The spectre of the Summers' home loomed over Faith as she stood on the walkway with Willow. "I can't believe she's gone."
"Gods aren't easy to kill." Willow lifted her arms a little then let them drop. "We should probably go inside."
"Yeah." Faith sighed and walked with Willow up the porch steps. "Are you sure I can take B's old room without pissing anyone off?"
"If anyone gives you a hard time, send them my way. My resolve face is still as powerful as ever." While the words were jovial, her tone wasn't.
"Do they know how you got me out?" Faith asked.
"Do you want them to?" Willow countered.
"They should know the truth. All of it. Things go better when everything's out in the open." Faith still looked nervous.
"I'll tell them about how I got you out, why I got you out. I didn't mess with their minds on the subject. That way only leads to badness."
"But you messed with some minds. I got released on a technicality that didn't exist before."
"I can own up to it. I know at least one person who will be angry about it, but I'll deal." Willow gestured to the door. "We should go inside."
Faith took a deep breath and opened the door. Everyone was in the living room, Xander, Anya, Dawn, Tara, Giles, Spike, all there and none of them happy.
Willow quipped, "Got us a slayer."
"You told deadboy junior he could move in here. You sprung Faith. You didn't even talk to us about it. You just went to get her. How's she even out of jail? You didn't mention that part on the phone." Xander asked face turning red.
"I used magic. People think she's out on a technicality. Hank will call soon, telling us Dawn should live in the stable environment Tara and I offer her rather than his constantly traveling for business one. He's going to suggest I adopt her. And I'll agree."
"Good," Dawn said. "I didn't want him taking me away."
Tara got up and left the room. Willow went after her, catching up with her in the kitchen. "Tara, I'm sorry."
"You didn't talk to me about this. And you played around with people's memories. After what Glory did to me, how could you think I'd be OK with that?"
"Do you mind your memories of Dawn?" Willow asked tired and looking for the fastest way out of this argument.
"Of course not. But that's not the same."
"How isn't it the same? I took nothing away from people, I added new things. Things that keep Dawn and the world safe. How's that a bad thing?"
Tara rolled her eyes. "You don't get to play god, putting thoughts and memories there that shouldn't be."
"What would you have done?" Willow asked curious.
"I would have found another way."
"What other way? Because I know what happens. We'd use the bot for a while to keep Hank and the demons and school at bay, but she'll mess up and we'd be unprepared for the fallout. The town would burn to the ground in a large scale demon attack when they figured out there was no slayer on the hellmouth. People would find out Buffy was dead, or they'd think she abandoned Dawn. How is that good for anyone?" Willow felt her ire creep through her brain. "This way Hank keeps the life he's accustomed to, Dawn stays where she's comfortable, and where it's stable, and Faith can work to redeem herself in a more constructive way than rotting away behind bars, the hellmouth will be guarded by two super powered beings."
"What aren't you telling me?" Tara asked with narrow eyes.
Willow felt the deep need to confess to not do to Tara what she'd done before. Tell her the truth, all of it, and let Tara make an informed decision. "We should talk upstairs. I'd prefer no one else know about this."
"Fine." Tara held herself as they walked up to their room. The air crackled with the tension.
"You should sit." Willow however paced. "The story starts last week and two years ago. Last week for you, two years ago for me. Do you know the spell vicis eo?"
"The time travel spell." Tara sat stiffly. "You're from two years in the future."
"Yes. And last time round, the dimensional walls collapsed, the ritual got started, and Buffy jumped off the tower to save Dawn. She died in a mystical way and we brought her back from the dead, ripping her out of heaven. We thought she was in hell. But bringing her back from the dead created an opening for the First Evil to make waves. It killed potential slayers, and we were losing. Something had to be done. Giles told me to do the spell. I brought Spike with me. I needed his help. But we failed. Buffy still died. But we can't bring her back and wouldn't even if we could. No Buffy return means no First." Willow wrung her hands together.
"Why didn't I come?"
"Because you'd been dead for a year by that point."
"I-I-I died?" Tara gasped and swallowed her shock.
"We'd just gotten back together, and you were hit by a stray bullet meant for Buffy. And I need to be honest with you. I went off all the deep ends. I tortured and killed the man responsible and tried to kill my friends and almost ended the world. I'd gone cold turkey off the magics months before that. I'd gotten addicted. You left me because I took away one of your memories of a fight we had. You were right to leave me. I took away your ability to make an informed decision. So I will tell you everything. I want you to know everything you need to know."
"I know enough. I have to go. Now." Tara stood in a daze.
"Don't leave tonight. I'll sleep on the couch. But it's already dark. I'll help you with anything you need tomorrow. Drive you to the dorms. But stay. And I don't think the others need to know. It'd only hurt them more, knowing that I brought Buffy back before and can't do it again." Willow hoped that Tara understood.
"I won't tell anyone, and I'll stay if you sleep on the couch. But I'm leaving tomorrow, and I won't be back this time. Do you have any idea the lines you crossed?"
"I know. I'm sorry. All I can do is not make the same mistakes."
"But you're still playing with people's minds. You haven't learned a thing." Tara turned her back on Willow.
"I had to make tough decisions on a limited timetable." Willow hung her head. "I'll leave you alone."
Downstairs, Giles and Xander were vying for who was the angriest. "What'd I miss?" Willow asked.
"Giles's pissed that you felt I could replace B, Xander's pissed that he was left out of the loop, and Anya's threatening me to stay away from her man. Dawn's been trying to mediate and Spike's just stood over there looking bored. How'd it go with your girl?" Faith asked.
"She's not my girl anymore. Dawn needs to decide who she wants to be her guardian. Me or Tara."
"You're making me choose?" Dawn's eyes were huge. "How can I? I love you both."
"And both of us will always be there for you. But you need to decide who will live here with you."
Dawn looked at the floor. "You," she whispered then louder said, "I choose you."
"Now that that's settled, why don't you explain to us why you left us all out of the decision making process," Giles said, Ripper close to the surface.
"And if I came to you? Any of you with the choices that needed made, what would you have said?" Willow asked defensive for the second time that night.
"I would have said we'd find another way," Giles said.
"What he said," Xander said as he pointed at Giles.
"And the town would be overrun with demons within three months," Spike said as he studied his nail polish. "Willow made the right calls."
"Thanks, Spike." Willow nodded. "And we should tell them about that thing you got."
"Oh, yeah, right then. I have a soul."
"You have a what?" Xander's disbelief was clear.
"A soul. Got one."
"How did this occur?" Giles asked.
"Wanna field that one, Red?" Spike asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"He asked me for one. I did it no strings attached. It's official, he's one of the good guys." Willow hated out and out lying, but there was no way around it.
"You? You asked for a soul?" Anya snorted. "I don't believe it."
"Did it for Buffy." Spike shrugged like it was no big deal.
"And we can tell by your obvious guilt," Giles deadpanned.
"Got that in spades, mate. I'm just not Paingel. But then his is forced on him with an anti-happiness clause. I don't have one of those. I'm free to feel whatever, brood free." Spike rolled his eyes at the disbelieving expressions on the gang's faces. "You don't have to believe me. I don't care if you do or don't."
"Just the same, I'll remain grateful for the chip," Giles said as he took off his glasses.
Spike smirked and Willow bit her bottom lip for a second.
"So where's Faith sleeping?" Dawn asked.
"I told her she could have Buffy's old room." Willow waited for the recrimination but no one said anything.
"That OK with you, Dawn?" Faith asked.
"I don't like it, but there's nowhere else. Spike's taking the basement." Dawn chewed on her cheek tears welling up.
Willow sat next to Dawn and pulled her into a hug. "It's OK to be upset. Buffy's only been gone a week. The situation left holes in all of us."
"Why did you and Tara break up?" Dawn choked out.
"Because I should have talked to at least her before making all these decisions." Willow stroked Dawn's hair.
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I didn't want to burden her, or anyone. I was wrong. And I'm sorry." Willow kissed the top of Dawn's head. "You can take anything you want from Buffy's room."
"Just leave me the bed," Faith said. "Speaking of, I should patrol then go to bed. Coming, blondie?"
Spike pushed off the wall and touched Willow's shoulder as he walked by. "Take care of the Bit for me."
Willow nodded and watched them go.
"Anya, we're leaving." Xander grabbed his coat off the back of the chair.
"Bye everyone," Anya said as she followed her fiance.
Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm the only watcher in history that continues his duties after his slayer dies."
"I'm sorry Giles," Willow said. "We'll understand if you don't want to help. Buffy was your daughter. If you need to leave, or take time off, we'll all understand."
"Leave?" Giles questioned. "What makes you think I'd leave?"
"W-when Buffy ran away, you spent all your time looking for her. Nothing else mattered to you. Now that she's never coming back, I thought it might be too painful for you to stay. I don't know why." Except he left last time round.
"I'm not going anywhere. Though a short sabbatical sounds prudent." Giles put his glasses back on. "I'll let you know my plans tomorrow. For now I should go home."
"Talk to you tomorrow," Willow said as she continued to hold Dawn.
It was just the two of them, and Dawn fell asleep with her head in Willow's lap. Willow covered the girl with the blanket on the back of the couch and leaned back. She too fell asleep quickly.
