Author's Notes: Just so you know, each chapter will match up with one episode, although there will be a few chapters set between episodes. Some chapters will be like chapter one and have the events of the original episode happen mostly the same but "off-screen". Others will be more like this and chapter two and have altered versions of the events included. Let me know if there are any favorite Season Two scenes you don't want left out. Unless the plot would negate their existence I'll be happy to put them in. I'm glad you guys are liking it!

Dirty Tube Socks: I promise Dawn will be written with minimal brattiness. I love her friendship with Tara and I've gotten used to writing her. Her presence will be explained first thing below. No Glory/Ben presence in this story though.

LEDlorien7: Thanks for the typo catch! There are always at least 8 of those I miss the first time I upload a new chapter, but I do go back and fix them. I'll add tags to thoughts from now on, I definitely want my writing to be as clear as possible. Willow's books were for the science fair (at least the titles Tara read), but that's a neat thought. Your other guesses are right on the money. That quote about the internet is from Season Five when Tara and Anya were talking about computers.

Chapter Three: Parent vampire conference

Two months earlier…

"I'm telling you brother, we cannot risk such a thing." Brother Mikail said attempting to calm his fellow monk.

The two monks had been arguing this point for months now. Brother Gregori was insisting that they heed the prophecy now. Brother Mikail, along with most of the other members of their order didn't want to put the Key in harm's way until absolutely necessary.

"And I am telling you brother, it is too risky not to!" Gregori put forward the tome he had been poring over so desperately. "At some point in the next three years, the Beast will rise. We must get the Key to safety now, before it comes seeking it."

Mikail looked at the book, wishing he could deny his compatriot's claim. Only recently had the diary of one of their ancient predecessors been unearthed and translated from the cryptograms it had been scribed in. The Abomination was coming, and the fate of all universes hung in the balance.

"To do what you are proposing would leave the Key human, helpless."

Gregori nodded.

"Precisely. That is what the Slayer is meant to protect, the helpless."

That night the order gathered to perform the ritual that would mold the Key into flesh. As their power wove a new shell for the energy, it twisted through the memories of the Slayer and those closest to her. A new being was made from the blood of Buffy Summers, one the monks would entrust her to guard with her life.

...

Things changed after that day with Daryl. Tara didn't quite feel like part of the group, not yet. But she had taken her first step in the door.

Tara was waiting with eager anticipation for Willow's arrival. Saturday was going to be her first time meeting with Willow and the others outside of school. The girls had agreed to meet up in the park before going to pick up Buffy and Xander. Tara loved this place. It was peaceful enough that she could ignore the "Hellmouth" energy and just enjoy the trees, the field, the stream, and the lovely bridge that passed over it.

Willow smiled when she saw Tara sitting on the bench they chosen as their meeting spot. The blonde waved back at her with a big grin and Willow's pace picked up.

"Hi," she greeted her as she took her seat. "You ready for the Bronze?"

"I'm a l-little nervous." Tara admitted. "But excited too, I think."

"It's an important rite of passage for aspiring Scoobies. You've already been attacked by vampires and logged research time, so it's definitely next on the checklist." Willow said, pondering what else she could do to make the other girl feel included.

Tara felt a little warmer at the thought of belonging somewhere.

"So, are there any grown-ups besides Mr. Giles and Miss Calendar who know about the H-hellmouth?"

She'd been wondering about that since she'd learned about the connection between Buffy and Giles. The Slayer had more freedom than Tara had pictured her being given by the ancient shadowy council described in People of Extraordinary Power. Surely they were giving the chosen one more support than one tweed clad librarian, however skilled.

"Well, maybe, but no one we work with. Oh, except for Angel."

It felt strange to Willow to think of Angel as a "grown-up", even if he was two hundred and forty something. Thinking of the vampire that way made the quasi-relationship he had with Buffy seem kind of naughty. Not that it wasn't naughty for plenty of other reasons, the first being, hello, bloodthirsty creature of the night. But they were so sweet together Willow couldn't help but root for them. Tara tilted her head questioningly.

"He's kind of Buffy's boyfriend. But they're still working out the whole 'him being a vampire' thing."

Tara's normally narrow eyes shot open to almost complete roundness. Willow waved her hands as she hastily expanded on her statement.

"Oh oh, but Angel's not a scary 'Grr, I'm going to suck your blood', vampire. He's more of a Louis from Interview type vampire, you know, with the abstaining from human blood and killing. He has a soul and everything."

The older girl relaxed slightly, giving Willow enough piece of mind to take a breath.

I can't believe she hasn't freaked from all this supernatural stuff yet. She's a lot braver than she lets on, the redhead thought happily.

"I-I guess it's helpful, having someone else super-strong around." Tara said with a thoughtful nod. "Where does Miss Calendar fit in? Does she do the computer stuff, like you?"

"Sort of, but she more helps with the magic side of things." Willow was speaking so fast she didn't immediately notice Tara's eyes reach a new level of roundness. "She says she's not a real witch, just a techno-pagan."

She finally noticed her companion's surprise and realized she'd jumped ahead a bit in the explaining department. Willow backed up to fill Tara in on the presence of magic. It was important to know if she was going to be a Slayerette.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but you should know, witchcraft, it's totally real."

Tara found herself laughing. She'd pictured this moment before several times, but somehow it had ended up happening in reverse. The younger girl just kept on with what she must have thought was new information, completely misinterpreting Tara's laughter.

"I know it sounds crazy but it's true!" Willow said with sincerity. "This one time…"

The blonde shook her head.

"That's not it… just…"

Tara looked around the park. No one was too close by. She wanted to demonstrate to Willow what she was, but would have to be careful not to do anything too noteworthy. Even if the people of Sunnydale seemed to be in denial about the supernatural, she couldn't risk exposing herself.

"Let me show you."

She got up from the bench and went a few paces away to kneel on the grass. With a deep breath she focused on the Earth's energy around her, and reached out with her power to connect with the leaves sparsely covering the ground. Willow watched as they began to hover ever so slightly, slowly twirling around Tara as the blue eyed girl waited for her reaction with a tentative smile. The witch was putting as much concentration as she could into making it look like a zephyr had picked the leaves up so it wouldn't appear suspicious.

"Wow! You're a witch? How long have you been one? How did you become one?"

"Always." Tara said quietly as she gently let the leaves drift down. Willow was looking at her in awe, and without fear. "My mother is one too. I-it goes back in my family, at least as far as her grandmother."

"That's amazing. Jenny told me it takes years of practice to become a full-fledged witch. Does it always run in families like that?" She tilted her head in contemplation. "There's this girl in our year, Amy. Her mom is-was a witch. Do you think Amy might be one?"

Tara shrugged.

"Maybe. It doesn't always pass on, a-and plenty of people who practice don't get it from their parents."

Willow had so many questions she wanted to ask. There was a whole world out there she had only seen the surface of and she wanted to dive in. But Tara deserved someone to talk to who actually knew something about magic already. Willow was probably annoying her with her relentless curiosity.

"You should meet her. If she is a witch, you'd have some else to talk about the magic with."

That offer held little appeal for Tara. A possibly magically inclined stranger was more intimidating than enticing. Besides, there was another girl she wanted to share her magic with.

"M-maybe, some other time." She paused, hoping her next revelation would be as well received as her others. "Actually, I-I saw… y-you have a lot of power."

"What?" Willow said in shock. Tara might as well have just told her she was from planet Krypton. The idea was too impossible and thrilling. "No… I, I don't have any power. I'm no spellcaster, I'm just a computer geek. I'm definitely nothing special."

"No you are." Tara said with calm seriousness. Willow's chest was heaving with each breath. The older girl blushed at her own forwardness. "I can see auras… yours, it's… it's intense. You have the potential."

"Whoa…" Her normal babbling was blocked by the enormity of what Tara was telling her.

Tara put all her hopes into her next sentence.

"I can teach you, if you want."

"Really? Can we do it now?" She asked eagerly.

She said yes! Tara thought with joy.

"We have to get to Buffy now, but soon."

"Could we start tomorrow?" Willow wanted to plunge into the world of magic as soon as possible.

Tara was just as eager to start, but Sunday was her day with her mother and without Maclay menfolk, for most of it. Plus she would need time to come up with some kind of lesson plan. She wanted to treat this more seriously than her middle school experiments.

"Tomorrow I have family plans… M-monday after school?"

"Absolutely." Willow stood, beaming with excitement.

Together they headed for Revello Drive, both tingling with anticipation for Monday afternoon.

Neither girl noticed the leaves dancing in the air behind them as they left.

…

The Slayer was facing down a fearsome battle. She stood before her closet, glaring with determination to complete her task: choosing what to wear on her Saturday night out. Eventually she found a suitable skirt, but the piece she pictured matching it with was nowhere to be seen.

"Dawn, did you take my peasant top?" Buffy shouted to her little sister.

"Still in the dryer." Dawn called back from downstairs, not looking away from the television.

Buffy groaned and went to the basement, carrying the half of her outfit she had already put together with her. She was still pawing through the freshly dried clothes when the doorbell rang. Her mother answered the front door before Buffy found her un-ironed top.

"Hi Mrs. Summers." Willow said.

Tara tried not to fidget with her sleeve as she stood slightly behind Willow on the Summers' porch.

"Hello girls. You must be Tara." Joyce greeted them amiably.

Tara nodded. A young and somewhat gangly tween girl appeared behind Mrs. Summers, eager to see the new arrival.

"Hi Willow." Dawn said with a little bounce.

Willow smiled at her. Dawn had liked Willow from the moment they met, appreciating someone who, unlike her sister, didn't think liking school was weird. Buffy always assured Willow and Xander they didn't have to feel obligated to spend time with her kid sister, but they both treated her like a friend, playing games with her and taking her to the movies on a somewhat regular basis. The Slayer told them that they wouldn't enjoy Dawn's company as much if they had to put up with her every day like she did, and maybe that was true. But at least the attention they gave her was a good incentive for the young girl to keep from blabbing what she knew about the supernatural world to their mother.

"Hey Dawnie." Willow said warmly. "How's fifth grade treating you?"

"It's going good." Dawn's attention turned to the newest girl. "So you're Tara?"

She nodded again.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you Dawn."

Tara was pleasantly surprised both her greetings had come out with no stutters. There was something she liked about this family.

"Buffy says you can read a bunch of ancient languages. That's so cool."

Tara blushed as Mrs. Summers looked at her in surprised admiration.

"Just a few…" She said quietly as Buffy arrived, having changed into her clubbing threads.

"Hey guys. You ready?" Buffy asked as her mother stepped aside to let her through.

"Sure." Willow said with a glance to Tara for affirmation.

"Have a good time girls." Joyce gave a look of unspoken warning to her daughter not to be out too late, which Buffy acknowledged. She was used to making an evening appearance for her mother before slipping out of her window for patrol. "It was nice to meet you Tara."

"It was nice to meet you too."

The three high-schoolers left the house with brief waves to the Slayer's family, Willow and Buffy walking on either side of their new friend.

…

"The Bronze," Xander said grandly as they arrived at the night club in question, "Because the town isn't good enough for gold or silver."

"Is there a-a story behind that name?" Tara asked looking at the metal sign.

"Nope." Willow replied. "It's pretty much the only scene around here."

"Unfortunately it's also a popular scene for vamps, so keep an eye out for them." Buffy warned as she opened the door.

"They're easy to spot if you practice." Willow assured her, surprised Tara didn't seem concerned at the idea.

Right now the girl was more intimidated by the crowd filling the converted warehouse than hypothetical vampires.

"There's always their auras." Tara said quietly. "They have a different l-look to them, and they feel really cold."

She had managed to get some glimpses of the auras of her attackers the night she met Buffy, and had been startled by the desaturated near emptiness surrounded by dark red veins.

"Huh?" Xander said as the group took seats at one of the open tables. "Auras?"

Buffy looked around for eavesdroppers and then back at Tara.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

Tara nodded. The three friends were practically joined at the hip. Now that two of them knew it made no sense to keep Xander in the dark, or Mr. Giles for that matter.

"Willow knows." Tara looked at the confused boy across from her, hoping his reaction would be as benevolent as his friends'. "Xander, I'm a w-witch."

His reaction was one of pure amazement.

"Whoa. You see auras? Can you mind read?"

"Oh, oh no, that's w-way too advanced…" She said with embarrassment and a little relief.

"Xand, she's a witch, not a psychic." Willow chided him.

"Some people can read minds with magic, but it-it takes a lot of power." Tara offered. "More power than I have."

Buffy tilted her head thoughtfully.

"That could be helpful." She frowned as she imagined going through school able to hear people's thoughts. "Then again teen boy minds, total ick." She shuddered a little before changing the subject. "So what did you do for fun back in Alabama?"

"I-I did some horseback riding."

Xander seemed to want to know more about the witch stuff, but Tara was grateful for the topic change.

"Horses?" Willow said curling up a bit in fear. "Like big, tall, teeth that can take your arm off horses?"

"Oh sure, I learned to ride when I was a kid. I-it's fun." It was cute to see the redhead she usually saw as so brave and strong terrified of an animal girls were expected to idealize, of all things. Tara couldn't help teasing her. "And by the way, most horses don't like arm very much."

Xander decided to join in on the fun poking.

"Will here was traumatized by a pony."

Buffy's eyes widened at this new information.

"Really? This story I need to hear."

"We were at birthday party with pony rides when we were four. She went up to pet it…"

"Xander!" Willow yelped as she shoved him, feeling her face turn scarlet.

He gave Buffy an apologetic shrug, relenting. Tara was still smiling at Willow, amused by the display of mortification.

"I-if you're careful I could show you how to ride some time." She said kindly. "I guarantee safety and fun."

They shared a long, meaningful look that neither of them quite understood.

"Okay." Willow said softly after a long silence.

Somehow it was an agreement to more than just going riding; it was an acknowledgement of their roles as teacher and student to one another. Willow would teach Tara about being a monster fighter, and Tara would teach her about horses and magic. They hadn't known each other very long, but they trusted each other.

…

Monday afternoon Tara followed Willow to the Rosenberg house for their first magic lesson. Principal Snyder had called Buffy to his office earlier that day and was making her and Sheila, another juvenile delinquent, set up the school for Parent Teacher night. Being true friends, Xander and Willow had agreed to help Buffy out and Tara was only too happy to join in. It meant that this lesson was probably the only one they'd be able to squeeze in for a while, which disappointed Willow. She was determined to learn as much as she could and had already done some preliminary research.

"My parents are out of town for the week." Willow told Tara as they entered her home. "Lucky for me that means they won't make it to the conference on Thursday. I don't envy Buffy. Snyder is always giving her a hard time."

Tara wasn't sure if parents who were never around were really such a valuable commodity. Her own family situation was messed up in many ways, but absentee parents didn't sound so wonderful either. Willow barely ever talked about them, and it seemed she'd accepted their detachment with her own indifferent resignation. It was odd considering how important her relationships with her friends clearly were to her. In any case, it wasn't Tara's place to judge she reminded herself as Willow led her to her room.

The bedroom was as organized and charming as Tara had imagined; there was even an aquarium with several lovely tropical fish. She watched them for a moment before facing Willow. The redhead stood there for a few seconds before indicating the floor with her hand and sitting down. Tara followed and pulled her book bag over, unzipping it to get out the crow feathers she had brought for them to practice on.

"So I was wondering," Willow asked as her new teacher laid one of the feathers between them, "Should I call you a witch or a Wiccan? I've read that some people prefer that term, 'cause of all the negative associations with the word 'witch'."

"Well," Tara began after a moment's contemplation, "Wiccan technically means a follower of the Wicca religion. Not all followers of W-wicca use magic. And there are some magic users who don't follow Wicca. So, not all Wiccans are witches and not all w-witches are Wiccans."

She took a breath, her tongue still a bit stressed from so many W's. She would have to get used to them if she was going to be talking about witchcraft and Wicca with Willow.

Wiccan witchcraft with Willow, Tara thought, Hard to say, but I like the sound of it.

"But, uh, to answer your question, witch or Wiccan is fine, s-since I'm both."

"Okay." Willow looked down at the feather. "So, what are we doing first?"

"I want you to try and float the feather," Tara could see her student's eyes light up with excitement and quickly continued, "B-but first you need to understand energy."

Willow nodded. She was ready to learn whatever it took to harness her power.

"The energy that fuels magic comes from l-lots of places. It comes from living things, their lives and emotions. It comes from important events and times, like the solstices and equinoxes. E-even a place can have its own energy, like if something really significant happened there, or if there's a connection to another dimension."

"Like the Hellmouth." Willow chimed in. "That's why all the big nasties come here, to use its evil energy."

"Exactly." Tara said with a nod. "Right now we're going to focus on tapping into the energy inside of y-you." She looked down at her legs. "I-I like the lotus position, but whatever helps you is fine. Just clear your mind."

Willow had been prepared for some meditation, and mimicked Tara's position to begin. She closed her eyes and the other girl let her sit in silence for a while before guiding her with her voice.

"Feel the connection. The air in the room, the heat of the sun coming in, the fibers of the carpet. Feel your breath coming in and out. That's your spirit, flowing between you and the world around you. Feel the air move through your body, expanding your lungs, filling them with the energy of the room."

It went on like that for some time until Willow began to feel a familiar prickling. Only instead of her fingertips, it began in the center of her chest and slowly filled her to each corner of her body. It was like the sensation of a leg that had fallen asleep waking up, only more pronounced. The sweet cadence of Tara's voice continued to lead her, and soon she was reaching out for the feather.

"You can open your eyes. Look at it as you feel the bristles spreading out from the vane. Feel its mass."

The witch's stutter seemed to have vanished as she took on the mantle of magic instructor.

"I can feel it." Willow said with excitement. Her pulse was pounding, every extremity charged with the energy Tara had seen in her.

"Good." Tara said softly. "Now focus on making it lighter, lifting it from the carpet."

Willow's brow furrowed in concentration, determined to demonstrate that she had the power her friend believed her to have. After several minutes of scowling the black feather wobbled a tiny bit. She groaned and redoubled her efforts.

"You're trying too hard." Tara said calmly.

Willow always called herself an overachiever, and it was no surprise she'd go after mastering witchcraft with the same intensity she took on her academic life with. The younger girl looked at her in forlorn exasperation.

"Think of it like you're holding a glass. If you hold it too lightly, or if you don't have the right grip it will slip away from you. It you hold it too tight it'll shatter."

"Okay, I get it." Willow said looking from the feather to her teacher's comforting blue eyes. "But I want to get this right."

"You will." Tara replied soothingly. "Just m-moving it at all on your first try is really i-impressive."

That was no empty praise either. She hadn't expected the feather to move for the first hour of practice, at least.

"Keep trying."

Her student assented, and before the day was done she had made the feather float for a good two seconds before falling down. It was an amazing new experience, and Willow was thrilled to have such a patient tutor to share it with.

…

Over the rest of the week they helped out Buffy with the decorations and refreshments for Parent Teacher night. Xander had a lot of questions for Tara about witchcraft, though more about what kinds of spells she had used in the past than Willow's questions about the mechanics of it all. Giles and Ms. Calendar both took the revelation of Tara's magical status and her mentoring of Willow fairly well. Giles did however express concern about them practicing without adult supervision. The girls promised to be as careful as possible, though Willow thought he was being over-protective.

Wednesday afternoon the adult members of the Slaying group came to warn them all about the upcoming day of St. Vigius on Saturday, something Tara had never heard of. Apparently it was of some significance to the vampires, so they would have to be on their guard.

Wednesday night the gang unwound from the preparations for the conference with a night at the Bronze, though Buffy tried to get some French tutoring squeezed in with the help of the other girls. She was having trouble focusing, which Willow put down to Angel not having shown up distracting her.

The scariest moment of the night should have been when Xander asked them all to dance. It took all her courage, but Tara managed to agree, if only not to look like a coward in front of Willow. The other girl was just barely pushing past her own insecurities to get on the dance floor. And being nearly bodily dragged from their studying table by Buffy and Xander.

The truly frightening moment came later. A mysterious bleached blond man said there was an attacker trying to bite someone outside of the nightclub. Sure enough there was indeed a vampire in the alley trying to feed on a young woman. Buffy fought it while the rest of them got his intended prey to safety and fetched Buffy a stake. Before he was slain, the vampire called for someone named Spike to come help him. The blond man from earlier stepped forth from the shadows, clapping at Buffy's performance as her quarry turned to dust.

"Nice work, love."

"Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"You'll find out on Saturday."

"What happens on Saturday?"

"I kill you," he said with total assurance.

…

Angel carefully made his way through the halls of Sunnydale High, long since closed for the day. He had hoped he'd never have to tell Buffy about his descendants. It had been over fifty years since he'd seen his chaos loving grandchilde and if it were up to him he'd keep it that way indefinitely. But he couldn't ignore the rumblings in the underworld; Spike was gunning for his third Slayer kill. As always Angel was torn between his desire to protect the woman he loved and the need to keep his distance. And once again, he was going to compromise by offering a quick warning. Buffy had to know how serious this threat was.

"Well he can't be any worse than any other creature you've faced."

Angel could hear Giles speaking on the other side of the library's double doors.

"He's worse." Angel said as he entered the room, his movements silent.

Buffy turned around instantly to look at him. He walked slowly out of the shadows toward her and her companions. The dark blonde haired girl he had seen with Buffy at the Bronze last Saturday was with them.

"Once he starts something he doesn't stop, until everything in his path is dead."

"Hmm. So he's thorough, goal oriented." Xander said lightly, though Angel could smell the fear coming from him.

Buffy got up from her perch on the table and walked towards him.

"We were at the Bronze before. Thought you said you might show," she said coyly.

"You said you weren't sure if you were going." Angel replied with a smirk.

"I was being cool. Come on, you've been dating like for what, two hundred years? You don't know what a girl means when she says maybe she'll show?"

Tara could see what Willow had meant when she said he was "kind of" Buffy's boyfriend. Buffy and Angel were flirty, but there was also a tension and separation between the Slayer and vampire they conveyed in their body language. Tara was intensely curious about what the aura of a vampire with a soul might look like, but felt a little intimidated by him. It was rude enough that she had looked at Buffy and the others without their permission.

Willow saw Tara staring at Angel and took it upon herself to introduce them.

"Angel, this is Tara."

He nodded, now being able to put the name to a face. Buffy had mentioned the witch to him and he was glad that there was another person in Buffy's circle who could help keep her safe in the daylight. They exchanged brief hellos before Giles reminded them of the business at hand.

"Now that we're all introduced, we do have slightly more urgent matters to discuss."

"Yeah, like keeping my mom away from Principal Snyder tomorrow night." Buffy said turning back to face the group.

"And not dying Saturday." Jenny added.

Buffy looked at her as if she were insane.

"Angel, do you know if this Spike fellow goes under any other name?"

Angel was already out the door before Giles asked his question. If he lingered any longer the urge to be near Buffy would become too strong and they might get into a discussion of when they were going to have a "real" date. He could hear Xander threaten to put a collar with a bell on him and he shook his head. That guy just bugged him sometimes.

…

Thursday was split between battle preparations and conference preparations. Tara had picked up some holy water and other supplies from the Magic Box and was making simple protection charms for everyone. They wouldn't do much but slightly increase the chances of the holder avoiding injury, but Jenny and Willow agreed it was helpful and pitched in. Cordelia helped out whittling stakes with Xander, though with a large amount of complaining. Tara wondered why the cheerleader had bothered to come to help if she hated it so much. She reasoned that like her Cordelia must feel safer staying close to those who knew what really went on in the dark in Sunnydale.

Buffy herself was mostly focused on how she was going to impress Snyder while keeping him away from her mother.

"How are the refreshments coming?" Tara asked the busily preparing Slayer.

Buffy had finished preparing the snacks in library but had gone to the staff lounge's small kitchen area to get the beverages ready.

"Great. I've just got to finish the lemonade. Didn't have the ingredients for punch."

There was a small mountain of halved and squeezed lemons on the chopping board.

"How much sugar are you using?"

"Sugar?" Buffy said in confusion.

Tara winced.

"I-I'll get some." She said heading for the packets by the coffee machine.

When she was done helping she went to meet her father and brother in the lobby. Eileen left the house as little as possible these days, though Donald would have done most of the talking even if she had been present. Tara was luckier than Buffy in that Snyder didn't have much to say about her. Donny on the other hand…

"Rough housing is not tolerated in this school. I don't know what kind of discipline you enforce at home, Mr. Maclay, but here we believe that rules are not meant to be broken."

"Are you implying I don't know how to discipline my children?" Donald said evenly, staring down the shorter man.

The principal paused a moment before setting his jaw again.

"Just see that it doesn't continue, or he'll be pulled from the team."

Snyder glared at Donny and went to pounce on another family. Donny flipped him the bird when his father wasn't looking. The Maclay men left for home leaving Tara to help out Buffy until the evening was over. Her father warned her not to be late and she agreed, looking for the other Scoobies.

At 8:45 the inevitable happened and Mrs. Summers and Principal Snyder's paths collided, much to the Slayer's horror. Willow and Tara tried to keep her spirits up, but when the adults returned from his office things looked grim.

They never did learn how grim, as the windows were crashed through by fanged intruders. Spike had begun his attack early. On instinct Buffy took her mother by the hand and began leading her and a group of parents away from the attackers. Tara followed, distressed when she looked back and saw Willow and Cordelia running in the opposite direction.

"Nobody gets out! Especially the girl!" The leather clad vampire bellowed to his minions.

"Everybody, this way! Come on." Buffy shouted and shoved a janitorial cart at the vampires.

Their group ran into Giles, Jenny and Xander in the hallway but a vampire came at them from another direction and they split again. Buffy and Tara's group ended up barricading themselves in the science lab. The lights flickered then died as Buffy locked the far door. They could hear slamming against the door. It would only be so long before the wood gave out.

The parents, including Joyce were understandably freaked out. To Tara's surprise Principal Snyder insisted that it was a gang on PCP, which didn't really explain the vampires' hunting faces that they'd all seen. Snyder tried to escape through the window, but Buffy took charge, pulling him down from his stool.

"They will kill everybody in this room. Nobody comes in, nobody goes out until I say so, do you hear me?" She said firmly.

"Who do you think you are?" Snyder bristled.

"I'm the one who knows how to stop them."

With that declaration she headed for the ceiling. Her mother grabbed her by the arms to stop her.

"Buffy, are you crazy?" Joyce asked her. "Look, I know you've been accused of fighting, and other things but those guys are serious, you can't go out there!"

"I know. That's why I'm going up there."

Buffy indicated the ceiling with her head. She put a stool on one of the tables and climbed up. Tara braced it for her as she slid open the ceiling panel.

"Don't worry mom."

Mrs. Summers watched with great fear pouring off of her as her daughter enter the opening.

"Sh-she'll be careful." Tara told her, hating to see such worry on the kind woman's face. "B-buffy knows w-what she's doing."

"I hope so." Joyce replied, not taking her eyes from the ceiling.

The next several minutes were unbearably tense. Snyder began pacing and Joyce started sniping back and forth with him. One of the fathers couldn't take it anymore and tried to get out through the window.

"No! Look, you heard what Buffy said." Mrs. Summers called to try and stop him.

"She's a student, what does she know?" Snyder said and went to join the other man.

"S-stop!"

Tara could feel waves of hostility and hunger coming from right outside the window. She rushed in front of Snyder and tossed a bottle of holy water through the opening. Her efforts were rewarded with a cracking sound followed by a howl of pain. The father took the hint and stepped back. Joyce went to close the window behind him.

The danger was far from past. One of the vampires had apparently gotten a fire axe and was chopping through the door. He called for another vampire to guard him before he made his final swing, but he never took it. Joyce looked through the hole in the door, blocking Tara from seeing what was going on.

In the hallway, Buffy was slaying. She completed her task and her mother begged her to leave for her own safety, but the Slayer was having none of it. Joyce agreed to wait for Buffy's signal to open the door and a few minutes later they all rushed out of the room and down the darkened hall.

"Hurry, get them out!"

The directive was aimed at both Joyce and Tara.

"You're coming too." Buffy's mother insisted.

"In a minute. Go."

"Buffy!"

Both women tried to stay with her, but Giles practically dragged them to the library. Tara didn't want to leave without Willow. She could only pray that nothing had happened to her while they'd hidden in the science lab. Mrs. Summers was just as loathe to leave without Buffy and turned around to find her before Giles could lead them to the cellar. Tara followed, grabbing another bottle of holy water so she could do something to keep Buffy's mother safe if it came to that.

…

Willow sighed as Cordelia prayed for their deliverance from the vampires.

Why couldn't I be hiding in a small room from monsters with Tara? She grumbled internally before checking her thoughts. I mean Xander. Better yet, why couldn't I not be hiding in a small room from monsters?

The sounds outside had quieted, and she didn't know if that was something to be happy about.

I hope they're all okay…

…

Tara and Joyce found Buffy lying prone on the floor, Spike above her, poised to strike with a beam of wood. Joyce picked up the fire axe that had been discarded at some point and struck the vampire on the back of his head.

"You get the hell away from my daughter."

Tara could feel the power behind those words. It seemed Buffy didn't get all of her fierce protectiveness just from being the Slayer. Buffy stood and the Summers stared down the undead fiend together.

"Women." Spike said with a huff, and got to his feet before running off into the night.

Joyce let out of sigh of relief and lowered the axe.

"Nobody lays a hand on my little girl."

Mother and daughter hugged, a beautiful moment only slightly marred by Buffy gazing down the hall for remaining trouble. The shorter blonde looked to her friend as she stepped out of her family embrace.

"You holding up okay Tara?" She asked.

"I-I'm fine, but Willow, and Co-cordelia…"

Buffy winced.

"I didn't see them."

Tara's heart felt like it was about to be torn in two. Willow couldn't be dead. Not when they'd just met, not when the girl still had so much ahead of her.

Buffy could see Tara's dread and put a hand on her shoulder.

"But I'm sure they're fine. Willow's really resourceful. We'll go look for them."

They found the girls in a custodial closet, Cordelia on her knees making promises to the Almighty if they'd get her out of this. Tara fought the urge to hug Willow at seeing her safe and sound, but it was an unnecessary effort. The little redhead wrapped her arms around her and before Tara could respond Willow pulled back and beamed at her.

"You're alive!"

"You too."

…

The Summers walked side by side after sending Buffy's classmates on their own paths home.

"So, what did you and Principal Snyder talk about anyway?" Buffy asked, fearing the worst.

"Principal Snyder said you were a troublemaker. And I could care less." The women stopped walking to look at each other. "I have a daughter who can take care of herself. Who's brave, and resourceful, and thinks of others in a crisis. No matter what dumb teenage stuff you think you need to do, I'm gonna sleep better knowing all that. And you have good taste in friends too."

They shared a smile.

"But how long until this wears off and you start ragging on me again?" Buffy teased.

"Oh at least a week and a half." Joyce shot back as she resumed walking.

"Way cool."