AN: Here is chapter two. Set shortly after series 5 episode 'Family'

With A Little Help From My Friends

"So, what're Captain America and Ms Marvel up to then?" Xander asked Willow as they converged outside of the graveyard. It was the two of them, Tara and Anya that night. All looked ready for patrolling, with colourful clothes and loud rustling bags to draw the vampires out.

"They're doing one of the other graveyards. With this Glory chick around, Giles wants everything covered" Willow said. They moved into the graveyard, walking in the most 'we're stupid and helpless teenagers, eat us!' way possible. As they walked they continued talking.

"Is this Glory really going to be hanging around in Graveyards though? Shouldn't we be patrolling the mall?" Anya piped up from where she was, huddled into Xander's side. Tara could see the wisdom in that, if she were being perfectly fair.

"That'd be great Ahn, except for the little fact it's closed" Xander corrected gently.

"Wasn't it open 'til one in the morning or something?" Willow asked, looking bemused. Tara couldn't help but stare at Willow's cute little face all scrunched up in confusion. It was hard to not start kissing her right there, in the middle of the graveyard. Which was strange for a whole host of reasons. Maybe it was a Scooby thing, becoming completely desensitised to all forms of violence and death. She should have been worried, but really she just grinned at the thought of being a Scooby.

"It was until that 'mass hallucination' of the crazy chick with a rocket launcher. After that they decided it'd probably be best to close a little closer to sunset" Xander replied.

"Buffy really loves that rocket launcher. Do you know where she keeps it?" Willow said, fondly remembering the piece of deadly weaponry.

"You guys have a rocket launcher?" Tara asked, looking between the pair with a look that she hoped communicated 'You're kidding, right? Right?'.

"Yep. Stole it from a military base and everything. But we keep it on the down low" Xander said, grinning at Tara. "It's a long story of me being dashingly heroic and devilishly handsome"

"Of course honey" Anya said, patting his arm condescendingly. The walked on in silence for a little while, trying to look as bait-like as possible. It was easy when they were two couples who were very wrapped up in one another.

"I never though of Buffy as Ms Marvel" Tara said into the comfortable silence. "I always thought she was like Spiderman but… a girl"

"Like Spidergirl?" Xander replied, grinning.

"Mayday Summers" Tara replied with a giggle. Anya and Willow looked at her oddly, but Xander raised a hand to her.

"High five for dork solidarity" he said. She hesitantly returned, grinning like an idiot. She was slowly coming to realise that Xander, Buffy and the rest weren't just Willow's friends who she happened to hang out with. They weren't just a social group that she was tenuously hanging on to. It was an odd thought, seeing as she'd never been big with the whole friends thing, that they were her friends. Tara's friends. Of course, having them all stand up to her father had certainly helped with that. Even Spike. Though his methods had involved punching her in the nose, so the gesture wasn't quite as appreciated as the others.

"When he starts on this stuff I just ignore him and look at his chest" Anya said, showing her usual level of tact and privacy.

"Same" Willow said. She recoiled as Tara shot her a (mock) glare. "Not that I objectify you, or women, It's just sometimes you outgeek me and that scares me a little so I just look at your chest and think 'Wow she really is breathing fast' and then I kinda zone out for a minute and when I come back I realise you've stopped outgeeking me so I go back to regular spaz Willow mode and…"

Tara managed to stop the flow of babble with her lips. They kissed for several long, enjoyable moments.

"Xander, stop looking!" Anya scolded from next to them. They looked to the side to glare at him, but were instead meet by him looking behind them.

"I wasn't looking at them… much" he said, pointing behind them. They turned to their other side to see a pair of vampires stalking towards them.

"Ohhhhhh" the three girls muttered in unison. They turned to face the two already game-faced vampires.

"See" one said to the other conversationally. "The thing about Sunnydale is that you don't have to order in. The food just comes to you. That's why we live here, inspite of the Slayer"

"I still think we'd be better off in a place without a dedicated demon hunter. I mean, I know the weather's never nice but Scotland's got a picturesque quality to it" the other said.

"You just want to wear a kilt" the first said.

"I just don't wanna get ready for a nice meal and then 'Bam' stake to the heart. Is that to much to ask?" the second shot back.

"Hey" the first said, finally acknowledging them. "Any of you the Slayer?"

"Nope. No slayers in sight" Willow said quickly.

"I am, however, a delivery boy" Xander said, stepping up to the two enthusiastically.

"Really, where do you work. Doublemeat Palace?" the first vampire asked.

"They don't do deliveries at Doublemeat you idiot" the second shot back.

"Actually I deliver pain" Xander shouted, punching the first vampire in the face. As he pulled back Tara noticed that Xander was holding a cross in his hand, in such a way that he would have hurt the vampire by punching him with it. Ouch.

The second vampire swung at Xander, who didn't have time to dodge. As he fell back the second vampire dived on him, punching him again. Without thinking, Tara leapt forward, throwing her whole body weight into the vampire. He was knocked back, as Willow and Anya fell on the first vampire. Anya had drawn a baseball bat from her long coat and was keeping the vampire down with it as Willow rummaged in her coat for a stake.

"Quickly please!" Anya half screamed as the vampire lashed at her.

"I'm going as fast as I can" Willow growled back.

The pair continued to argue as Tara and her vampire wrestled on the floor. He clearly had the upper hand. He was bigger and stronger and she couldn't think of a single spell that wouldn't harm her as well. He was leaning in, fangs bared. She felt them brush up against her neck, and in what seemed like hours pressure was applied, breaking the skin with a small pop of pain. She gasped, but couldn't summon the air to scream, couldn't summon the air to do anything. He chest was constricting, and her palms were going clammy as she felt the blood slide down her next before being greedily sucked up by the vampire.

She couldn't move she couldn't breath she felt sick to her stomach she needed air and and and-

And suddenly the vampire dissolved into dust.

She lay panting on the ground, sniffling and trying to ignore the tears welling in her eyes. Xander grinned down at her, pointedly ignoring the tears. She was very grateful for that.

"Sorry the assist took so long. Nothing like getting punched in the face to make you forget which way is up" he said with a grin. "You want a hand?"

"No, I'm fine down here thanks" Tara said, grinning shakily. Her cheeks were warming with embarrassment and she could only imagine she looked like a tomato by now. She'd panicked. Nearly died.

"You saved my life" Xander said pointedly. "Thanks"

And suddenly she felt so much better.

She accepted his hand, being pulled promptly to her feet. As she stood, she felt a rush of euphoria. It could have been from the not dying, but a tiny part was from a realisation. She'd been embarrassed because she'd imagined, for a second, that she'd failed. That the Scoobies suddenly wouldn't want her if she couldn't fight. If she was useless on the battlefield.

But she'd tried, and that was all that mattered to them.

"Well, you saved mine, so we're even" she replied.

"Oh, you're bleeding" came a voice from behind her. She turned to see Anya staring intently at her neck. "Willow, your orgasm buddy's bleeding" she called. Willow rushed over, withdrawing a bandage from her large coat.

"First" she said to Anya as she bandaged the wound. "She is not my 'orgasm buddy', She's my lesbian lover. Second" she continued before Anya could respond, turning on Xander "You let her get bit? If I didn't have it on good authority you enjoyed it, I'd spank you right now mister" Xander blushed. "Third, and most importantly" she said, rounding on Tara, before grinning caringly "Are you OK baby?"

"I get by with a little help from my friends" she said with a grin. "But seriously, Xander saved my life. If he hadn't come in all staking I'd be kinda dead"

"I know, I just don't like you getting hurt" Willow said, hugging her.

"Well I'm fine, I just panicked a little" 'and' she added in her head 'it didn't matter, because you're all my friends. No matter what' It was too cheesy to say out loud, but her look probably said it.

"I think we should head back, I'm kinda all slayed out" Xander said after a moment of contemplation. They all nodded their agreement and started to head back.

"Anyway, what was up with 'I deliver pain'?" Willow teased easily.

"Well, the slayer always says a pun or a witty play on words, and I think it throws her enemies off" Xander replied in a mock Willow voice.

"Shut up" Willow said, grinning and punching him in the arm.

"But seriously, I deliver pain?" Tara chipped in. "What is this, Delivery Boy Dredd?"

Anya and Willow looked confused as Tara and Xander once again high fived.

"Willow, I may have to steal Tara away from you" Xander said with a glint in his eye.

"You got a motorbike?" Tara replied.

"For you baby, I'd steal one" Xander was now pulling a faux-suave voice.

"You can take me anytime, anyplace" she replied huskily.

They reached a three way intersection and Anya cut in.

"Xander, stop flirting with Willow's lesbian. She's Willow's. And I want to go home and enjoy lots of orgasms!"

"Oh, I suppose" Xander said, looking very joyful. "We'll be together again soon my love" he said to Tara. She simpered in response.

"I can't wait"

They both laughed as they headed their separate ways.

Tara snuggled herself into Willow's shoulder and smiled.

"I love you. And I think I love those doofs aswell" she said. Willow smiled.

"I know"

Ummmm, review pwease?