A/N If you missed the previous chap, you need to read it first to get this one fully. I hope it was to your liking as I got no feedback on it but at any rate, here we go! The reason I put this note up is because it took 8 days for the site to let me know that the last chap was posted so I don't know if it was on my end or others had the same problem.

Chapter thirteen

"Tracy is here to see you," Buffy said from outside the door with a smile on her face. She knew that she was intruding on Harmony's fun but didn't care at this point. Willow and Tara were the ultimate couple and nothing was going to stand in their way.

Harmony quickly rose from the bed and got dressed as Willow watched her carefully. "You need this time so that you can get over this Willow." She said and gave the redhead a kiss. "You might want to wash up first." Harmony smirked and walked out of the room.

"You're not going to put up a fight?" Buffy asked as Tracy came up the stairs.

"Of course not," Harmony smiled at the slayer. "I don't have to because that's not Tara and Willow is mine!" Harmony shouted as she turned her back to Buffy and walked away before Buffy could reply. She knew that Buffy and Dani were going to stand guard at Willow's door in the event that the sorceress tried to pull something on Willow or Tracy. She was glad that they were going to do this because their being there could prove to be valuable.

"Glad you could make it Blondie," Faith chided with a sheepish grin on her face as Harmony sauntered confidently into the room. "We've got some things figured out and the others are busy. Xander and the other witch are gone to do whatever you told them to do and refused to tell us what that is." Faith gave Harmony a knowing glance as she finished speaking.

"What do you have?" Harmony asked as she looked at the three occupants of the room.

"Well you mentioned that Secaura said something that was off about your aura," Giles removed his glasses in a studious manner. "First we'd like to know what's really going on here Harmony."

"I can't tell you that yet," the blonde said adamantly. "It's far to risky." She looked at Faith for confirmation and got it with a nod of Faith's head.

"Very well, this Secaura was an ancient being and we believe that she was trying to help you when you first spoke with her. However, what happened was someone took over her body before you arrived at the meeting place with Willow. This has to be a being of inexperience because it made the slip of the tongue with the aura. It gave you some truths but hoped that it could also give some information to lead you astray, hence the big finish. We all had a hard time believing this next part but, again, have some actions to back up our theory." Giles looked to Dawn who had a sad, yet angered look on her face.

- - - - - - - -

Tracy sat down next to Willow who was freshly showered. "Willow, if this is going to hurt you in some way, I can go. I can see the pain in your eyes and I am so sorry that I have caused it." Tracy wanted to give Willow a hug for comfort but didn't want to move so fast at this point.

"I know that you don't remember me Tara and that hurts me terribly." Willow began as she searched Tracy's eyes for any sign that this was or was not Tara. "A long time ago, a hell Goddess messed up your mind really bad yet you knew my name. Granted, you didn't know much else but you knew me. I promised you then that I would always find you and I will. No matter how long it takes, if you are Tara, I will find you and bring you home." Willow's body physically shook at the recollection of what Glory had done to Tara. She had come so close to not finding Tara and vowed that that would not happen again, no matter the consequences.

"Willow," Tracy started to speak and placed her hand gently on Willow's arm. "If I am Tara, I pray that you can find me. I can tell by the look in your eyes that the two of you had a once in a lifetime love. You do seem troubled about something else other than this though Willow. Is there something that you need to talk about?"

Willow wanted to talk about the ramifications of what she had allowed Harmony to do to her but didn't feel it was the right time. She feared that she would place Tara in danger if she divulged the information to her so quickly but also, Harmony had told her to protect her mind. If she talked about this with Tara, it could give ammunition to the sorceress who may be watching the two of them. She didn't know fully why Harmony had said to protect her mind but assumed that it was because the power was back within her and Harmony didn't want anyone knowing this fact just yet. "No, it's just the stress of everything that has gone on over the last little while. We've got some big things that we're dealing with on top of discovering you and it's getting the better of me." Willow felt bad for not being very honest but knew it was the right thing for now.

Tracy stood and pointed for Willow to relax better on the bed. "Maybe a massage would help." She smiled tentatively at the redhead, who returned the smile with a big one of her own.

"That would be great," Willow said in an excited voice. "Tara used to give me a massage after a really bad day."

"Well I could sing you a song," Tracy smiled. "Maybe that's an added bonus that Tara didn't give you. Maybe that will help you relax more and you won't have to think of what we're trying to do so hard."

As Tracy placed her hands gently on Willow's back, Willow smiled into the pillow. Tara had often sung to her and it did help her to relax. It helped her so much that she felt as if she were in another world and Willow hoped this would give her full confirmation that this was Tara. "Thanks, a soft song would be nice." Willow murmured with the decision to not tell Tracy of Tara's singing to her having been made.

As Tracy began to sing a song that she dubbed as being a little disneyesque, Willow's mind drifted to a time when Tara sang to her on a bridge. It was the very same song that told of Tara's life and being under Willow's spell of love. "Tara, I was so confused last night that I wanted to die. I wanted Harmony to kill me and not turn me. Instead I let her make me her life mate and, if you are Tara, I'm afraid that she might hurt you." Willow said the words in a methodic tone before she realized what she was saying.

Tracy smiled sweetly and patted Willow's back gingerly. "If I am Tara, we will get through what she did to you Willow. That seems like a selfish thing to do to be honest with you. Buffy told me that those in charge of this ordeal believe that someone among you is involved in this? She didn't have any details but perhaps it's this vampire. It would make total sense Willow." Tracy leaned closer to the redhead and ran her fingers over Willow's cheek as she spoke with determination in her voice.

"I don't know much about this sort of thing but it's possible that the vampire needed to gain your trust in order to infiltrate the system you all were building to stop whatever it is that's going on." Tracy finished speaking as Willow rolled over and looked into her eyes that were so blue and full of compassion.

Willow pondered what Tracy was saying and it made sense. Harmony was a demon and got hold of that gem in no time. What if she was playing them all and Willow was simply the main string? Something inside Willow ached at this notion and the tears began to flow. "I trusted her fully, more then most of the gang in the latter days. How could I have been so stupid!" Willow's face changed from angered to confused. "Wait, Harmony's not smart enough to pull this off by herself. I mean, she looked me right in the eyes and told me personal things and…"

"Maybe you're right," Tracy conceded. "The sorceress could be leading her also Willow." She pulled the trembling redhead into a hug. "Whether or not I'm Tara, I can see that you are a very special person Willow and I feel this strong desire to help you." Tracy spoke softly in an effort to calm the redhead. "Relax your mind and maybe you can find something in there that will give you a clue to indicate whether or not she is involved."

Willow felt herself relaxing in the embrace of the woman that she was certain was Tara. Her mind was pulling in a hundred directions so much that she was barely able to keep that part of herself away from Tracy. She knew that she wouldn't come to any harm with Tracy, unless the sorceress was near and watching. Her confusion was mounting because, nobody made her feel so safe and relaxed, nobody that is, but Harmony Kendall.

- - - - - - -

"We found out that a divided soul is, where one half of a soul is good and dies out, such as Cordy did, the other half can then emerge from a hell dimension. This can only happen if the good half of the soul is at peace with how their life ended. Core helped the helpless one last time before she died and that would make her at piece." Dawn spoke with sadness thick in her voice as Xander walked into the room.

"So Delia is not Delia," Harmony said in a non-caring tone of voice. "She screwed with everyone's heads for awhile and now she's been outed."

"Well I think that we get further confirmation of this with her telling us to keep Willow filled in on the plans." Dawn added as her hands began to tremble. "Willow is in such a state that if she knew the plans, the sorceress could easily pick her brain and stay a step ahead of us. Giles and I figure that Willow being off guard to all of this is how the sorceress was able to keep ahead of us before. Willow was involved in the day to day planning and that is how they were able to get to all the slayers and those in training. It has to be Cordelia Chase, there is no other option." Dawn said flatly with a repulsed feeling coming up in the pit of her stomach. She was angered at how easily Cordy's evil half was able to take over her body and the notion that she would probably do the same thing to Willow if the sorceress got the upper hand, was terrifying to Dawn.

Xander's face was a mask, void of emotion as he withdrew an object from his pocket. "Is it really the only option?" He said in a dry tone that gave no inkling as to where he was heading with his comments. "There is someone else among us that has had their soul removed from their body. All it would take to pull off the Core stunt is a great shape shifter with little brains. One who is a follower of orders and not a leader."

Giles and Dawn looked around the room, "Miss Kendall?" Giles said in a hallowed tone and stood from his seat with a rage-filled look in his eyes.