, as dramatic and angst filled as it was, paled into insignificance compared to what happened to Buffy and Xander the elder.
The process of the merging of their minds had continued. The line between Buffy and Xander the elder blurred. They began to loose their individually.
Their subconscious rebelled in a desperate attempt at individual survival. The two minds see-sawed in a schizophrenic battle of dominance and survival.
One moment it was Xander who was driving the Buffy bus, then the next it was Buffy.
As sometimes it was clear that there was no one behind the wheel.
The two minds battle to retain their individual sense of self drove them to the edge of insanity and finally beyond.
And through it all, Tara stood by them, patient, loving, yet unsure of exactly where she fit into the slayer's life as the two minds that shared her body tore at each other.
In the end, the two minds collapsed and out of the ashes came a new mind.
A new Buffy.
"I think they've made up."
Buffy snapped out of her introspective moment at the sound of Tara's voice.
"Huh? Who?"
"Xander and Willow and Faith. Look." Tara pointed out onto the dance floor. Willow was sandwiched between Xander and Faith as the trio slow danced together.
"They are so gonna have sex tonight." Buffy observed. Tara gave her a sideways glance. Xander the elder may be gone but his influence lived on.
"Buffy, it's Prom night. Everybody is going to have it."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at the wicca.
"Everybody?"
"M...mm...maybe n...nnn...not..." Tara stuttered, a sure sign of the awkwardness of the moment. Tara hadn't spoken to Buffy about her feelings. They were close friends, just how close was the question that never got answered.
Buffy gave Tara a look that made the wicca weak at the knees.
"Dance with me."
As Buffy and Tara slow danced at the prom, somewhere a one eyed carpenter cheered.