"So, how was it? Seeing Buffy again? What did you guys talk about? She didn't, you know, overload you did she?" Willow asked Tara, as they stood awkwardly staring at each other across the room, when they weren't staring at their feet...

"It was, a little w-weird… Buffy was still k-kinda in shock, and w-well, I never knew Faith… Unless you c-count that one time… I don't think she even r-remembers it… but no, she just kinda left it for you to tell me… just asked how far you'd gotten…"

"ok… good." a moments silence.

"How is she?" Tara asked, gesturing to the unconscious Kennedy.

"She'll be fine… I've seen Buffy and Faith come back from stuff like this before. It'll be a hard couple of days, but then she'll be fine…"

"I didn't just mean the injuries"

"She took it well. I mean, she knew it was coming. She's always known you came first. She just didn't worry. She didn't think you would ever…" Willow looked down at her feet. She thought she might cry again, but she had no more tears. Suddenly Tara's hand was under her chin, lifting her face. They just stood, lost in the eyes of their love for an endless moment, content just to stand there, feeling the fire where their skin touched. The moment was spoiled when Tara's stomach growled.

"Oh goddess, you should have said something. Here, I'll get you some food…" Willow lead the way into the kitchen. "So, what do you want? I mean, we don't have much… But I think we have some pancake mix…"

"Rounds, or funny shapes?" They both laughed, remembering all the times Tara had asked that question all those years ago, when she would often make breakfast for the residents of the Summer's house. They made the pancakes and ate in silence, savoring every time their skin accidentally touched as they worked together in the small kitchen.

Once they finished eating, they went to the bedroom, to let Kennedy sleep where she was, as they knew they didn't have the strength to move her somewhere more comfortable…

"So, are you ready for more now, or do you want to wait?" Willow asked, sitting Indian-style next to a reclining Tara.

"Maybe a little more now… Like what happened to Sunnydale?"

"That's a lot more, but I'll keep going, and stop me once it's too much…" And she went on to explain about her time in the coven, learning to control her magic, the potentials, fighting the First, and how she activated all the potentials… The story of Kennedy, and turning into Warren, were added on to the end. And of course this chapter ended with the destruction of Sunnydale, closing the hellmouth for good.

Tara took in the entire story in silence. When Willow started on the parts about Kennedy and turning into Warren, she wanted so badly just to hold her, to tell her that everything was ok, that everything was forgiven. But was it? She understood, and she was glad that Willow had been happy, if she had really been gone for three years. But to her it had only been months, and Willow had already moved on. Emotions can't always be rationalized, and as much as she understood, and wanted to forgive Willow, she couldn't help but feel a little hurt and betrayed. Forgotten. Willow had stopped even dreaming that she could find her way back. But hadn't she said they would be forever? Always? Could she have forgotten promises of forever so quickly? But it hadn't been so quickly, Tara knew, but still, it felt that way to her. Wherever she had been, only months had passed. She had gotten back as quickly as she could, fought her way through dimensions just to get back, but was she too late? She had missed so much… It had taken Willow hours just to tell her what she had happened in only half the time she had been gone, and she knew that Willow was leaving out details, trying to make it easier to take in. And she was using magic again. Tara had fought so hard to help her, to move her away from the addiction that was hurting her, and she had been doing so well. And sure its different now, more like her own magic, but hadn't Willow told her she had killed a man with magic, almost destroyed the world?! And now she was using magic again, and she did seem reasonably scared of her power, but not enough to stop. But if the magic really was inside her now like she said, it would be just as dangerous. She had discovered that after her mom died. Magic was something they had done together, and when she died, she didn't want to do it alone. She went crazy as the magic built up inside her, until it exploded out. The episode is what had made her run from her home, her family. Her escape to college wasn't one of bravery, but one of fear. And now, this time she had fought her way back, done everything she could, battled her way through more than a dozen dimensions, both heavenly, hell, and those in-between, all to get back to her home and her family, her true family, with the scoobies, and Willow. The one she couldn't go on without. The one she had fought so hard for. The thing that made it impossible for her to give up, to stop fighting, to move on. The reason she knew she had to get home. But her home, Sunnydale, was gone, destroyed. Her friends had all moved on. The world had changed, and she had missed it. Willow had changed. They weren't the same people they had been. She knew that she too had changed. You can't go through a journey through dimensions like that and not change. She had done it once before, years ago, when Glory had sent her mind to Hell. That time it felt as if she'd been gone for an eternity, but she'd been gone barely a month. This time she thought she had been gone only months, but had truly missed three whole years. And Willow, she had grown so much. Her magic was completely different. She has a girlfriend who isn't Tara, or she did up until a few hours earlier. Could she still fit into Willow's life? Were they still meant to be? Or did forever end with a single death?

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