Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy, Spider-Man or anything else you may recognize

Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.

And here we are with the final chapter of this fic, thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help on this one too.

Chapter 9- Return

Well, the city had managed to recover quickly, due to Peter's, Willow's, Gwen's and George's timely intervention, along with aid from NYPD and the citizens of New York.

It was another normal day at school, and Peter and Flash were both friends now, while Peter's and Gwen's relationship was going strong.

Willow managed to get a cabin for herself too, surprisingly. Probably due to being good at her job, not that she thought much about it.

Ritter had another class about different types of plot in fiction, and when that was done, Willow sat back in her cabin, signing some papers before looking at the invitation card to Xander's and Anya's wedding.

There was a knock as she looked up to see Peter. "Come in."

Peter came in and sat down, looking at the invitation. "What's that?"

"Invitation to my best friend's wedding, a week from now", Willow told him.

"And, you're going?"

"Not sure."

"You don't want to attend your own best friend's wedding?" Peter asked, clearly surprised to hear that.

"Well, still not sure they'd want to see me", Willow sighed sadly.

"Why's that?" Peter wondered.

"Well, you see how I'm good at magic?" Willow inquired and got a nod. "Back at Sunnydale, I'd let it get to my head, and didn't listen to anyone else's warning about the matter."

"Oh!" Peter realized what was going on. "Guess that made you do some really bad stuff."

"Yeah, Tara…..she was my…..you know", Peter nodded. "She tried to warn me, I didn't listen, so we had a fight, and I…..I erased her memory of the fight."

Willow's voice was full of hatred and anger at herself, as Peter's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really. And there is no forgiveness for that wrong", Willow muttered, still angry at herself. "Then, when she found out, instead of learning from my mistake, I tried to repeat it, only, I erased all of our memories. Fortunately, we got them back but then she left me, and she was right to."

Peter just took it all in. While his perspective on Willow was still the same, he knew she had messed up in these situations.

"And after that, I basically took the magic version of drugs and ended up crashing a car with Dawnie in it. Dawn is Buffy's little sister, she and I were…very close", Willow told Peter. "After that I decided to leave since I realized I only hurt the people I'm close to."

Peter thought about it, then told Willow. "You know, while you had messed up in those situations, the Willow I know, the Willow you are now, is one who has gone through those experiences and is a better person because of it."

"You think I'm good?"

"You are great", Peter assured her. "This Willow you mention won't be able to help me through my own problems. But you did, which means you've changed."

"You really think I helped you?"

"Yeah, you did. I'd have been much worse without you", Peter said firmly. "You are amazing."

"I don't feel amazing."

Peter repeated. "Why don't you say it to yourself? You are amazing."

"I guess I-"

Peter really grounded it this time for her. "You are amazing."

Willow simply nodded as Peter suggested. "You could say it too."

Willow smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I guess I just needed to hear that."

Peter smiled too. "Well, guess that's good. So, you going back?"

Willow considered and told Peter. "I am. But I have a request."

"What? Name it."

"Could you come with me as a plus one? I need someone by my side when I face them again."

"Think I can clear up my schedule", Peter agreed to go with her. After all she had done for him, he did owe her that much. "So yeah, both you and I are going."

"That's great, thanks so much Peter."

"No problem. Gotta go now."

And with that, Peter was off as Willow's mind was made.


One week later

Willow never thought she'd be back to Sunnydale so soon, but here she was, back in town. And it was strange, to say the least. Peter was next to her.

They entered the venue together as Peter asked. "Am I supposed to walk close to you or-"

"Yeah, stay close, thank you very much", Willow said as Peter nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

As they walked, Peter noticed several Demons and asked. "Damn! Can't believe they're all out in the open here."

"Sunnydale for you", Willow shrugged. "That's what happens on a Hellmouth. Outside of some, most just ignore things like these so Demons can go out in the open."

"Willow?"

Willow turned to see Buffy standing there, wearing a very ridiculous bridesmaid dress that was green in color, probably Anya's idea.

"Oh, hey Buffy", Willow greeted with a wave. Buffy looked slightly upset. She then turned to see Peter.

"Hey", Peter greeted with a wave.

"Hi", Buffy looked Peter up and down, clearly checking him out, as Peter blushed and looked away, then Buffy looked at Willow. "So, how are you?"

"Fine, you?"

"Decent", Buffy said, but she sounded pretty bland, and walked off to do something.

Dawn passed by them, wearing the same ridiculous dress. "Hey."

"Hey", Willow greeted back, though it was clear Dawn still hadn't forgiven her for the accident, and then leaving after that.

Dawn then noticed Peter, and was clearly infatuated too. "Oh, hi."

"Hi", Peter said with a smile.

"DAWN!"

Dawn cringed, then walked off.


Buffy was talking to Tara. "You see the guy with Willow there?"

"Yeah", Tara nodded, looking at Peter. "I think-"

"He's hot", Buffy said.

"Yeah", Tara sighed, feeling a bit heartbroken, due to getting the wrong impression.


Peter had been greeted and checked out by a few more women by this point. After another one said to him she was gonna be in the alley outside the venue, Peter told Willow. "Why is about 80% of the female-," a demon walked by that Peter couldn't identify what gender, "ish population here hitting on me?"

Willow snorted, before seeing Peter's serious face. "Seriously?" Peter nodded. "Dude, you're hot. If I was still in high school, you'd be my dream crush."

"Really? I thought it was Ryan Gosling, or is that just me?"

"Pete, I don't know what's wrong with New York girls, other than Gwen obviously, but you're handsome. Everyone, but New Yorkers apparently, can see it."

"Huh." He then noticed a pretty woman smiling and waving at him, which Peter tried to return, hesitantly. Then suddenly, the woman's face shifted until it and her whole visage seemed skinless.

"Starting to wish I wasn't."

"Don't worry, if any of these ladies get the wrong idea, I'll set them straight."

Peter jokingly clutched his heart. "My hero." Then he wrapped her in a hug, his cheek against hers, which made Willow laugh.


"They seem…close", Tara said to Buffy, both noticing it.


The two eventually made it to the lobby where Willow spotted Xander for the first time in months. He was surrounded by his mother, uncle Rory, Dawn, and an old man no one recognized.

The old man tugged at Xander's arm. "Please, I really need to talk to you."

Dawn mentioned a tentacle present getting loose to Xander. "A squiggly present got loose."

"On it", Buffy said as she walked off.

"Please, please, you have to listen", the old man pulled Xander away, confusing Willow and Peter as to why he was so insistent. "You have to listen to me!"

Dawn, Rory, and Xander's Mom continue talking over each other as the old man pulled Xander a few feet away. "You can't get married today. It's a huge mistake."

Xander replied. "Yeah right, thanks for the advice, Uncle ... help me here?"

"Uncle?" The man asked. "You don't recognize me, do you?"

"I'm sorry, I don't-"

"It sounds crazy, I know", the man cut him off. "But you have to believe me." Xander looked puzzled. "I'm Xander Harris. I'm you."

Xander stared at him, bewildered.

Peter felt a ringing in his head and grasped it, Willow asking. "What's the matter?"

Peter walked towards the old man, feeling he was a threat. His spider-sense was always right, the guy was a threat to be stopped. Peter tackled the old man, picked him up and punched his gut, forcing his feet to leave the floor with the force behind before crumpling down again, then Peter dragged the guy behind the bar, threw out the bartender, and lay an unseen beatdown, including an elbow drop and smashing a bottle on him.

"Chair!"

He got one and smashed it into his old back.

Peter stood back up and straightened his tux, and announces to the assembled, "Anyone else want to ruin this wedding?" Everyone fearfully shook their heads. "Good." Peter walks over the unconscious crasher, stomping on his chest one more time, and walking away, only the legs were seen, which morph into his demon form. Dawn hesitantly asked. "You knew the guy was a demon, right?"

Peter's face was blank, "...he was a demon?""

"Whoever you are, thanks man", Xander said to Peter, then turned to Willow. "Willow, hey! So good to see you."

"You too", Willow and Xander hugged happily, kissing each other's cheeks as Willow realized Xander would still welcome her even if the others wouldn't.


A while later, all were waiting for the main ceremony. Willow still hadn't talked to anyone yet beyond the basic greeting with Buffy and Dawn. She and Tara had seen each other, but then awkwardly turned away, still not ready to fully let it all out.

Anya soon walked down the aisle, and then she and Xander did their vows, with Xander now making Willow 'Best Man' (or Woman) as she did her job.

"She is something", Peter whispered lowly to Willow, amused by Anya's vows.

"Women power, ya know?" Willow shrugged.


A while later, all were eating as Peter noticed Tara walking to them and told Willow. "I think you should talk to her."

"Wish me luck."

"Good luck", Peter walked off as Tara walked to Willow.

"Hi", Tara greeted awkwardly.

"Hi", Willow greeted back, giving a smile with a whimper that Tara returned, wanting to clear a doubt of hers.

"So, ar-are you back to...?" Tara didn't finish, which made Willow confused.

"Am I back to what?"

"You know," Tara gestured with her head at Peter, who was currently eating "...men?"

"Oh...Oh! OH!" Willow finally realized what Tara, and probably the others, were thinking. "No! No, Peter is just the first friend I made in New York, and we bonded over stuff. We like the same things, he shows me the best places for food, and get this, he's super genius smart, in a science-y way, and he thinks magic is cool!"

"Really?!" Tara was blown away, and looked at Peter in a new light, and with her hazy feelings now at ease, she was able to sense his aura. It had immense goodness inside it, and a fire.

"Yeah, I know! I was stunned. I mean, he was going rapid fire with his questions, even how he was theorizing how magic worked in certain scenarios, the guy even threw me off. He even asked about the rabbit from the hat." Willow chuckled a little at the memory. "But...Peter was having a tough time, and things happened, bad things. When I tried to help, I realized that he was also helping me."

"He helped you?" Tara asked.

"Yeah, you heard about the Lizard mess in New York?" Tara nodded. "He and I helped in stopping it."

"You two helped?"

"Yes, I helped in making the antidote", Willow revealed. "And I managed to save the life of New York's police captain."

"Huh?" Tara let out, considering. Willow seemed better than she had been then. "That's cool."

"And besides, even if I was back to men, he is a teenager!" Willow revealed, and now Tara was embarrassed at her previous line of thought.

Buffy and Xander then walked to them too, with Dawn, seeing the two talking. Peter saw and thinking Willow could need him, walked to them as well.

"So, guys, this is Peter Parker, he's my friend, and he's 16", Willow added the last bit with a smirk, now the others embarrassed too at thinking he'd been Willow's boyfriend. "Peter, these are my friends- Tara, Xander, Buffy and Dawn."

Xander held out his hand to shake Peter's, and tried to squeeze a bit, only for Peter to squeeze a little too as Xander winced, before Peter let go, Xander trying to hide it.

"Congratulations on the wedding", Peter said.

"Thanks man."

Peter then shook hands with Buffy, and Buffy's eyes widened as she realized Peter's grip was stronger than hers.

Peter let go as both Buffy and Xander shared a look, whispering to each other.

"How's a guy that skinny so strong?"

"How's a guy that lean so strong?"

"Hi, I'm Dawn", Dawn greeted as Peter shook hands with her too.

"Tara", Tara smiled, now at ease around him, and they shook hands as well.

Xander then asked a question. "What are your intentions for Willow?"

"I-erm, intentions?"

"I just want to make sure the guy she's with isn't trying to two time her with some floozy."

"First of all, not together, as just pointed out. Second, weren't you guys sneaking around while you were both in relationships with other people?"

Xander froze at that. To be honest, he did his best to forget that little mess. "...That's beside the point!"

"Alright, dude. I'm just here because Willow asked me to. She was nervous about coming, seeing you all again, she still thinks you guys all hate or don't trust her. It was so bad that Willow almost didn't come."

"Willow wasn't going to be here?" Tara was shocked, and so were the rest, as Willow turned away.

"Yeah, but I told her she should. You guys are her family, and you should hold tight to family as much as you can." Peter's eyes darkened in memory, before snapping himself out of it. "I know what happened was bad, like really bad, she had a problem, but Willow faced that problem. Her addiction doesn't even exist anymore. Will helped me in the worst time of my life, when she asked me to be here, for her, I couldn't say no. I owed her...that, plus, she also bought me a ticket and I never really traveled before. So, flying is off the bucket list."

"Oh!" That was all Buffy could say.

"And I know about the magic and Slayer and Vampire stuff too, Willow told me", Peter told the rest of them. "Trust me, she's the reason I'm not in a bad place anymore."

"And he's the reason I'm not in a bad place anymore", Willow added to them. "It was hard, but we got through it."

"Plus, she helped Spider-Man save New York from the Lizard mess too", Peter added, only increasing the surprise for the Scooby Gang.

They absorbed the explanation by Peter, wondering what to do now, then Dawn asked Peter. "So, you're a teenager, I'm also a teenager. Maybe we can-"

"I've a girlfriend."

Dawn's face fell as Tara stroked her shoulder.

Anya then appeared, seeing Peter. "So, you are very hot." She then turned to Xander. "If you don't dance with me, I'll ask him."

"Sure An", Xander walked off to dance with Anya, waving at Willow one last time.

"This is still so weird", Peter muttered.


At night, Peter was walking around when he saw a group of 3 guys sneaking into a museum to steal something.


"There, see? This place doesn't have much security", Warren boasted.

"So, we getting that rod, right?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah", Jonathan nodded.

"Sorry guys, can't let you do that."

They turned to see Peter there, still in a suit, not wearing his Spider-Man suit. He decided he won't need to show much of his abilities here.

"Oh yeah? And who're you to stop us?" Warren boasted.

"Just a guy from Queens", Peter shrugged, as Warren walked to him, clearly looking to pick a fight.

"I'm gonna make you beg for death." Warren tried to punch but Peter grasped his hand, slightly squeezing as Warren cried in pain, falling to his knees. Peter backhanded him out, then turned to the other two.

They tried to run but were grabbed by their collars and tossed down, knocked out.


Buffy, on patrol, heard the commotion, and ran in to see Peter standing over the knocked out Trio.

"Huh?" She looked up at Peter. "What are you-"

"They were trying to steal something, took 'em out, called the police too", Peter told her, walking off as he dusted his hands. "Bye."

Buffy wondered how Peter had managed to take out the Trio effortlessly when she'd been troubled by them for months.


Willow and Tara were together in a restaurant, sitting across from each other. Willow started. "Look, I know I messed up and ran off, so I don't expect-"

"Its fine", Tara assured, to Willow's shock. "Not what you did to me, that's not fine, I don't think I'll ever forget that."

Willow's face fell.

"But I can forgive", Willow looked up at Tara in surprise. "You are different now, and I can see it. You did mess with my mind then, but I'm not forgetting what you did for me before. When Glory brained me, you were ready to take care of me forever."

Willow gave a bittersweet smile at that, as Tara reminded. "And before, when I thought I was a Demon and my blood kin revealed it, you accepted who I was before it was revealed I wasn't a Demon."

"Yeah", Willow nodded with a sigh. "That's true, I guess. Still-"

"I've had time to think, and if you want to give it a chance, I'll too, just, promise not to mess with my mind magically again, and talk to me if something bothers you. I'll do the same from now on, since I've failed at communication before too", Tara held out her hand.

Willow looked at Tara, then smiled and grasped her hand. "I accept all your terms and conditions."

They shared a loving kiss, both happy to be with each other again after so long. They've had problems, but they were the best of each other, and they couldn't live without the other.

Theirs was a great and everlasting love.

Then they parted as Willow pointed out with a sigh. "But still, I can't move back to Sunnydale either, due to it being completely annoying that I'm transferring again."

"I get you", Tara assured. "And I can't leave Sunnydale either, I'd love to transfer, but Dawnie needs me."

"She does, she's still mad at me for the accident and leaving, and I can't blame her, she needs you", Willow agreed with Tara. "So I guess you'll be here, I'll be there."

"How about long distance?" Tara offered. "I mean, it'd be hard, but we can make it-"

"Video call every single day, and text every hour", Willow laid the terms and conditions.

"Accepted", Tara smiled and Willow smiled back. "I'll stay here till Dawn graduates from high school, then I'm coming to New York."

"I look forward to it."

Willow and Tara kissed again, their problems finally dealt with. They may be in a long-distance relationship now, but their love was as strong as ever.


The end finally. Phew!

Hope Peter's interactions with the rest were enjoyed, and also him dealing with the loser Trio, they're all arrested now.

Tillow is back together again too.

Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for the scene of Peter dealing with the Demon.

Now for TASM 2, it depends upon inspiration. However, Buffy Season 7 and Angel Season 4 would have happened between TASM and TASM 2, and happened differently, meaning no Bastardrew, and Bitchedy gets told off, Tillow is always together, and Cordy will be saved and Jasmine won't ever come out of her.

And so with Sunnydale gone, Dawn would be in Cleveland and in a better place, meaning Tara and Willow can then be in New York, and their presence would prevent the mess in the 2nd film.

But anyways, sequel or not, this fic I hope was a good standalone.

I once more thank my friends for their suggestions in this story.

This is the end.

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another update.

Stay safe.

Until next time.

Aragorn II Elessar.