Author's Notes: Thanks for all the views. Every review helps urge me to keep going, so let me know what you think.

I know it's taking a while to build up to the girls getting together, but they'll be getting closer in other ways for a while before they start their romance. There's also an overall plot that has nothing to do with the original Season Two storyline that will be picking up in a couple chapters. For now plot seeds are being sown and Tara is being integrated into the gang. There will be plenty of sweet moments (and several left turns) along the way to them becoming girlfriends, I promise. And like I say in the summary, this is about Tara's other relationships too. Her connections with Buffy, Xander, Giles, Cordelia, Oz, Joyce, Dawn, Jenny, Angel, her family and even some minor characters will all be important to the story in different ways.

boris yeltsin: Dawn was fourteen in Season Five, so she would be eleven here.

Chapter Four: Girls with secrets

Tara fell back onto her bed, thinking about the intensity of the evening she had just lived through. As terrifying as the vampire attack had been, that wasn't the thing that had most thrown her. Willow's hug had totally disarmed her. The girl's arms had only been around her for a few brief moments, but it was enough to stun her. Tara had gotten used to dealing with the little things she felt around her friend. She still tingled whenever green eyes met blue, and felt a spell-like rush when the smaller girl touched her shoulder. The hug had been a whole new level of connection. She'd felt so warm and safe in Willow's arms.

The whole thing made her feel guilty. The poor girl had no idea what she was doing to her, the emotions and sensations she could stir up just by smiling at her. Tara had been hoping her attraction would fade over time as their friendship deepened, but spending time with Willow was having the opposite effect. Just waiting wouldn't make it go away. She wasn't sure what would. What's more, she didn't really want to make it go away. It couldn't do that much harm to enjoy her crush for a little while longer, could it?

…

At the Rosenberg house Willow was lying awake with confused thoughts of her own. It had been completely natural to hug Tara, just a pure expression of her relief and gratitude at seeing Tara unharmed by the vampires. But she'd felt regret after letting go of her, a desire to hold on to her and savor the feeling of being near her. It had felt almost like touching magic. The same way she felt whenever their gazes met.

It was startling and new, and she didn't know what to make of it all. It couldn't be that she… liked Tara. That wasn't possible. After all, the hug had felt totally different from hugging Xander. She knew what a crush felt like, she was sure of it. Willow concluded it must have something to do with them both being witches. Maybe being close just meant they could feel each other's energies and she was reading too much emotion into what was a purely metaphysical exchange.

Still, it was definitely a feeling she wanted more of. They already had plans to see each other for magic lessons on Friday and Saturday afternoon. With luck there'd be plenty more where that came from.

…

By the end of Friday's lesson Willow had built up to thirty seconds straight floating small objects. Tara was proud of her student's progress and was already thinking of what they could move on to next.

"Do you think we can meet up sometime next week too?" Willow asked as Tara packed up. "I don't want to hog all your time, but I really feel like I'm getting somewhere, you know? This, it's not like anything I've ever done before."

"Of course we can." The blonde was happy for any excuse to spend time with the redhead. And seeing the girl master the basics of witchcraft would be exciting in its own right. "I'm um, busy on Thursday, but I'm free up the rest of the week." Thursday she'd be keeping her mother company during her chemo. "What works for you?"

Willow made a mental note to schedule her chemistry tutoring session with Rodney Munson for Thursday.

"Well, there's that field trip on Monday, and then the cultural exchange dance on Wednesday, which I know Buffy and Xander are going to want to go to. Tuesday's great. My parents won't be home till eight."

Tara had a brief moment of insecurity. Willow always seemed to plan their get-togethers for when her parents were away. Did she not want her to meet them? She decided it would be hypocritical for her to complain when she'd never offered to show Willow her home at all. She'd love for Willow to meet her mother, but she knew if the girl got to know her father she wouldn't want to be anywhere near her.

"Sounds good to me."

…

After their last class on Tuesday the girls walked to the library to check in with Buffy and Xander before they went to Willow's.

"So have you picked a costume for the dance?" Willow asked. "I've got this Eskimo costume. I think the harpoon really pulls it together."

Tara had been hesitant about going to the dance at first, but knew she'd have three friends with her and decided she could manage.

"That sounds cute." Tara said with a grin. "I-I thought I'd wear something Celtic, traditional. I-I'd feel weird dressing as something that I'm not."

Willow nodded.

"I can understand that. My mom kept going on about how this whole thing is cultural appropriation and I kind of agree, but really, how many excuses do you get to bring a harpoon to a nightclub?"

They opened the library doors to overhear Buffy and Xander talking.

"Oh come. In all the years you've known Willow, you've never thought about her lips?" Buffy asked Xander suggestively.

"Buffy, I love Willow. And she's my best friend."

Tara felt a twinge of envy at the huge smile Xander's words put on Willow's face.

"Which makes her not the kind of girl I think about her lips that much. She's the kinda girl that, I'm best friends with."

And Willow's smile vanished into an equally huge frown. Xander's explanation also made Tara feel like a bigger pervert than ever. Friends definitely shouldn't think about each other's lips as often as she did.

Willow forced a semblance of a cheery face on and greeted their friends.

"Hey guys."

"Willow!" Xander said a bit too loudly as he came over to them. "And Tara. We were just talking about happy things," He put an arm around each witch's shoulder, "Like the four of us going to the dance together, see? Happy." Xander pulled away when he saw Willow's frown return. "Not happy."

"No. Uh-uh, yes." She flailed her arms at Xander and Buffy. "We were just, going to tell you that we were going to practice some spells this afternoon, unless there's something Hellmouthy going on?"

"Nope." Buffy said with a sigh of gratitude. "I have to go pick up that Ampata guy in an hour though."

"I'll go with you." Xander said gruffly. "In case this guy tries anything."

The Slayer rolled her eyes.

"You guys have fun with the witch stuff."

"Right." Willow said fidgeting with her fingers.

"See you tomorrow." Tara said as they left the room.

The redhead let out a groan once they were away from the library doors.

"I know I know, I'm really obvious and pathetic."

"Willow, no…"

"I know I'm way too hung up on him, but… this is going to sound silly, it sounds silly in my head…"

"What is it Willow? I won't think you're silly."

Willow stifled a sigh.

"The last night of summer vacation, the night you met Buffy, me and Xander were walking by the park, talking and eating ice cream. He got some on my nose and was teasing me with the cone, and then… it was like the atmosphere changed. I thought he was finally going to kiss me, but this vamp jumped us, and Buffy had to fight it off. I kept trying to recreate that mood, but the moment, it was gone. I lost my shot."

"Those vampires r-really are pure evil, aren't they?" Tara joked to lighten their current mood. "I don't think that's silly at all Willow," she continued tenderly, seeing the corners of the smaller girl's mouth rise a little, "There's nothing wrong with having hope. I think… I think if it's meant to happen, it will happen. Eventually."

Willow's pain eased and a bittersweet smile succeeded in claiming her face.

"Thanks Tara."

…

The girls had begun practicing mixing potions on Saturday, and a few hours into Tuesday afternoon's get together they finally finished one that Willow deemed a success. Both days Tara had brought over her mother's excess stock of herbs for them to practice with. Eileen wasn't going to be brewing anything for a while and was glad her supplies wouldn't be going to waste. The potions were nothing strong, just quick sensory effects that activated when sprinkled from the caster's hand, but it was always a joy to see an experiment bear fruit.

There was another magical activity that seemed likely to bring joy that Willow had been wanting to try since reading about it on one the spellcasting websites she'd been visiting.

"So I was wondering… I've gotten pretty good with the levitation, right?" She asked. Tara nodded to Willow with a smile. "Well, I've read that, people can cast spells together, get more power behind them. And I thought, since I've gotten the hang of floating things, we could maybe… float something together?"

"I'd love to." Tara could feel a blush, but Willow didn't seem to care. "W-what did you want to use?"

The redhead got up and pulled a red rose out the glass vase she'd been keeping it in. The blonde felt even warmer at the sight of Willow holding the flower out to her, but knew it didn't mean anything special.

"I-I'll make a circle for it. It'll help focus our magic." Tara pulled some chalk out of her pack and looked questioningly at Willow. "Is that o-okay?"

"Sure." She sat down cross legged across from Tara as the older witch drew the circle beside them. "So, how do we…?"

"Give me your hands." Tara answered softly, holding out her own palms facing the ceiling.

They gently took each other's wrists, and both had to stop themselves from gasping at the jolt that ran through their arms at the contact.

"I-I haven't done this very often, so I don't know how w-well this will work."

Willow smiled at her companion's humility.

"I read that for it to work our minds have to perfectly attuned, and work as a single delicate implement. My mind is always racing and spazzy, so if anyone's going to mess it up it'll probably be me."

They both laughed a little, nervous to begin.

"Okay, we should um, probably start."

Before I forget why we're holding hands, Tara added to herself.

Willow nodded and closed her eyes. She envisioned the rose, and pictured it moving from the carpet into the air. The rush from earlier intensified, and she could feel a soft breeze waft through her hair. She barely noticed it next to the sensation that was spreading through her through the route of their clasped hands. It was a strong, firm presence that made her feel secure, warm, calm and excited all at the same time.

Tara did her best to focus on the flower and not get distracted by the feeling of Willow's energy meeting her own. Seeing her aura had somewhat prepared her for this, but having the magic inside of her was something altogether more intense. It was like the wind she had seen was moving through her, caressing her.

They finally managed to open their eyes and look at the rose. It was hovering peacefully at the level of their eyes.

"Wow." Willow was amazed that their first attempt had succeeded.

"It worked." Tara said almost breathlessly.

She slowly took her hands back, not wanting to get anymore caught up in the feel of Willow's power, not to mention her skin.

"Hey, what if we tried plucking the petals? With magic, I mean." Willow suggested.

"We can try."

The girls looked at the rose, their powers still mixing without physical contact. Each pluck was like a strum on a string connected to their nervous systems. Their eyes met once the last petal had fallen, and the bare stem fell to the floor.

"Again, wow." Willow ran her fingers through the petals. "Um…"

Tara was sure the look on Willow's face was embarrassment.

"Y-yeah?"

"Uh, does casting spells together always feel… like that?"

Willow hoped she wasn't the only one almost left in shivers by what they had just shared. Otherwise she'd be in the awkward position of trying to describe what "like that" meant, and it was far too embarrassing to put in to words.

Tara thought back on the few spells she had done in tandem with her mother. She had felt warm and protected, but not so… stimulated.

"Um, n-not always. Did it, did it make you uncomfortable?"

Tara couldn't help but look down, worried about the answer.

"No, it was just… new." Willow said honestly.

Talking about it might be uncomfortable, but the feeling itself was beyond comfortable. Or rather a positive sensation lateral to comfortable that Willow still didn't want to name, even to herself.

They cleaned up the room and said their farewells. Willow was confused and more than a little flustered about what had happened between them, but she was still eager to continue their lessons.

Tara certainly was too.

She also had an inexplicable craving for strawberries.

…

The next day brought several surprises. The first was that the "guy" Buffy was supposed to be hosting for the exchange program was a girl. Xander had met her the previous night and was already obviously smitten. He insisted on giving her a tour of the school while the girls went to the library to get their homework done before the dance. Several minutes in, Willow still hadn't gotten past her first page, twirling a stuffed frog around in her hands.

"Is this a comma splice?" Buffy asked pushing her essay toward Willow. She didn't look up. "Hey."

"Oh." Willow put down the frog and looked down at Buffy's paper. "Yes. I'm caring about English."

Buffy shared a knowing glance with Tara.

"Ampata's only staying two weeks." She reassured Willow.

"Yeah." Willow began twirling the frog in front of her lap again. "And then Xander can find someone else who's not me to obsess about."

Neither Tara nor Buffy had anything to say to that. Buffy had been trying to nudge her best friends together, but so far Xander had been too dense to see what was right in front of him.

"At least with you I knew he didn't have a shot." Willow paused again, squirming as she tried to regain her confidence. "Well you know, I have a choice. I can spend my life waiting for Xander to go out with every other girl in the world, until he notices me; or I can, just get on with my life."

Tara tried not to be so happy about that declaration.

She should be happy, Tara thought. It's not going to be with me, and if it's not going to be with Xander it should be with someone who appreciates her.

"Th-that's a good attitude."

"Good for you." Buffy agreed.

"Well I didn't choose yet." Willow said nervously.

She wasn't quite ready to let go after mooning over Xander for so long. But something inside her was more ready than she had been a month ago.

An hour later the girls left the library and found Xander and Ampata talking in the hallway. The exchange student seemed shaken by something, and Xander was promising to protect her. Tara and Buffy stood back as Willow went to him. The blondes both had mixed feelings when she told Xander to take Ampata to the dance. They knew that must have taken a lot out of her.

"You know what Willow? You're my best friend."

Xander touched her arm for a moment before going back to Ampata. Willow watched him leave, wistful.

"I know." She said softly.

…

Buffy had had all sorts of ideas about an outfit for the cultural exchange dance, but she ultimately decided on a red northern Chinese dress and slipper combo. It had come to her in a dream: a vision of a city a hundred years in the past, and a night the Slayer Xin-Rong had had some respite from her duty to go dancing. She had an idle thought that her shoes wouldn't leave much of an impact if she had to kick someone, but hopefully she'd be using them for partying, not fighting. Buffy looked at herself in the mirror, and the sight felt familiar.

The doorbell rang and she left with Xander and Ampata for the dance.

…

To no one's surprise, Xander and Ampata were wrapped up in each other, he in a western poncho and her in a beautiful Peruvian dress. Willow was sulky, having been the only one not to get an admiring look from the lone male Scooby.

Ampata dressed sexy, Buffy's never not sexy, especially to Xander. And Tara in that green bodice, yikes. What the heck was I thinking coming wrapped up in a parka? Willow thought as she made her way to the bathroom.

Buffy had taken a break from dancing to keep Tara company while Willow was gone. Neither of the shy girls had danced all night. Buffy had expected they'd be wallflowers, but it was starting to bum her out. She saw a boy looking at their table, and not at her. There was an opportunity.

"This is a pretty cool night." Buffy said to Tara conversationally. "Good band playing, everyone's dressed up… That guy's checking you out."

"W-what?" Tara said with a lightning quick glance at the boy Buffy's eyes had indicated. "W-what is he looking at?"

"The hotness of you, witchy woman." The Slayer teased to calm her friend. Tara just looked more nervous at that and Buffy decided she might have approached the whole thing wrong. "If he's bugging you I can totally go over there and destroy him with a few words. I'm great at slaying guys' egos."

"N-no, you don't need to…" Tara trailed off, playing with the sleeve of her dress. "I-I'm just not used to that. He was really looking at me?"

Buffy shook her head. It was refreshing that her girl friends were unaware of their own good looks instead of being full of themselves like Cordelia and her minions, but it was frustrating too.

"Really." Buffy assured her. "And it's not the first time I've seen it happen. I swear you and Willow… You could both have your pick of guys if you just came out of your shells."

Oh gods, not this… Tara groaned in her head. She'd managed to avoid the subject of her love life so far, but now she was kind of backed into a corner. It's just the kind of girl Buffy is, she wants to talk about boys and dating. If this friendship is going to last… then she has to know.

Tara swallowed, bracing herself for rejection.

"I'm not interested in, in having my pick of guys…" Tara's voice was barely audible. "Buffy, I-I'm gay."

Hazel eyes went wide as saucers.

"Oh." Buffy set her drink down and took a deep breath. "Oh." She repeated.

Tara looked away, knowing it was over. It had been nice to have friends for a little while.

"I'll g-go."

"Tara no!"

Buffy reached out and took Tara's hand before she could leave the table.

"I'm not… freaking out or anything, it's just, whoa, new information. A-and I'm glad you told me." She kept her hold on the taller girl's hand as an uneasy smile came to her face. Once she was sure Tara wouldn't leave she let go. "You should be the one freaked out by me. I mean, I don't think there's even a word for people who are attracted to vampires." Tara stifled a giggle at that. "Well, one vampire. Still not a sign of healthy teen sexuality."

"Am I missing Angel talk?" Willow asked as she took her place at the table.

Tara jumped a little, wondering how much the redhead had heard of their conversation.

"Um, not really. I was just saying I'm a weirdo for wanting to date the undead." Buffy said, still a bit uncomfortable. "I'm going take my turn in the little girl's room."

She left the witches alone. Tara looked at Willow, who was still confused by Buffy's reply and abrupt departure.

"Are you sure I didn't miss anything?" Willow asked leaning her harpoon on the pillar behind them. "Buffy seemed to be having kind of a wiggins."

"She just got some unexpected news." Tara replied, willing herself not to look at the floor or stutter. "Um, I think you should hear it too."

Willow looked at her in rapt attention, waiting for her to continue.

"You've been so nice to me, made me feel welcome, so I think you should know…" She inhaled to steady herself. "I'm gay."

Something twinged inside of Willow at Tara's admission.

"Oh. Cool. I mean, no one's ever felt close enough to me to come out before. It's like an honor or something. How long have you known? Are you out to your family, or…? I'm talking too much."

Tara exhaled, not having even realized she'd been holding her breath in anticipation of her friend's response.

"Since I was eight, I think. My family knows… only my mother is really okay with it, but they all know."

…

While the witches talked Buffy took the time to process this new knowledge about Tara. She'd never had a gay friend before, and she'd never really thought about how she felt about homosexuality. She knew some of mother's business contacts had 'partners', but that was about extent of her personal contact with gay people.

No, that wasn't completely true. At her old high school she and her friends had caught two girls holding hands and mocked them mercilessly. It hadn't meant anything to Buffy, for her it was just another of any number of things she made fun of less popular kids for. But it had probably meant a lot more to those two girls. Then there was that boy Ross, the only student at her school who had died before the vampire attack. The harassment he got for his orientation must have been at least part of why he'd committed suicide.

Tara was a good friend, and even if she was… unconventional in her attractions, it was no reason to treat her any differently than before. Buffy resolved to not show any more freaking and went back to her friends.

…

Giles dialed the Summers' home on the off chance that his charge would still be there. Something deadly was loose and he had to warn her. Dawn was the one to answer his call. She sounded positively frantic, not even giving a greeting.

"Are you Buffy? Please be Buffy."

"It's Giles. Dawn, what's happened? Where is your sister?"

"She's at that dance. I didn't mean to look, really. But she's an exchange student you know? I just wanted to know what kind of stuff she brought from South America, I didn't mean to…"

"Dawn, please." The Watcher said firmly, his own situation being too urgent to listen to a preteen's fretting for overlong. "What has happened?"

"There was a mummy in the trunk. I thought it was weird Ampata was supposed to be a boy, and then she's a girl, and only has boy's clothes in her suitcase…"

"Dear lord." Giles said as the pieces began to fit together. "I'm going to get Buffy. Don't touch anything else."

"Gross! Why would I touch it?"

"Good bye Dawn." He set off for the Bronze, praying he wouldn't be too late.

…

The girls were getting snacks from the buffet table. Tara picked up a cheese wedge Willow had knocked off the tower with her gloves and handed it to her while Buffy saw Giles coming over to them. He had his "evil is afoot" face on.

"What's the what?" The Slayer asked her Watcher as he reached them.

"Where are Xander and Ampata?" Giles asked looking around the crowded club.

"Xander went looking for her." Tara answered.

"Bloody hell." He made a quick swipe at his glasses. "A mummified body was found in a girl's bathroom at the school. And Dawn just found another one in Ampata's trunk."

"My god…" Buffy said. "I thought something was off about her."

"I believe she may not be who she claims. In fact I believe she may be a mummy herself."

"I w-was getting queasy feelings around her." Tara said remembering the few times she had been close to the Peruvian girl. She hadn't thought much of it, since she still tended to get anxious around new people.

"Oh." Willow said with a smile. "Good." She frowned, remembering that Xander was in danger from more than just a break up from incompatible states of aliveness. "Xander!"

"Where are they?" Rupert asked.

"Backstage I think." Willow said, and they all left to go find their friend.

They were all too preoccupied to hear the voice of the band's lead guitarist calling after Willow.

"Hey I uh… Who is that girl?"

They rushed into the back room to find Xander slumped against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"I think so. Boy that was some kiss." He said breathlessly.

"Where's Ampata?"

"She said something about making sure the seal was broken for good."

"What seal?" Buffy asked, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Th-that plate on the mummy's tomb in the m-museum." Tara said, thinking back to their field trip. "The guide said it was a seal to w-warn people away from waking the mummy."

"What's going on?" Xander asked in a daze.

"He doesn't know?" Willow wasn't sure how he could have missed that his girlfriend was undead, especially if they had kissed.

"Tell him on the way." Buffy said. "Giles, let's drive."

…

Buffy urged Giles to drive faster as they headed for the museum crammed into his car. The Slayer ran ahead of them to the mummy's tomb, hoping they were right in their conclusions. Willow could hear Buffy and Ampata's voices carrying down the hall as she followed.

"Looks like you've been keeping secrets from me. You're not a normal girl." Ampata said in response to Buffy's leap into a fighting stance.

"And you are?" The blonde retorted in disgust. She could see the dead, dry flesh creeping along the other girl's body.

They fought, but Buffy was swiftly knocked into the tomb and Ampata closed the lid over her trapping her inside. Willow arrived and the mummy grabbed her around the throat.

"This won't hurt." The dead girl told her as she leaned in, opening her mouth.

Tara was just a moment behind the other witch and a fury rose in her at seeing Willow in Ampata's clutches.

"Ignis ignesco!"

A small flame shot out at the mummy. Ampata's shoulder caught fire and she let go of Willow to smother the flames against the wall. Willow ran to Tara, who took her in her arms without thinking. Giles caught up with them and put a hand on Willow's shoulder, looking for where Buffy had gotten to.

"If you're gonna kiss anybody, it should be me."

Ampata looked up to see Xander.

"Xander, we can be together." She looked hungrily at the embracing girls. "Just let me have one more."

"That's never gonna happen."

"I must do it. I must do it now. Or it is the end for me and it is the end for us."

Ampata made to run for the girls, but Xander blocked her and grabbed her arms.

"No!" Xander exclaimed as Tara moved to shield Willow with her body. "You want life, you're gonna have to take mine." Ampata shook her head, disbelieving. "Can you do that?"

Ampata paused, considering.

"Yes."

Tara wanted to shoot another flame at the mummy but didn't want to separate from Willow to get the needed angle. She wasn't even sure she had enough energy to cast another spell so soon but it pained her not to do more. Fortunately Xander wasn't being harmed as Tara focused on protecting Willow. Ampata may have decided to drain him, but she was apparently hesitant to begin, taking her time, getting more desiccated by the second.

They could hear Buffy pushing the lid off of the tomb. Giles went to help lift it off. The Slayer reached the mummy in time to pull her back from Xander, but to her horror the force of the tug separated the undead girl's arms from her body. Everyone in the room felt their stomachs lurch and they dropped the mummy parts. Xander flinched backward, falling to a kneeling position on the floor. Buffy felt deep sorrow and regret as she looked at the dusty remains of the Incan princess she had oddly found so much in common with.

Willow gazed at Tara for a moment and slowly left her arms. She knelt by Xander to comfort him, and Tara's jealousy couldn't surface with her overwhelming gratitude at seeing her friends safe. The five left the museum, taking one last glance back at the tomb.

…

The next day Willow and Tara were on their own while Buffy talked with Xander about Ampata. Or rather, the nameless princess who had taken Ampata Gutierrez's name and life.

"I-I hope Xander will be okay. That has to be heart breaking, meeting someone and then losing them so quickly…" Tara said sadly.

"I think he'll get through it." Willow reassured her. "He's been through a lot, living on the Hellmouth. We've kind of gotten used to saying goodbye since Jesse."

Tara stopped walking, hearing a deeper sadness in Willow's tone than usual at that name.

"Who was Jesse?"

Willow got a faraway look in her eyes, thinking back to the day she met Buffy.

"He was our friend. We weren't as close as me and Xander, but he was one of the only people who hung out with us. He… got turned by vampires during our sophomore year. It was the first time we lost someone we knew. I mean, there were always unexplained deaths in this town, but before we met Buffy we thought they were accidents and drug gang murders."

Willow felt her throat becoming clenched. She'd never really talked about this with anyone since she had to keep Sunnydale's nightlife a secret.

"Do you want to tell me about him?" Tara asked after giving her friend a minute alone with her thoughts.

Willow smiled softly.

"I'd like that."

She told Tara stories about her lost friend, and as the day went on she found herself sharing about all the teachers and schoolmates that had died at Sunnydale High. Willow realized that she'd been shoving aside a lot more grief than she thought for the past year. Talking with a sympathetic listener about her losses was a great comfort, and one she hadn't known she wanted. But it seemed this year was bringing her a lot of serendipitous things she hadn't know she wanted.