CHAPTER EIIGHT: friends are ever helpful

Joyce rushed into the Magic Box a coat over her nightgown. When she saw Buffy sprawled out on the table covered in blood her breath caught.

"Oh my god." She turned to Giles. "What happened?" she quickly set her purse on the ground and moved over to Buffy. Giles rubbed his neck and set his cup of tea on the counter feeling his back tighten slightly.

"We're not exactly sure really, though we have suspicions it may have been caused by something called the First or something similar to it." Joyce nodded on auto pilot and ran a hand through Buffy's hair. Frowning as she felt the intense heat of a fever coming on.

"Giles she's running a fever…do you have a…" Joyce looked around the room frantically for something to cool her down with. Giles looked down at the slayer and frowned. She was beginning to look very clammy.

"Willow could you bring a cold rag over here?" He called out to the red head. "Her fever is rising." Willow nodded and scurried to the back of the store to fill a basin of water up.

"Thank you." Joyce said going back to running her hands through her daughter's hair. Giles nodded.

"Shouldn't we take her to a hospital or something?" Willow asked as she handed Giles the rag. Both Giles and Joyce shook their heads no.

"No at this point she would be better off with us instead of the hospital, plus there isn't much they could do for her." He handed the rag to Joyce who applied it to Buffy's head. "We've already stitched her up, and it looks like she'll be fine after the fever breaks. So there is really no point in it at this moment in time." Joyce released the heavy breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She had been afraid to ask, though now that she examined Buffy a little more closely she could tell that most of the blood seemed to be old.

"Besides." She said to no one in particular. "Buffy hates hospitals. She made me promise never to send her to another one. Not after that whole fever incident." Willow nodded remembering how Buffy had to fall into a deep fever in order to kill a demon who had been attacking the children in Sunnydale hospitals.

"Yeah well after that who could blame her?" Willow added thinking back to Buffy's high school days than shrugged. "I haven't been to keen on the pharmaceuticals Sunnydale has to offer after that either." She grabbed a few of the books that had been tossed to the floor and put them on the counter to go through later.

"Indeed." Giles said knowing the Slayer had avoided hospitals at all costs after that. "I would imagine she wouldn't have been terribly happy waking up there." Joyce smiled a little and nodded.

"I'm just glad she was able to make it back here and is going to be okay." Joyce said dipping the rag in the water again since it had begun to get warm.

"Well she definitely came close this time." He said lifting Buffy's shirt just slightly so Joyce could see the stitches. She put a hand to her mouth in surprise.

"And she walked back here?" Joyce asked not knowing how Buffy would have been able to walk with a wound that severe.

"No not exactly." Giles said turning his attention to Tara. Joyce followed his line of vision. "If I'm correct I think Tara may have teleported them here."

"Yeah." Willow said nodding her head. "It was like one second they were gone and the next BAM they were on the table." She shook her head. "She is extremely powerful. I couldn't teleport if my life depended on it. Plus she did it with a counterpart over a pretty good distance. That in itself is major."

"Teleported?" the older Summers said surprised and looking at the taller blonde in a new light. "I think I'm beginning to like this girl more and more." Giles raised his brow.

"Pardon?" Joyce blushed and shook her head.

"Buffy had mentioned the young witch earlier when she had come home to change." She shrugged not about to go into details but seeing what her daughter had seen in the woman, she was beautiful. "And from what I heard she sounded like she would be of help." She finished lamely.

"Giles's, do you mind if I make a call?" Willow asked. The watcher shook his head no and motioned for her to go ahead. "Thanks."

"Well I think it's fair to say that this young lady saved Buffy's life tonight." Joyce just lowered her head already knowing he was right judging by the wound. And also knowing that she would forever be in debt to this young lady.

"Willow said something about Tara needing a place to stay over the phone?" She asked remembering the call that had woke her from her slumber. "Speaking of which, is she alright?" she said referring to the witch who also seemed to be asleep.

"Yes she seems to be fine, I think she's just worn out from the spell." Joyce smiled slightly at the younger woman sending her thanks. "I think she mentioned something about staying on Campus but I wouldn't have a clue as to where, and thought it would be easier if perhaps she stayed with you for the night." He glanced at the clock and rubbed his eyes. It was already past one in the morning. "If it would be easier I could take her to my apartment but I thought she would be more comfortable waking up with someone she knew better." He said offering the older Summers a second option.

"No Giles it isn't a problem." She didn't miss his glance at the clock. "Perhaps we should get these two home. It is rather late."

"I think that may be a good idea." He said standing then winced as his back caught.

"Are you alright?" Joyce asked seeing the look of pain cross the older man's face. He waved a hand at her.

"Yes I'm fine. I pulled my back earlier is all and I think I've over worked it too soon." He gritted his teeth and attempted to straighten. Joyce offered him a hand.

"Willow if you need a ride home I can drive you." Joyce said as the red head walked back into the room.

"No thank you. Oz should be here soon, I just called him a little while ago and he said he was on his way…" as if on cue the young guitarist walked in. Giles and Joyce both said hello to the quite boy, he nodded his reply then frowned as he caught sight of Buffy. "She's going to be okay." Willow said reading her boyfriends thoughts. "Joyce's going to take them both to her house for the night." He raised his brow at this. "Tara, the sorceress I told you about." Willow explained. He glanced at Giles who was leaning over again in pain.

"Do you need help getting them into the car?" He asked concerned. Giles looked at the young man surprised. Usually Oz was quite stoic and all together mute.

"Yes that would be lovely, thank you Oz." The guitarist shrugged saying in his own way that it wasn't a big deal. Willow beamed at her boyfriend and squeezed his hand. He smiled at his girlfriend then moved to where Buffy was lying. It was the least he could do.

"Oz do you think you could follow us to the house in your van and help get them into the house as well." Joyce asked. He nodded again as he picked the slayer up. "Thanks that would be a great help to me." Joyce said leading them out to where her Jeep was parked. There was no way she would be able to carry them up the stairs by herself. When Buffy was situated in the back seat they gathered Tara and put her in the car also. After she was sure that each girl was fastened in securely she headed back into the shop and gathered her purse. "Thank you again Giles." She said as the man moved to hand her her purse.

"Your welcome my dear. I'll call in the morning to see how they are doing." Joyce smiled her thanks taking her bag and wished him a goodnight before leaving. Giles watched her leave then moved to the phone to call Lucinda.

The group pulled up to Buffy's house and made quick work of getting the two inside and into where they would be sleeping. When they had finished Oz left and waited out in his van while Joyce and Willow worked to get Buffy out of her bloodstained cloths and into a T-shirt and shorts. And after tucking Tara into the spare bedroom and doing the same the two moved outside.

"Have Buffy call me when she gets up." Willow said after they had both girls tucked

away inside the house.

"I will and tell Oz I said thank you again for all his help." Joyce said thankful that the young man had shown up when he had.

"I will, though I don't really think he minded all that much. He's usually happy to help." Joyce smiled at the girl and gave her a hug.

"Just the same tell him. And you two be careful on the way home alright." Willow smiled into the hug and returned it.

"We will. Goodnight Joyce." She said making her way to her boyfriend's van. Joyce waved the two off than headed inside to get some much needed sleep.

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Later that nigh Tara woke with a start. She glanced around the unfamiliar room than down at herself. She was clad in a pair of sweat pants and a Bugs Bunny t-shirt. She smiled sensing the slayer in the fabric and throughout the house. She looked around the room her eyes adjusting to the dim light and frowned as she spotted her cloths from earlier folded and bloodied.

"Buffy." She said to herself remembering what had happened earlier that night and shivered. "Where are you?" She said to the empty room and stood sensing the slayer nearby and needing to know she was okay. "Aradis, hear my words" she whispered into the dim room and smiled as the little firefly like creature began to glow, lighting the room with its pale blue light. "Lead me to Buffy." She said to the creature. The creature buzzed for a few minutes as Tara tried to picture Buffy the best she could hoping to give the spell a little more incentive. After a few minutes the little ball of light began to move.

Tara followed as it led her out of her room and into the hall. She closed the door behind her and continued to follow the creature as it bounced down the narrow hallway looking for the Slayer. She followed the creature until it stopped abruptly then began to buzz again outside of door at the end of the hallway. She looked at what it had found and smiled as she was able to read the illuminated metal plate that read 'BUFFY' hanging outside the door. "Thank you." Tara said to the little creature than whispering a few words dispersing the spell. As the nymph completely disappeared she took a deep breath then slowly, cautiously opened the door and peeked in. What she saw made her gasp. Buffy lay there motionless, the moon accentuating her features and almost setting her pale skin aglow. She released a shallow breath and let herself into the room praying Buffy didn't wake up and catch her staring at her like some stalker idiot. That's the last thing she wanted her to think.

She was just coming to see how she was doing, but seeing her lying there, looking so at peace. All she wanted to do, if she was being honest with herself, was curl up next to her and follow her into sleep. She shook her head trying to rid the thoughts from her head, she didn't even know if Buffy felt that way about her. Sighing she kneeled by the bed and examined the Slayer a little more closely. Saw for the first time the tiny scar she had by her eyebrow, the few freckles she had across her face. Everything about the girl before her was beautiful she thought.

Then without thinking she touched her hand to the Slayer's face and smiled feeling the slight warm buzz that passed there, it gave her chills but in a good way. Deciding she should probably go before the Slayer woke up she began to stand and moved to leave when suddenly Buffy reached out and grabbed her hand.

"T-Tara?" Buffy said catching the witch off guard. Tara stiffened for a second at the quick action then turned bright red knowing full well she had been caught.

"S-s-sorry…"she whispered, "I-I just wanted to m-make sure you were ok is all." She tried to look away from the Slayer. "I-I'll leave." She moved to leave but Buffy hadn't loosened her hold on her hand.

"Stay?" Buffy asked not really wanting to be alone and also not wanting Tara to leave. Tara looked at her confused. "Please?" she asked again feeling comforted just by the warmth passing through their hands. Seeing the pleading in the Slayer's eyes made the decision for her.

"O-Okay…" she said smiling down at the slayer. Buffy smiled back and slowly scootched down to make room, never once letting go of the witch's hand.

"Thank you." Buffy whispered as Tara crawled under the covers and adjusted herself so she was facing the Slayer. Tara was too dumb struck with the notion that she was in Buffy's bed. And more importantly that Buffy had suggested her being there to say anything. So instead she just nodded hoping she wasn't blushing too terribly. "Goodnight Tara."

"G-Good n-night Buffy." She said watching as the Slayer began to dose off then slowly after she knew the Slayer was asleep followed her into slumber.

Thanks for all the reviews guys. And I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far!!!! And hey if you keep giving me such nice reviews I might acctaully finish this little tid bit.