A/N thanks for all of your reviews. Here's the next chapter
Chapter Three
The next couple of days were spent with Buffy getting reacquainted with her long-lost friend. She had told Tara how things ended up with Spike and of his sacrifice to help them save the world. She also told her about how he had got himself a soul after the attempted rape that messed him up for a short period. She told her how Anya sacrificed her life to help Andrew Wells, the man who aided in Tara's supposed death. She told her of Dawn's pending wedding and how she was certain that Dawn would enjoy Tara being there. Finally, she told her of her adventures post-Sunnydale and her brief engagement to the mortal.
Tara was intrigued and saddened by Buffy's tales of her friends during their long walks and relaxing dinners. She was growing very comfortable with the slayer being around and nightly thanked the Goddess that Buffy had found her. The two had always had a good friendship and Tara didn't realize how much she had missed that until Buffy happened back into her life. She was sad to hear of Anya's death, the ex-demon was always kind to her. She was also glad that Anya's death was not in vain and had a greater purpose to it. She was truly proud of her friend and that, after all the time spent together, Anya had finally learned what it meant to be a human. She knew that she would love to attend Dawn's wedding but wasn't certain if she wanted to face Willow. Buffy had told her that Willow was happy and Tara knew that she had made the choice to move on but there was always that wonderment as to how things could have been in the back of her mind. She wondered if that same feeling remained in Willow's mind and feared what might happen if it was. She feared this because sometimes old wounds were better off left untouched never to be explored again.
As the two walked up the driveway of Tara's quaint home, Buffy noticed that her friend seemed distant. "Tara, is something wrong?"
"I was just thinking about the wedding," Tara said flatly. "I would love to go Buffy but…"
"Willow?" Buffy enquired softly having known that Willow would, most likely, always be a tender subject for the Blonde.
"I don't want to make anything uncomfortable for Willow or Dawn on Dawn's big day." Tara said honestly and with a slight hint of sadness showing in her eyes.
"That's understandable but I don't think Willow is going to make the wedding." Buffy said in a more upbeat tone. "She and Dawn had fierce words over Kennedy and Dawn doesn't want Kennedy in her presence. The last I knew, Willow called Dawn a brat and said that she would not come unless Dawn mended fences long enough to allow Kennedy to accompany her. Of course Dawn replied with an adamant no and so I think it's safe to say that Will isn't going."
"So you all went your own ways," Tara said with a great deal of sorrow in her voice. The group had once been so close and had an unbreakable bond. It seemed that that bond had slithered apart over the years and that saddened the Wiccan. She thought the core members of the gang would always be one big happy family but realized that she was wrong on her assumption.
"Well, after Anya died, Xander took up with Faith and that is working out well enough for the both of them. Dawn and Andrew had nobody to cling to because their sounding boards, you and Anya, were gone. Things happened between them and I think everyone is truly happy, even Willow." Buffy said with more hope of her reference to Willow then actual belief.
As Tara pondered what Buffy had just said and prepared to unlock the door, a large creature lumbered towards the two women. She watched Buffy go after it with a little less speed and strength than what Tara was accustomed to seeing from the slayer. She watched Buffy go rounds with the demon for several minutes as an overwhelming sadness overtook her features. She knew that Buffy had always wanted some sort of normalcy in her life but now that it possibly was upon her, she didn't know if Buffy wanted it from within her heart.
As Tara watched Buffy battle with the demon, she felt uneasy about the entire situation. There was something missing in the bigger scheme of things but she could not put her finger on it no matter how hard she tried. Her attention was turned back to Buffy as another demon came up and attacked her from behind. Tara acted quickly and raised both hands towards the two demons. She didn't want to snag the slayer's thunder and kill them but felt compelled to back them off slightly thus enabling Buffy to regain her bearings.
One of the demons saw the white energy that crackled in the air as it left Tara's fingers. It swirled through the air towards its mark as it's light grew more white and larger. "It's the Goddess!" One of the two demons shouted and they both made a hasty retreat.
The statement from the demon caused Tara and Buffy to stand frozen in total shock, which aided in the demon's escape. "What did he say?" Buffy asked with questioning eyes as she watched the energy rescind into the earth. "Tara, that came out of your hands and I just saw it go into the earth. After Kennedy's description of what happened when Willow performed that spell, we assumed that Willow was an earth Goddess and that demon called you the Goddess!" Buffy exclaimed with a look of utter confusion plastered on her face.
Tara's face mirrored the look on Buffy's as she placed the key in her front door with a shaky hand. The implications of what the demon said, if true, were huge. She didn't want to believe what the thing said but it fit, her black out, the dreams of what happened in Sunnydale, and the fact that Willow still struggled with her powers. "I don't understand Buffy." Tara spoke slowly in an almost whispered voice.
"Well I surely don't understand," Buffy said and placed a comforting arm around her friend. "Maybe I should call Giles and he could help us out with the explaining part."
"No," Tara said in a quiet but firm voice. "You have a wedding to get through and I need to process this. If you can find out for sure that Willow isn't going to the wedding, maybe I can speak with Giles then." Tara wanted answers as much as Buffy did but didn't want to jump into things and get everyone off on a tangent if there wasn't just cause for going off on a tangent.
"Tara, I will respect your wishes of course but I think this is important and shouldn't keep for too long." Buffy shook her head and got two glasses down to get them something to drink. "You said demonic things were rare here and so I'm guessing that they were after me because of my reduced powers. Now that they know that an earth Goddess is here, it will only get worse."
"It could be a bluff Buffy," Tara said shyly and accepted the cold juice offered her by the slayer. Deep down she knew that Buffy was, in all probability, correct in her assessment but wanted a little time to think things over.
Buffy decided not to force the issue any further just now. She knew that Tara's practicality would win out and that it would probably be long before Dawn's wedding. "The wedding is in two weeks and if you want to wait so long," Buffy shrugged, "I'll go along with your wishes."
"Thanks Buffy," Tara said with a look of relief on her face. Just beneath that feeling of relief however, were feelings of worry and fear. If the demon were telling the truth, would Tara be forced to take a more active role with the Scoobies? This was something that she really did not want to do and mainly because of Willow. She knew that she still felt love in her heart for the woman but could not allow herself to be drawn back in. She also knew that she was growing fond of Buffy, a feeling that she was certain was not reciprocated.
"You've done a lot for me of late Tara. The least I can do is repay the kindness by not pushing you into something that you obviously aren't ready for." Buffy said with a tentative smile on her face. She looked at the blonde and felt warmth and understanding in her eyes. She realized how stupid Willow was to let this one get away and that, if she had someone this virtuous, she would never let them get away.
"We'll figure all of this out Buffy. We always do," Tara said with a forced smile on her face. "I think we should get some sleep."
"I think you're right once again. Sleep might help our brains to relax and then maybe we'll come up with a new idea tomorrow." Buffy gave her friend one last hug and headed for her room. She wondered what lie ahead for the two friends as they ventured to work out their problems. She wondered what it would mean if Tara was the goddess and not Willow. She then realized that all of her wonderings was going to make for a long night of restless sleep.
Meanwhile, Tara relaxed in a nice hot tub of water in hopes of releasing the tension that had built up in her muscles ever since she heard the words the demon spoke. She tried to find a logical explanation other then his words being true, but the fear in his eyes when he spoke the words frightened her. The fear and actions that the demons took due to her own actions while coming to Buffy's aid pointed to one explanation. That was that she was the Goddess and was somehow involved in the end fight with the first evil when Sunnydale caved in.